hey everybody! sorry it has been so long since my last update. the past few days have been everything but pleasant for me. i've been really sick, but its all for the eventual good, right? my tastes are changing again. this is one of the worst parts of the chemo. my taste buds change and everything just tastes awful! I ate today!!! I had a whole banana! my counts are up really high, all of them. so thank you guys so much for the prayers because the docs say as soon as i start getting better i'll be home in no time! if i were sick i could be home this week even, but i pretty sick so that doesnt look too good. Randy, thanks for putting in a word with the big guy of HSP looks like he listened. Yesterday i had quite a few visitors and although i was really sick, it helped me to feel a little better. Pastor Rudy and little Rudy came up... that was a surprise, and a good one too. I love visiting with them. Bean and Ro were here, and Mikey also showed up. So after everybody left i napped til american idol and CARRIE won!!! I'm so excited. I have been pulling for her from the start. Today is a little better then yesterday, and yesterday a little better than the day before. So hopefully tomorrow will be better and soon enough i will be home! I'm so close i can smell the salty air. i hear the weather isnt great, but it doesnt matter. i just want to be on my little island without all these stinky plugs, machines, tubes... you know. i wanted to thank GARY for giving me his michael jordan poster, it made my day... and it made me smile for the first time in a while. you are such a sweetie, just like your mom. THANK YOU. so today looks like ANOTHER day of just lounging around waiting impatiently to go home. they started taking down some of my meds, so hopefully that is a good sign. my hair is almost completely gone, no yamaka Ry. well i'm going to go relax and try to make myself better... i haven't figured that one out yet. but its worth a try. thanks so much everybody for everything, the cards, visits, calls, and especially the PRAYERS...they are whats getting me out of here. so i'll try to write more frequently as long as i feel ok. please remember the prayer list, Jess, Randy, Richter & Ruark families, Pop Pop Rossi, Mullhollands, anyone else that needs the prayers!! Keep them up because they are definitely working. thanks so much and i hope to see everybody soon, AT HOME!