As we all know, Jasmine left the hospital 0n APRIL 6TH-13 and had to be on TPN at home for 12 hours every day until she reaches her weight . The home nurse came twice a day, at night to start the TPN and in the morning to turn it off. Jasmine was observing and learning how to give TPN at home by herself . Soon, Jasmine was doing this herself! And she loves being her own nurse because she can do it on her own schedule. She tells me “Mom, don’t worry. You can go sleep. I’ll hook it up by myself.” Within these three weeks, she has had 1 blood transfusion. Jasmine had the opportunity to attend the “In Honor of Jasmine Faulk” fundraiser where she had the chance to shave her friends’ heads to support St. Baldrick’s Foundation for cancer research and also spend time with friends and family. After that, Jasmine had a low ANC level (which means her immune system is weak) which delayed her chemotherapy administration for 2 weeks because the chemo will weaken her immune system even more. We tried to keep her busy so she wouldn’t get bored, and Jazzy enjoyed her time at home . Since she wasn’t able to leave the house, we were able to gather at home with family and a small group of friends. Recently Jasmine got an infection in her left toe. She had to start taking antibiotics and thank God, the infection healed in two days. Jasmine’s ANC started to go up on Friday, so on Saturday, Jasmine and I went to my freind in Palos Verdes and cut our own palm branches to braid and arrange with some beautiful flowers for the Orthodox Palm Sunday service . Jasmine looked beautiful in her summery dress, and the family had a great time at the service and at dinner afterward. By  Monday, her ANC was 2600 (very good) so she was able to be admitted to the hospital for chemotherapy. Because it took a long time for her to recover after the last chemotherapy, the doctors decided to lower her doses of chemo by 20 percent so that her body can recover faster. As she gets further along in her treatment, this is expected to happen. Jasmine was happy to see her nurses and friends at the hospital and to resume her part-time job as the unit secretary She has learned to answer the phone and say “Pediatrics, this is Jasmine. How can I help you?” This is her 25th chemotherapy treatment and hopefully, we’ll be home soon

On March 25, 2013, Jasmine came into the hospital for aggressive chemo. After all the blood tests, they found out that her immune system was weak from weekly chemo treatments. Her white and red blood cells were low, so the doctors worried about her future chemo treatments. Since Jazzy’s last admission to the hospital, she lost five pounds. In total, she lost 33 pounds. The doctors told us that her lack of appetite will deeply affect her process of healing from chemo. They wanted her to heal before the next treatment, but she ended up passing the test by 10 units.

Since it is a struggle for Jasmine to eat, her doctors have prescribed her medication to stimulate her appetite. They recommended going on TPN through her IV. TPN stands for total prenatal nutrition. Jasmine was first scared about having a needle inside her chest. But the doctors persuaded her to take the treatment. The doctor wanted to record Jasmine’s IV levels for three days, but Jasmine wanted to go home for the weekend since it was Easter and her brother’s birthday. The doctor allowed her to leave, but under two conditions: she had to drink 1.7 Liters of water every day and she had to eat at home. During the weekend, she was well-fed and hydrated.

We ended up celebrating Easter and her brother’s birthday at home. It was a great weekend; Jasmine is always positive and happy whenever she is with her family. She was tired throughout the weekend, but she was still energetic and carefree. We came back to the hospital on April 1, 2013. She got her weekly chemo on Monday and started her TPN on Tuesday so that Jasmine can meet her daily caloric needs. At the moment, she is under the IV for TPN treatment. With the help of her dietician and TPN, Jazzy’s health has improved. If Jazzy improves her health, she will be able to go home on Saturday. She has been in the hospital for eleven days for the past two weeks.

Usually, chemo patients who have undergone weight loss are under IV treatment for 24 hours. Jazzy promised the doctor that she would eat 600-700 calories during the day time. At night, the TPN will help her caloric intake by 1,000 calories. With this method, Jazzy will be able to live her daily life freely. She can run, play, and enjoy regular activities. I know that Jazzy has a long journey ahead of her, but she keeps staying positive and happy.

LIVE,LOVE LAUGH

“TEAM JASMINE”

3/18/13 Monday, Jasmine received her chemo treatment and thankfully was able to go home the same day, which could not have made Jasmine happier since it was her brother Jacob’s birthday!

On Tuesday, Jazzy’s teacher came and was able to do some schoolwork with her.  On Wednesday, she happily attended her cooking class, which she LOVES.  Unfortunately, on Thursday we received a call from her nurse informing us that Jazzy’s red cell count was lower than 7 and she would once again need a blood transfusion…..We arrived at UCLA in the morning and stayed until 5:45pm.  As you can imagine, it is NO FUN being at the hospital, but as always Jasmine stays so strong and positive through it all!  She continues to inspire us!  We had a relaxing weekend and were able to attend church on Palm Sunday with our family. What a beautiful way to end the week…….celebrating the beginning of HOLY WEEK! 

As we told you before jasmine had tests done to see how she has progressed…… the results came back and they were amazingly great!

Word cannot express how grateful we were to hear the great news……….God is good!!!!!!

 Jasmine will still have to continue with her chemotherapy treatments. Her left leg has some damaged nerves due to the treatments,which has left her with some needed assistance of a brace and physical therapy. She needs to wear 2 different types of braces 24 hours a day; one will be worn during the day to assist in walking and the other brace while she sleeps.Therapy will consist of 4 times a week The healing process of her leg will begin once the treatments are over. As we all know, Jasmine has had the most amazing courage,faith,and strength from the beginning of her battle so we are sure that she’ll bounce right back!!

We  know that with god on our side as He’s been and all of our friend’s and family’s prayers and love,we will come out on the other side triumphant!

LIVE, LOVE &LAUGH

TEAM JASMINE