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Sunday, June 13, 2010

The Situation...So Far

On Saturday, June 12th, Rachel went to the emergency room with a bad headache that had been bothering her for most of the last week. After a few tests, the doctors decided to do a "Spinal Tap" procedure as they suspected she was suffering from spinal meningitis.

At about 11pm that night the doctors noticed cancerous cells in Rachel's blood and spinal fluid. At 1 am she was moved from Utah Valley to Primary Children's so that she could be observed and watched in the pediatric oncology unit here.

This morning, further test results provided a diagnosis of Acute Myeloid Leukemia, or AML. Tomorrow she will have a Bone Marrow biopsy to determine the next course of action. She will also have a tube called a "CVC" inserted into her chest, and she will begin chemotherapy treatments.

AML is an aggressive form of Leukemia, that requires chemotherapy treatments to take place in the hospital, for a period of six months. She will be here in the hospital for most all of that time.

So, that's a brief summary of what's been going on the past two days, and a little glimpse of what is to come. We appreciate all the prayers and thoughts on Rachel's behalf. She hasn't lost her fighting spirit, and is determined to beat this!

She ACTIVELY checks this blog...and appreciates any messages or comments you can leave :)

25 comments:

  1. Hi Steele Family and Rachel-This is the Gardners. Our Adam talked to your Adam and caught up on your recent news. We will be praying for your recovery and thinking about your family!

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  2. Oh,and we love the title and the bracelet! Looks like Adam has been using his sweet computer skillz! Come see us, Ticketz and tell us how we can help!

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  3. Rachel girl,

    We love you and missed in you YW today. We know you will do great and beat this! You are awesome!

    Love,

    Sister Ives

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  4. Rachel,
    You are such an amazing girl. Let me know if I can bring you anything (books, movies, food :) anything!) You are in our prayers. Thank you for being such a great friend to my little brother ;) Keep us updated!

    Love You!
    Rachel

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  5. We love you Rachel! You will beat this. We will come see you soon! Keep smiling.

    love,
    Jake, Camille, Christian and Ethan

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  6. (to the tune of Scoobydoo)

    Rachy, Rachy pooh, we love you. do do da da da do do do do (Okay, so I am not a poet like your wonderful mother....)

    WE LOVE YOU! Ellie and Dallin send you big fat slobbery kisses (and so do Paul and I, but not the slobbery ones like your Dad would give me when I was little....YUCK!!!)

    You are in our prayers constantly and Dallin says that he wants to make you a Googly Monster, so we will.

    Love you!

    Paul, Kristen, Dallin and Ellie

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  7. We love you, Rachel! We are following your progress closely, and you are in our prayers. We have some darling little grandchildren offering some sweet prayers in your behalf. Keep smiling! We know MANY people who have beaten this--we'll add you to the list!

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  8. Rachel,

    This blog is a great idea. I love the colors and the cheerful feeling. (it is nice to have a talented brother too) It totally reflects your enthusiasm and love for a fun. Just wanted you to know that our entire household it cheering and rooting for you. You can do this. We hope to visit you soon. Love Keri and family

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  9. Rachel, What a way to get out of going to camp! Nacho, where are you? Seriously, though, we'll miss you up at Shalom (and around the neighborhood.) You know our thoughts and our prayers are with you. You can beat this thing! We know it! We love you tons and tons! Erwin, Barb, Mike, and Kyle

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  10. We love you Rachel!! I'm so glad to have this blog as a way to keep up with your progress. Not only are you beautiful, you are a fighter, and you will beat this!! You are in our prayers and we will always be thinking of you.

    Love ya!!

    Tandi and family

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  11. The Muniz Steele FamilyJune 13, 2010 at 9:59 PM

    Dear Rachel,

    Thank you for keeping us updated. Your blog is very cute. Our prayers and thoughts are with you. We love you and know that Heavenly Father will take good care of you. You are very special and strong and He knows you can get through this. You CAN do it. You have our love and support.

    Love,
    Brian, Pilar & Leo

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  12. Rachel, thanks for creating this blog. We are all praying for you and love you so much. You'll beat this. You're incredible!

    Love, Blake and Michelle

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  13. Rachel,

    Lyndi and I bet on the drive home from the hospital that the staff are all fighting over who gets to take care of you. We are so confident that your body can fight this. Lyndi promises to visit often to practice her "nursing" skills on you.

    Kennedi, Savannah, Hayden, and Ken all say hello and know that we are all praying for you. We love you!

    Colleen & Lyndi Sorensen

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  14. Hi Rachel!

    Its me again, mysterious Cassie ;) I just checked to see more updates - very well written and informative so thank you! My fam: Mom, Dad, Ben, Marissa, Brandon (M's hubby), Lil' B, Me, my Grandma Knell, and Great Aunt Claudia all sat around the table and were updated on your situation and others that we just heard about and prayed a good prayer for you! We love you and your family and really are thinking and praying for you! You can fight this and do this Rachel!

    I hope this message helps! And I hope you can FEEL prayers for you because I've felt prayers before for me and it really is an incredible and amazing feeling to be prayed for and then to be strengthened for it!

    Love ya hope you're sleeping! Night night!

    xoxox

    Cassie (Knell) Walters

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  15. Jorge!!!!
    This is NO BUENO.
    What are you doing man!!! It's okay... drive-by's in the hospital are more fun anyways... haha. I will for sure come visit you though! I leave for Dixie tomorrow for basketball and I wasn't going to go so I could just come up and see you and go later but my mother... won't allow it. But as soon as I get back I will be right next to you cheka! Stay buff dude. You'll pull through :) I know you! Oh and don't try to run in the hallway with those one socks they give you on... you'll fall... just sayin! haha. Anyways... keep up the good work kid. I'm thinkin about all of you!!! P.S. We will have our gang meeting soon.

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  16. Rachel! You are AMAZING!!! And you are sooooo tough! We are sending ALL OUR LOVE and prayers!!
    Love
    Karen

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  17. You are in our thoughts and prayers. You can beat this! Stay STRONG and close to the SAVIOR. He WILL comfort you!

    We love you!

    Love,
    Shannon, Taun, Benjamin, Alex, & Gracie

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  18. Rachel,

    We just wanted to let you know you are in our thoughts and prayers. We know that you are a fighter and will be strong. Katherine was so impressed that even though you were not feeling well on Saturday, you took the time to work with her one-on-one at the volleyball camp. This has meant even more to her since finding out about your diagnosis.

    Love,
    Christy, Michael, Katherine & family

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  19. Rachel,

    We are praying for you and your family. Keep being happy and positive as you always are. It will work out and you will be blessed. Oh, and always remember that this old fat man blocked your spike at the May mutual activity. I think that I may have just gotten lucky even though I taunted you a bit afterwards. You will be on the volleyball court again before you know it.

    Love,

    Robert & Jennifer Moore & boys.

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  20. Rachel, Paige and I of course will add our prayers to all the others. We will miss you at girls camp next week and of course on the court. I have spent so many hours up a Primary's with my nephew who has gone through 82 surgery's and his latest.. a bout of cancer. The staff are amazing, the food not so much. We look forward to coming up when you feel a little better and bringing you a fatty hamburger and shake. Good luck today with your newest procedure. We love you very much. And if you need anything at all, let us know.

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  21. Dear Steele Family,
    Our thoughts and prayers are with you all at this time. May the Lord comfort and bless you all. God bless the wonderful doctors and nurses!
    Love, Vic, Mindy, Andrew, and Tom

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  22. Rachel,
    I don't even know what to say other than I can't imagine what you and your family are going through. Like all the above comments, everyone who knows you loves your smile and lively spirit. I am so glad that there are people in the world like you, who make you realize life can be fun and to laugh a lot. I know you will be strong, and hopefully feel of all the love and concern for you. Above all, I hope you realize how much your Heavenly Father and your parents love you. Sometimes things happen that knock you off your feet, and blindside you, and if you're like most of us, sometimes it takes years and become who the Lord wants us to become. I know you will grow immensely because of this incredible trial.
    You come from a great family and ward, and everyone will do what they can for you. We are fasting for you today, and pray for you daily.
    We love you and hopefully you will get back to playing volleyball in no time!
    Love Jessie Ty and Nixie Theobald

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  23. Bula Rachel! I knew you guys in Fiji - we played some amazing volleyball against the family Steele! We had alot of fun and certainly remember you and your family. Good luck through all of this - your spirit shows and you have an amazing support system. Our thoughts and prayers are with you. Cindy, Mike and Amy Araneda and Dustin Randall

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  24. Rachel,
    You might not even remember me, but I remember you as beautiful that tall freshman volleyball player ;) Since then you've become precious to my little brother and our entire family. I want to you know how much you mean to everyone- even people like me that have spent a limited amount of time with you. You mean a lot to all of us and we are all thinking of you and praying for you. Know that you aren't fighting this alone.

    With love,

    Angie Glassford Blaser

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  25. Marieta RatuvukivukiJune 20, 2010 at 6:58 PM

    Hey Rachel u might not remember me cos then when u were in Fiji i was in Adam's class and i found you very amazing so energetic and full of life, so i just wanna say how much i admire u for the fighting spirit that u have and i also wanna let u know that u will always be in me and my Family's prayers and also my ward since we had your Dad over to a ward activity when he visited Fiji for work.May the Lord bless you and your Family with comfort and strength to overcome this, when u get better and someday visit Fiji again maybe we could get together and play Volleyball yea! Well u be strong and pliz know that u are loved.
    Loloma,
    Marieta

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