Oh The Blood

Wow...I did it again.  I haven't written in a while.  There just aren't enough hours in a day.  I guess we all feel like that at times.

Last week when I wrote I had an inkling that the week was going to be more of a challenge than we knew, and it was.  When we got to Vanderbilt last Monday, Nick's doctor said that we needed to stay all week.  We had not come prepared to stay, so he arranged for Nick to get treatment in Jackson.  It was good to get treatment near home, but due to several factors, it was SO very hard.  Nick felt horrible all week, but in retrospect, we survived!

Glenn and Nick went to Vanderbilt this past Monday.  His blood counts were very low, so he got 2 units of whole blood along with his chemotherapy.  The life really is in the blood!  He feels much better this week.  Next Monday he will be admitted to Vanderbilt for the week.  They are going to infuse him with high doses of methyltrexate.  He has been getting low doses of this drug all along during his lumbar puncture procedures and has not had any adverse reactions.  So, we are hopeful that this will be the thing that does the remission trick.  This is kind of a dangerous procedure.  So, he will be monitored closely.  Please pray.

A couple of weeks after the methyltrexate they will re-do the bone marrow biopsy.  The leukemia has got to be gone this time!!!

(As I finished typing the above sentence I got a text from Nick. (I'm in the living room & he is in his bedroom)  He asked me to come and check his temperature.  It is up again.  I was planning to go to church tonight, but now need to stay home.  Parenthood, in general, is not for wimps!)

Several of you have been asking me about donating blood for Nick.  I finally have some answers for you.  Lifeline Blood Ctr (here in Jackson) is set up to receive donations in Nick's honor.  He will not actually get the blood that you give, but your donation will help to replace what he has already gotten and the blood that he will receive in the future.  When you donate in his honor they will give you a card that can be mailed to let him know that you have given for him.  Blood donors have literally been tools that God has used to keep Nick alive.

(If you do not live close to Jackson, please donate at your local blood center.)

Lifeline has moved recently.  It is now at 183 Sterling Farms Drive.  It is off of the bypass frontage road that goes past Coffman's Furniture.  They take donations from 8 am - 2 pm on Mondays and Fridays, and from 12 pm to 6 pm on Tuesdays and Thursdays.

Leviticus 17:11      New Living Translation (NLT)

¹¹ for the life of the body is in its blood. I have given you the blood on the altar to purify you, making you right with the Lord.^[a] It is the blood, given in exchange for a life, that makes purification possible.

Because of the blood of Jesus...It is well.