March 2000 Updates on

Mary Beth

The following page contains updates regarding Mary Beth's progress for March of 2000. Links to other pages: Home / Pictures / Prayer Chain / Prayer Angels February / April If you wish to contact Mary Beth's family, you may do so through contact us. 3-3-00 Mary Beth's stay in the hospital this week was short-lived. She checked in on Tuesday morning and was released on Wednesday evening. :-) She is handling the actual chemotherapy treatments very well. She received additional treatments yesterday and today as an outpatient. She is still feeling the effects of her early treatments with pain in her feet which makes it extremely difficult to walk. However, her doctors have prescribed some new medication to alleviate this problem so she can gain mobility again. We pray that this medication will work as planned. When this side affect disappears, she will be able to function in a more normal fashion. Please join us in asking for this blessing. We fully expect to see her attending school next week. Thanks for the prayers. God bless, Gerry 3-13-00 Mary Beth was riding high on the roller-coaster for most of the week until Saturday night. She started the week by feeling the positive effects of the medication prescribed for the pain in her feet. It works very well - the pain is gone!!! She can walk normally again. She and her sisters and dad were guests on Tuesday night of the Stapleton girls and Ahnie Rizzo at the Backstreet Boys concert. The show was great, the music loud, and there was no waiting in line at the men's rooms (my favorite part - I counted nine other men in the crowd of 65,000 screaming fans)! She also attended school on a part-time. Her blood counts dropped late in the week, but she mustered the energy to participate in the Saint Louis University High School math contest on Saturday morning. On Saturday night, she developed a fever in excess of 103 and was taken to the hospital by Mom. She received a transfusion an additional medication, the fever broke, and she came home this afternoon. She expects to be in attendance in school tomorrow. Thank you all for the acts of kindness and love you continually express. We would be lost without your support. God bless, Gerry 3-21-00 Mary Beth spent St Patrick's Day by attending school in the afternoon, followed by a very special visit at home from Most Reverend Archbishop Justin Rigali. The Archbishop and Mary Beth discussed the power of prayer and the spiritual strength required to deal with her affliction. He was joined by Father Henry Breier and visited for one-half hour with Mary Beth. The Archbishop presented Mary Beth with a papal rosary and the family with a papal crucifix, both blessed by our Holy Father, Pope John Paul II. She enjoyed the time they shared, received his blessing, and joined him in prayer before he departed. She also went to a St Patrick's Day party, attended mass on Saturday, shopped and dined out on Sunday, and visited the History Museum on Monday before checking in for more chemotherapy today. She gets another MRI tomorrow. Please say a prayer for positive results.  God bless you, Gerry Mary Beth at home on St. Patrick's Day 2000 visiting with Most Reverend Archbishop Justin Rigali 3-29-00 Mary Beth's spirits remain high after her inspirational visit from Archbishop Rigali. On Tuesday of last week, Mary Beth started her third chemotherapy treatment and was released on Wednesday evening after an MRI. The results of the MRI were very positive. There are no signs of tumor on her brain and the spinal spots have decreased in size. The doctors are very encouraged by her progress. She spent Thursday and Friday receiving chemotherapy treatment as an out patient. She enjoyed the weekend weather by strolling/riding around the neighborhood. Sunday evening brought a downturn on the roller coaster with a visit to the emergency room with intense pain. It was determined to be bone pain resulting from her white blood count being too high. She recovered nicely on Monday and is back in school this week. Thank you all for your prayers and acts of love. Everything you are doing is truly appreciated. God bless you, Gerry   Home / Top of page / Prayer chain / February / April