Gee Family Update 12/30/08

Hi everyone, thank you for your outpouring of love and support for Jodie, my dad and the rest of our family.

Here is the latest, plus some other important updates.

Jodie:
Jodie was checked into the hospital on Friday (12/26), her fever that started on Tuesday was not improving plus she needed a blood and platelet transfusion. Jodie is still in the hospital, her fever will not stabilize and the doctors have not been able to determine the source of the infection. She is good spirits overall. Holding down food has been a problem though, so she has not had much of an appetite.
The latest news from our transplant team at MD Anderson is that we have 22 potential marrow donor matches for Jodie!!! Additional testing and typing is still needed from this short list of donors, but we remain hopeful and confident that God will deliver the perfect donor for Jodie in His time.

My Dad:
He is on his last round of medication to treat the kidney cancer. He will visit his doctors in a couple of weeks to see if there have been any improvements with his kidney. Praise God that he's had minimal side effects from the medication. Besides feeling a little extra tired and dry skin, my dad has felt well throughout the drug treatment.

Prayer Requests and Praises:
Jodie - quick recovery from her current fever and infection and a return home
Jodie - that God will provide a marrow donor very soon
Jodie - Praise God, Jodie's white blood count improved to 0.1 (up from 0.0). 0.1 does not sound like a lot, but we'll take it! Normal range is 4.5 - 11.
Jodie - pray that the immunosuppresive drugs (ATG/Cyclosporine) help improve Jodie's blood counts
Family - Praise God for the many helping hands He sends us, especially Jodie's sister Joyce and now her parents who just arrived from Taiwan.
Family - we need God's direction in setting up the best situation for the kids after the holidays. Full time school, nanny or a combination?
Family - pray for continued good health and strength (if one of us gets sick, Jodie will get sick)
Alex - pray for a smooth return to work
Dad - pray for great results from the medication
Mom and Dad - They are feeling well, let's pray that it continues
Mom and Dad - Praise God that my brother Brian and his family (Jennifer and Kendall) are in Houston visiting from out of town.

Blood Donor Information:
Many of you have asked about donating blood in Jodie's name. Here is the information you will need.

> Dallas and surrounding area (a Carter BloodCare facility, http://www.carterbloodcare.org/)
- provide Jodie's sponsor number, spon047378

> Nationwide
- center should be affiliated with the National Blood Exchange
- then provide name, treating hospital and city
Jodie Gee
Richardson Regional Medical Center
Richardson, TX

Facebook:
- Visit our Save Jodie Gee Facebook page.
We'll post updates, donor event details and other important information.

Upcoming Bone Marrow Drives:
Sunday, January 4, 2009 - Bread of Life Church (Torrance, CA)

Sunday, January 11, 2009 - Austin Chinese Church (Austin, TX)

Sunday, January 18, 2009 (tentative) - Chinese Baptist Church (Houston, TX)

What is Severe Aplastic Anemia:
http://www.marrow.org/PATIENT/Undrstnd_Disease_Treat/Lrn_about_Disease/Aplastic_Anemia/index.html

Always in His Care,
The Gee's