Hi there. This is Alex, Ada's niece. Ada is still on a regular floor at Memorial Sloan-Kettering. She will remain in the hospital through her next round of chemo, early next week, to monitor her reaction to the drugs.

Ada is not up for taking visitors right now, but has been getting every card, phone message, and email that you have sent and she really appreciates those. It is helpful to know she is not walking this path alone.

Hi there, it's Gloria.  Ada is out of ICU and in a regular floor at Memorial Sloan-Kettering (MSK).  After a few rough days, things are truly improving.  Her infection is under control and her white blood cell count is almost back to normal (the drop in white blood cell count is also a by product of the chemotherapy).  They had to drain liquid from her left lung since she was having problem breathing (she originally had liquid in her right lung).  After that was done, she is off oxygen and her breathing is much improved.  She still has a fair amount of liquid in her body which they are slowly trying to get out.  It is a balance since they cannot drain it too fast (through diuretics) or her blood pressure drops.

The goal is to have everything continue to improve, so that she can get back her ability to walk and function while also controlling the pain that is part of this disease.  She is scheduled for her next chemotherapy treatment next week.  We have talked to her doctors and they will be making a number of adjustments given how she reacted to the first treatment, so that, we do not repeat this cycle. Please say a special prayer for their wisdom in making the adjustments!

To all of you that have left messages, said prayers, sent cards, we are reading them and sharing everything with her.  We are truly grateful to each and every one of you.  Although she is not responding to messages yet, she is absolutely getting them.  We appreciate all that you do and ask for your continued prayers.  This is going to be a long road for her and she will need all the support that she can get.

A couple of nieces, Ali Mari and Cristina, have been with her while the sisters traded out.  My sister Tere will be with her starting later today and through next week.  We have learned that in the hospital, it is really critical that she have someone there and so we are making sure that this happens.

We have had a number of people ask where to send cards.  You can send them to her home address, we take them to her on a daily basis.

So, another day on El Camino...we keep walking.

Saturday

Hi friends, it is Gloria again and although Ada is still in the ICU at Sloan-Kettering, I have much better news to share with you.

They have been able to successfully fight her infection with antibiotics and her white cell count is up today for the first time.  Her infection was a byproduct of her first chemotherapy treatment. Although not unusual, it is serious and we are all very happy that she is working her way through it.

She is sitting up in a chair, having her first solid food for a while and should be transferred back to a regular room at Sloan-Kettering later today. She will still need to stay in the hospital for the next few days but she is back in a healing mode.

Although her spirits are improving as she feels better, she is still not up to talking to people or receiving visitors.  We are reading to her emails and comments from the blog and those continue to help her.  We hope in the next couple of days she will start listening to her phone messages.  We don't think that she will be up to responding for a few days but I did want to let you know that she is getting to hear what you have been sending to her.

Our sister Mari and our niece Alicia Maria are with her and keeping her company through this time.  So, she is not alone and also supported by the many prayers that we have been hearing about from her friends and family.

Thanks to all of you that are sharing the news with your communities, sending emails and voice-mails and praying.  It is wonderful to hear about and Ada and her whole family truly appreciate it.

So today, she will keep going and take a few more steps towards healing on El Camino...that is the best news!

Until next time...

Tuesday night, April 18th

Hi, its Gloria, the family has asked me to share with all of you, that Ada is in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) at Sloan-Kettering.

She was re-admitted to Sloan-Kettering yesterday because of having some reactions to her chemotherapy.  She has an infection throughout her body right now and they are treating her to help her overcome this issue.

I know that this was not Ada's plan for this week but I also know that she is a strong woman and pray that she will be able to deal with this adversity with the same spirit with which she has always lived.

Both of my sisters, Mari and Gracie are with her and she is also accompanied by our nephew Evelio.

We ask for your prayers for Ada,  she and the rest of us continue to believe that they make a big difference.

We know that many of you have called and also left emails, she is not able to respond to any of those at this time, hopefully, she will do so soon.

At this time, she cannot have visitors at the hospital.

Hopefully, most of this will change over the next few days and we will make an effort to keep all of you in the loop.

Until next time...

Dear family and friends,

After a very good first day following the first chemo, night before last, yesterday, and last night have been not that good: body pain and constipation.  I just called the Dr. and he increased the pain medication and doubled the remedy for constipation... so I am looking forward to some relief this afternoon and a better night sleep.
My sister Gracie came in from Rochester yesterday and will be with me this week.  Javi went back to Miami after filling the freezer with three different kinds of soups and a couple of delicious Cuban dishes.  I have been eating pretty well...
I have been reading the emails many of you have sent me for which I am so grateful!!  I feel enveloped by your love, concern... and believe me, I am energized by your prayers and good wishes.  I beg you to continue to walk with me this pilgrimage to health...  Un abrazo -- two for each you send me!

Dear family and friends :  Last night I came back home after 16 nights sleeping in hospitals.  It was a beautiful spring night and I felt like indeed I had started my pilgrimage to healing!  Of course being accompanied by two of my pilgrimage companions, Javi and Gloria, increased the memories of our pilgrimage to Compostela which the three of us (plus Alex, AJ, and Andy) successfully completed on July 11, 2007.  We walked for 35 days covering 500 miles, and I know they and all of your will help me succeed in this new pilgrimage to full health.  I am immensely grateful to each and everyone of you!  Please, stay with me, walk with me, pray with me and for me.
Yesterday I had the first session of chemo and I have had no side effects today, except perhaps a little bit light-headed a couple of times a day.  I have not felt today any different to how I felt before.  Good news indeed! I was able to take care of myself: shower, wash my hair, blow dry it (it will begin to fall off soon!) and get dressed -- except putting on socks and shoes for which I need help.
The Visiting Nurse came by and the good thing about it is that she listened to my lungs and they are clear.  The Dr. has also scheduled me to go get a chest x-ray next Wed. to keep on top of this.
Gloria left after being with me for 10 days for which I am immensely grateful.  I have had Javi as a wonderful companion all day.  He had cooked Cuban food for me and I enjoyed a great lunch and supper.
It was a beautiful spring day here so in the early afternoon we went outside and stood in the sun for a long while looking at the comings and goings in the streets below (I live on a hill)...  I had planned a little bit too ambitious walk but had to cut it short.  Later we went back out and sat on the stoop outside the main door of he building for a while and then walked the longer walk I had planned to do earlier.
I draw on your love and care constantly and thank you for the many messages and cards you continue to send me.  I hope that Javi's post about how to leave a response to the blog helps those of you who have wanted to do so and did not know how to be able to do so. 
Good night and blessed be!

Hello everyone, before Tia Ada gets into her own update today I wanted to write up some quick directions so that everyone can comment on the blog if they feel so inclined. If you would like to comment on a post you simply need to scroll to the very end of that post and click on the comments link. This will take you to a page where you can see all the comments that have been posted and at the end of that list you will be provided with a text box in which you can post your own thoughts. Simply type what you would like to appear and push publish to make your comments appear. I hope this is helpful!

-Javi