I would imagine that most of you know what has been going on with us for the last couple of months, but it's way past time to catch up the blog. The month of June was fairly uneventful. I was taking Pharmacology and Pathophysiology in a whirlwind, short summer semester that just about made my head spin. As of last Thursday, both classes are now successfully completed.
(I regress a bit...but it's for clarity.) Since Nick's transplant in January he has been taking Cyclosporin, an anti-rejection drug. It allowed his body to fully settle in to his immune system's change of command that was brought on by the stem cell transplant. When we came home in April, they began slowly weaning him off of the Cyclosporin. Most people have multiple episodes of the rejection reaction, GVHD, but Nick had only had a couple of minor rashes due to GVHD while we were still in Nashville. His doctors had marveled that he had had no reaction since coming home.
(Fast forward back to a few weeks ago.) Three days before he was to be completely off of the Cyclosporin, he had a reaction. I got home that morning from having taken an 8:00 a.m. exam, and he had a rash. It was not a big rash, but coupled with the upset stomach he had had all weekend, I knew we needed to go to Vanderbilt. GVHD manifests in the GI tract, on the skin, and in the eyes. Nick called them as we were preparing to walk out the door, and they asked us how soon we could get there. When we left Jackson he had a rash on his leg about the size of a grapefruit. When we got to Nashville he was literally covered head to toe. He kind of looked like one of the Chic Fil-A cows...except his spots were RED and white.
The doctor and nurse-practitioner both told us that it was so great that we came that day because at the rate the reaction was progressing, they were not sure if it could have been reversed if we had waited another day. (Thank you, God!!!) The treatment for this reaction is to re-start cyclosporin at therapeutic levels and re-start high dose steroids. If that was not successful in eliminating the rash within 3 days he would need to start photo pheresis sometime in the future. Nick's doctor said that he would really like for Nick to go ahead with photo pheresis, but since it is so very, very expensive, and not within the protocols for first-line treatment, insurance would not pay for it until we waited out the other treatment...BUT...there was a clinical research study that had just started. It was studying whether photo pheresis should be first line treatment, and Nick might be a candidate for the study.
The doctor explained to us that photo pheresis had been used since 1991, and that it had been clinically shown to provide much better, long term quality of life for leukemia survivors. In this process...three times a week... they would hook Nick to a machine; remove some blood; spin it down to separate the red blood cells, plasma, and white blood cells; give him back the red blood cells & plasma; treat the white blood cells with a cytotoxic agent called MOP-8; expose the white blood cells to ultraviolet light (which activates the MOP-8), and give him back the mixture. The MOP-8 then acts as a marker to target the white blood cell that are misbehaving, and Nick's immune system would kill the renegades and train the other white cells to not misbehave in the future. This treatment has been successfully shown to reduce the incidence of GVHD exponentially. If he were accepted to the study and randomly chosen for photo pheresis, the research study would pay for the procedure and our insurance would cover the medicine.
As you might have guessed, Nick was accepted to the study and placed on photo pheresis. So, now we are once again traveling I40 east & west...2 to 3 times a week from July, 2012 thru January, 2013. Nick is feeling very well, and has even made the drive all by himself a couple of times. He is so ready to get back to normal life (whatever that is??????)
A couple of weeks ago I started following this Bible reading plan that takes you through the Bible in chronological order. I don't remember ever having read it through like that. So, I started. I am now in the book of Job. As you probably know, Job was a man who trusted God fully, and was extremely blessed in all that he did. God trusted in Job's character as well. As the story goes, one day satan asked God if he could test Job. The evil one believed that if all of Job's blessing were taken away he would curse God and turn away. So, God allowed Job to be tested, but stipulated that he could not harm Job physically. In a single day all of Job's children and possession were taken away, but Job did not sin. He simply trusted.
Seeing that he was a failure, satan once again asked God for permission to test Job. God granted the second request, but said that satan could not take Job's life. So, Job found himself covered in boils, rotted flesh, and being eaten upon by worms. Job's wife told him that he should just curse God and die, but Job remained faithful. Within the long story of Job's plight he was visited by a number of friends, and it is during such a visit, in the text, while a "friend" is telling Job that he really needs to get some wise counseling, that I found the following tidbit:
Job 8:13-15 (NIV) "Such is the destiny of all who forget God; so perishes the hope of the godless.
14 What they trust in is fragile; what they rely on is a spider's web. 15 They lean on the web,
but it gives way; they cling to it, but it does not hold."
This scripture jumped out at me like a flash of lightening..."Such is the destiny of all who forget God..."
I stopped reading and prayed and thought. Have there been times when I have focused on our plight instead of being encouraged by the victories? Yes. Have there been moments when it seemed like this time period of trial would never end? Yes. However, even though it has been very hard at times we have not forgotten Who has taken us through this valley, and blessed us in the midst of it. We have never leaned on God and found Him fragile...Oh no...to the contrary! He has been that immovable force, that rock, that shield, that presence that we can neither deny nor understand. Why did my son have to deal with cancer? I have no idea, but I do know one thing: We are not without hope! We will not forget! (O.k., maybe that's two things??)
Whatever it is that you are facing today...you do not have to be strong enough on your own...just please do not forget where your hope lies. Regardless of how it feels, you have not been forsaken. You are not being punished, and you are very much loved...right where you are. You may not feel strong enough to do much. So, just start by remembering.
It is well, and we will remember that!
Sunday, August 12, 2012
Thursday, June 14, 2012
It's Wonderful
Nick and Amanda went to Vanderbilt today. They had a steady stream of healthcare professionals peeking their heads in Nick's room. Finally the doctor came in. Amanda described him as a middle eastern man to whom they had to listen closely in order to understand. They had both seen him before, and had trust in his abilities. They expected him to talk about this lab value or that medication, but Mandi said that all he could say was, "It's wonderful...it's wonderful...it's just wonderful..." Mandi said that it was all she could do to hold back tears as she watched this man who knows well the difference between medicine and miracle say, "It's wonderful."
After several minutes he went on to say that Nick is a well known young man. Nick replied, "So, I'm popular?" The doctor agreed and continued to tell them that the oncology department at Vanderbilt has a staff meeting every Friday. They gather to talk about their patients and glean wisdom from the gathering of wise counsel. He told him that there has not been one meeting where Nick's name has not been brought up. Even though his transplant was in January, and we came home April 25th, he continues to be talked about and have his case held up as hope for others who are facing the fight of their lives. It's wonderful!
As I said yesterday, I have started back reading the Psalms. Today I read Psalms 2 (and a number of other scriptures as I chased rabbit trails.) In Psalms 2 the writer is lamenting about the world leaders and warning them that they better align themselves with the Almighty. In the middle of chapter he also writes prophesy about Jesus being the Son of God as he states:
In John 17, Jesus does just that. He asks.............................
How many times in the Word does God tell us to ask, or knock, or seek? I don't know the answer to that, but the phrase, "a bunch of times", is surely close to accurate. The point is that God just wants us to ask.
I would imagine that each of you who are reading this blog have asked God for Nick's healing over the past year. Most of you do not know one another. You go to different churches. You sing different songs. You are young, old, and in between. You are black, white, Hispanic, Asian, some combination of the others, or something totally different. You live in different places on the globe, and speaks a multitude of different languages. However, you all came together as the Body of Christ during the last year and simply asked.
God honored the numerous requests and saw fit to make an example of Nick's case. At one of the most well know hospitals in the world, all they can say is....It's wonderful. Even if that doctor does not know who "Wonderful" is (YET), he at least knows that something is different about Nick.
My encouragement to you today is be bold and ask.
It is...........Wonderful
After several minutes he went on to say that Nick is a well known young man. Nick replied, "So, I'm popular?" The doctor agreed and continued to tell them that the oncology department at Vanderbilt has a staff meeting every Friday. They gather to talk about their patients and glean wisdom from the gathering of wise counsel. He told him that there has not been one meeting where Nick's name has not been brought up. Even though his transplant was in January, and we came home April 25th, he continues to be talked about and have his case held up as hope for others who are facing the fight of their lives. It's wonderful!
As I said yesterday, I have started back reading the Psalms. Today I read Psalms 2 (and a number of other scriptures as I chased rabbit trails.) In Psalms 2 the writer is lamenting about the world leaders and warning them that they better align themselves with the Almighty. In the middle of chapter he also writes prophesy about Jesus being the Son of God as he states:
7 “I will declare the decree:
The Lord has said to Me,
‘You are My Son,
Today I have begotten You.
8 Ask of Me, and I will give You
The nations for Your inheritance,
And the ends of the earth for Your possession.
The Lord has said to Me,
‘You are My Son,
Today I have begotten You.
8 Ask of Me, and I will give You
The nations for Your inheritance,
And the ends of the earth for Your possession.
In John 17, Jesus does just that. He asks.............................
How many times in the Word does God tell us to ask, or knock, or seek? I don't know the answer to that, but the phrase, "a bunch of times", is surely close to accurate. The point is that God just wants us to ask.
I would imagine that each of you who are reading this blog have asked God for Nick's healing over the past year. Most of you do not know one another. You go to different churches. You sing different songs. You are young, old, and in between. You are black, white, Hispanic, Asian, some combination of the others, or something totally different. You live in different places on the globe, and speaks a multitude of different languages. However, you all came together as the Body of Christ during the last year and simply asked.
God honored the numerous requests and saw fit to make an example of Nick's case. At one of the most well know hospitals in the world, all they can say is....It's wonderful. Even if that doctor does not know who "Wonderful" is (YET), he at least knows that something is different about Nick.
My encouragement to you today is be bold and ask.
It is...........Wonderful
Wednesday, June 13, 2012
The Hand of God
Wow...talk about disappearing off the face of the earth. That is exactly what I did. I can't really explain why I did that, but once it was time to actually come home I just needed some time...to process...to adjust...to come to terms with what we had been through. If I had had a place where I could have just hidden away to sleep and think I would have. Alas, one can only carve out hidden moments in day. It's really not practical to park yourself in a closet for a month or more.
Life is certainly different being home and un-tethered from Vanderbilt. Nick is doing very well. He is getting stronger everyday. His hair is coming back in black & curly, except for the beard circling his chin which, when allowed to grow, comes out bright red. His hair used to be long and straight with his bangs swept to the side like Justin Bieber's old do. Although, Nick always swore that he had been wearing that style long before the Biebs began popularizing it. I tend to believe him.
He just goes back to Vanderbilt on a monthly basis now. Amanda is taking him tomorrow for his second monthly visit. I'm sure that none of you will be surprised to hear that all of his reports have been outstanding. Except for that one episode of Graft vs Host rash that happened while we were still in Nashville, he has had absolutely no rejection symptoms. Oh sure, they told us all of the statistics and things to look for in the coming months, but all that we continue to see is the hand of God covering him and restoring what the enemy thought he was gonna steal.
It is still very much a mystery to me what God is going to do with this adventure. I can see that He is restoring some things and yet others will never be restored....Changes have been made in Nick's body that will never go back to "normal", like numerous aspects of his appearance. Yet, those things do not matter. Other changes have been even more profound, and I believe they are wonderfully changed for good, like maturity, patience, and depth of character.
This morning I started reading in Psalms 1. In it God speaks about how we should conduct ourselves: Don't ask wicked people for advice. Don't do as sinners do. Don't look down your nose at those whose lives are not perfect (like any of ours is perfect.) ...And...Keep your mind on the Word of God. This scripture says that if you conduct your lives this way, you will be like a tree planted beside a river...strong, nourished, fed, and fruitful. It even goes on to say that, if you conduct your life and mind in this way, whatever you do will prosper.
As I read this morning, I have to admit that I have been feeling kind of pulled up by the roots. When this adventure began I was running a successful business, serving as a Music Pastor, and was just about to begin nursing school. I know that it was the right decision to have closed my business and stepped down from ministry, because I needed to be with Nick. The Bible is very clear about taking care of your own family first. However, now that we are back, I do not yet know where I fit it in.
As I have pondered this scripture further I realize that the metaphor of the tree is just that...a metaphor. Don't get me wrong. I believe that each of us should be planted and serving in a local church. The Bible is clear about that as well. However, once again God is showing me that the being planted...or moved for a season is not the important part. The important part is the condition of my heart. Am I seeking wise counsel from God and his people? Am I conducting my life in a Godly way? Am I looking at others with love instead of judgement? Am I meditating on God's Word? If the answer is "yes", then I am "like" a tree planted by the river. Wherever I am, I am strong and being nourished, fed, and fruitful.
Tonight we will be at First Baptist Church in Jackson, TN. This is where my parents attend, and they have been asked to speak about our adventure and share the miracles that God worked throughout this journey. Next Wednesday we will be at Northside Methodist, where my sister and her family attend. She has also been asked to share with her church about what God has done over the last year. These are only two of the numerous congregations who continuously lifted us up in prayer, and poured into our lives in so many ways. I am thankful that God has opened these doors for our family to be able to share how tangibly faithful God has been with some of the people who have been so faithful to pray.
I know that I have said it before, but all of you who prayed for us made a huge difference in our lives. Not only ours, but potentially all of the lives who have heard about our adventure and who will hear as time passes. He performed miracle after miracle, and my prayer is that this experience will continue to be shared. We serve a God who is risen, alive, well, all powerful, loving, compassionate, and Who still performs miracles. It is well.
Life is certainly different being home and un-tethered from Vanderbilt. Nick is doing very well. He is getting stronger everyday. His hair is coming back in black & curly, except for the beard circling his chin which, when allowed to grow, comes out bright red. His hair used to be long and straight with his bangs swept to the side like Justin Bieber's old do. Although, Nick always swore that he had been wearing that style long before the Biebs began popularizing it. I tend to believe him.
He just goes back to Vanderbilt on a monthly basis now. Amanda is taking him tomorrow for his second monthly visit. I'm sure that none of you will be surprised to hear that all of his reports have been outstanding. Except for that one episode of Graft vs Host rash that happened while we were still in Nashville, he has had absolutely no rejection symptoms. Oh sure, they told us all of the statistics and things to look for in the coming months, but all that we continue to see is the hand of God covering him and restoring what the enemy thought he was gonna steal.
It is still very much a mystery to me what God is going to do with this adventure. I can see that He is restoring some things and yet others will never be restored....Changes have been made in Nick's body that will never go back to "normal", like numerous aspects of his appearance. Yet, those things do not matter. Other changes have been even more profound, and I believe they are wonderfully changed for good, like maturity, patience, and depth of character.
This morning I started reading in Psalms 1. In it God speaks about how we should conduct ourselves: Don't ask wicked people for advice. Don't do as sinners do. Don't look down your nose at those whose lives are not perfect (like any of ours is perfect.) ...And...Keep your mind on the Word of God. This scripture says that if you conduct your lives this way, you will be like a tree planted beside a river...strong, nourished, fed, and fruitful. It even goes on to say that, if you conduct your life and mind in this way, whatever you do will prosper.
As I read this morning, I have to admit that I have been feeling kind of pulled up by the roots. When this adventure began I was running a successful business, serving as a Music Pastor, and was just about to begin nursing school. I know that it was the right decision to have closed my business and stepped down from ministry, because I needed to be with Nick. The Bible is very clear about taking care of your own family first. However, now that we are back, I do not yet know where I fit it in.
As I have pondered this scripture further I realize that the metaphor of the tree is just that...a metaphor. Don't get me wrong. I believe that each of us should be planted and serving in a local church. The Bible is clear about that as well. However, once again God is showing me that the being planted...or moved for a season is not the important part. The important part is the condition of my heart. Am I seeking wise counsel from God and his people? Am I conducting my life in a Godly way? Am I looking at others with love instead of judgement? Am I meditating on God's Word? If the answer is "yes", then I am "like" a tree planted by the river. Wherever I am, I am strong and being nourished, fed, and fruitful.
Tonight we will be at First Baptist Church in Jackson, TN. This is where my parents attend, and they have been asked to speak about our adventure and share the miracles that God worked throughout this journey. Next Wednesday we will be at Northside Methodist, where my sister and her family attend. She has also been asked to share with her church about what God has done over the last year. These are only two of the numerous congregations who continuously lifted us up in prayer, and poured into our lives in so many ways. I am thankful that God has opened these doors for our family to be able to share how tangibly faithful God has been with some of the people who have been so faithful to pray.
I know that I have said it before, but all of you who prayed for us made a huge difference in our lives. Not only ours, but potentially all of the lives who have heard about our adventure and who will hear as time passes. He performed miracle after miracle, and my prayer is that this experience will continue to be shared. We serve a God who is risen, alive, well, all powerful, loving, compassionate, and Who still performs miracles. It is well.
Monday, April 9, 2012
Struggle or Surrender
What a glorious thing it is to have celebrated, once again, the life of our resurrected Savior. It is a nearly overwhelming thing to know that our very lives, souls & spirits belong to the One who has defeated death on every level imaginable.
It has been awhile since I have written, and that has been purposeful. One of my dear friends, Joyce, along with her family, celebrated the passing of her son, Kenny, this week. Kenny had been diagnosed with cancer a short while before Nick was diagnosed, and this week he won the battle by spending resurrection day in the very presence of the resurrected One. I have marveled to see, from afar, the grace and joy with which this family has dealt with the temporary sadness of being separated from their loved one. Kenny was and is in love with Jesus, and so are they. So, they will be together again in time. (I feel like breaking into a chorus or two of Blessed Assurance!)
Let me just say...If you do not understand how a Mom could have joy and peace at the passing of her son, please do not let another moment pass without talking with someone about that. Odds are that as you read this it made you think of someone that you have met who seems to have that peace when everyone else is falling apart. Call them. Call me. Whisper a prayer to ask God who you should call. Then call whoever comes to mind. Anyone who has that peace will be happy to drop whatever they are doing and talk to you about it.
Nick is doing very well. We are now counting down the days until he can come home. April 25th will be day 100, and that will be here before we know it. We still do not know what caused the three weeks of fever and sickness, but it is gone now. They did every test that the gaggle of brilliant minds could imagine, and could find nothing wrong with him. So, several doctors have called him the "million dollar workup boy." He seems to be a bit famous among the oncology circles here at Vanderbilt.
One of my major prayers since this all began was that God be glorified in this adventure. Who knows...maybe he needed to get famous in order to be remembered amongst the myriad of people who are treated here everyday. Regardless of the whys, our prayer remains the same: God be glorified!
As I have pondered what my friend and her family have gone through this week, my mind has returned to the desire of my heart. I know that it has been her's as well. Joyce is a gifted writer and communicator in a number of ways, and throughout their journey, her faith has been such an encouragement. A number of times during which both of our son's were critically ill, she went out of her way to give of herself to me. The love of God exudes from her every pore.
I do not understand why some of us have our days numbered shorter than others. I do, however, know that Kenny's life glorified God, and the testament of that life will continue to do so. So many of us struggle to find what we are "supposed to do" with our lives...when all we really want is to glorify God with the moments that we have. Even though that is sometimes done through seasons of adversity, it really should not be struggle...a surrender, yes...but not a struggle. I think that difference is control...who has it?..Us or God? Not one of us can control whether or not we have another breath, but we can make the choice to surrender to Him. If life is a struggle...it may be time to surrender.
It is well!
It has been awhile since I have written, and that has been purposeful. One of my dear friends, Joyce, along with her family, celebrated the passing of her son, Kenny, this week. Kenny had been diagnosed with cancer a short while before Nick was diagnosed, and this week he won the battle by spending resurrection day in the very presence of the resurrected One. I have marveled to see, from afar, the grace and joy with which this family has dealt with the temporary sadness of being separated from their loved one. Kenny was and is in love with Jesus, and so are they. So, they will be together again in time. (I feel like breaking into a chorus or two of Blessed Assurance!)
Let me just say...If you do not understand how a Mom could have joy and peace at the passing of her son, please do not let another moment pass without talking with someone about that. Odds are that as you read this it made you think of someone that you have met who seems to have that peace when everyone else is falling apart. Call them. Call me. Whisper a prayer to ask God who you should call. Then call whoever comes to mind. Anyone who has that peace will be happy to drop whatever they are doing and talk to you about it.
Nick is doing very well. We are now counting down the days until he can come home. April 25th will be day 100, and that will be here before we know it. We still do not know what caused the three weeks of fever and sickness, but it is gone now. They did every test that the gaggle of brilliant minds could imagine, and could find nothing wrong with him. So, several doctors have called him the "million dollar workup boy." He seems to be a bit famous among the oncology circles here at Vanderbilt.
One of my major prayers since this all began was that God be glorified in this adventure. Who knows...maybe he needed to get famous in order to be remembered amongst the myriad of people who are treated here everyday. Regardless of the whys, our prayer remains the same: God be glorified!
As I have pondered what my friend and her family have gone through this week, my mind has returned to the desire of my heart. I know that it has been her's as well. Joyce is a gifted writer and communicator in a number of ways, and throughout their journey, her faith has been such an encouragement. A number of times during which both of our son's were critically ill, she went out of her way to give of herself to me. The love of God exudes from her every pore.
I do not understand why some of us have our days numbered shorter than others. I do, however, know that Kenny's life glorified God, and the testament of that life will continue to do so. So many of us struggle to find what we are "supposed to do" with our lives...when all we really want is to glorify God with the moments that we have. Even though that is sometimes done through seasons of adversity, it really should not be struggle...a surrender, yes...but not a struggle. I think that difference is control...who has it?..Us or God? Not one of us can control whether or not we have another breath, but we can make the choice to surrender to Him. If life is a struggle...it may be time to surrender.
It is well!
Thursday, March 22, 2012
A Flash Of Pink
I just want to share a happy with you all:
My Great Grandmother and Grandfather on my Dad's side, Granny and Grampy Bennett, lived on a working farm close to Benton, IL. I have fond memories of riding the tractor, chasing the chickens, eating "sticky" popcorn, and finding dropped peacock feathers in the side yard. Granny kept "pea fowl". They would make the most awful noises, but they were beautiful.
When Granny passed, my Nana got a Christmas cactus that had been in Granny's parlor forever. When Nana passed, I brought the cactus home. I do not have a green thumb, but it really seems to love the spot that I happened to put it in my kitchen. It has grown by leaps and bounds over the years, and I have had to re-pot it several times. For years it would bloom at Christmas (hence the name "Christmas cactus") with the most beautiful bright pink flowers. I would get so excited when I started seeing that hint of pink at the end of each of the deep, true green serrated stalks. Then within a week or so it would be completely covered in fuchsia. However, for the last two Christmases it has not bloomed....In fact...It has not bloomed since Nick got sick.
About an hour ago I walked in the kitchen and looked at the cactus, inspecting the branches as I often do. When I stepped around the far side of the plant something caught my eye: a flash of pink. At the end of a single stalk there is a bloom. It is not yet open, but in the next day or two it will stand out like a candle in the darkness.
I know that this may not sound like much to some of you, but it speaks volumes to me. As soon as I saw the maturing bloom, I eyed the rest of the plant hoping to find more. I guess that's what most people would have done. When we get something that we have desired, it's human nature to want more. However, I was almost instantly convicted that I really should be thankful for the gift of the day.
Most of this day has been less than stellar. I let a lot of little things add up to steal my joy. At one point I was angry for no real reason, and had to walk away before saying something that I knew I would regret. However, this one little potential bloom has turned it all around. How goofy is that? That little pink nub has probably been there for days, but it didn't get brought to my attention until I really needed to see it.
I am thankful for this sweet little desire of my heart being fulfilled, and for the glorious God who brought it about. It is well.
My Great Grandmother and Grandfather on my Dad's side, Granny and Grampy Bennett, lived on a working farm close to Benton, IL. I have fond memories of riding the tractor, chasing the chickens, eating "sticky" popcorn, and finding dropped peacock feathers in the side yard. Granny kept "pea fowl". They would make the most awful noises, but they were beautiful.
When Granny passed, my Nana got a Christmas cactus that had been in Granny's parlor forever. When Nana passed, I brought the cactus home. I do not have a green thumb, but it really seems to love the spot that I happened to put it in my kitchen. It has grown by leaps and bounds over the years, and I have had to re-pot it several times. For years it would bloom at Christmas (hence the name "Christmas cactus") with the most beautiful bright pink flowers. I would get so excited when I started seeing that hint of pink at the end of each of the deep, true green serrated stalks. Then within a week or so it would be completely covered in fuchsia. However, for the last two Christmases it has not bloomed....In fact...It has not bloomed since Nick got sick.
About an hour ago I walked in the kitchen and looked at the cactus, inspecting the branches as I often do. When I stepped around the far side of the plant something caught my eye: a flash of pink. At the end of a single stalk there is a bloom. It is not yet open, but in the next day or two it will stand out like a candle in the darkness. I know that this may not sound like much to some of you, but it speaks volumes to me. As soon as I saw the maturing bloom, I eyed the rest of the plant hoping to find more. I guess that's what most people would have done. When we get something that we have desired, it's human nature to want more. However, I was almost instantly convicted that I really should be thankful for the gift of the day.
Most of this day has been less than stellar. I let a lot of little things add up to steal my joy. At one point I was angry for no real reason, and had to walk away before saying something that I knew I would regret. However, this one little potential bloom has turned it all around. How goofy is that? That little pink nub has probably been there for days, but it didn't get brought to my attention until I really needed to see it.
I am thankful for this sweet little desire of my heart being fulfilled, and for the glorious God who brought it about. It is well.
Sunday, March 18, 2012
Our God Pays Attention
We went to clinic this morning, and Nick still has a low grade temp. Today it was 99.9. It's not really considered a fever until it gets to be 100.4 or more. However, it's more than a degree over normal. So, there is still something going on that is making him not so normal. (Yes, I hear some of you saying, "He's not normal because he your son." Well, that is probably true, but sharing my genetics should not skew his vital signs.)
He has also started having more nausea, and he has all but lost his appetite. So, tomorrow he will be having an endoscopy to take some biopsies from his upper GI tract. He is not stoked at all about having to undergo this, but it should show whether or not he is having some Graft vs. Host reactions. This could explain all of his symptoms.
If the biopsies are positive for Graft vs. Host (GVHD) they will give him a higher dose of steroids for a short time, and it will all be better. They told us today that they would have expected him to have much more GVHD at this point, but I'm not surprised. For all of the difficult moments, this adventure, on whole, has really been fairly easy. It is simply God's extreme faithfulness.
For those of you who have not seen my Facebook updates, the last couple of weeks have been challenging. Nick has been out of the hospital; back to the E.R. the same night; back in the hospital; and now he is out. He is certainly better than 2 weeks ago, but we are still awaiting answers.
As I started to write this afternoon, I immediately thought of a specific happening in the Old Testament. King Ahab was married to Jezebel, the nasty queen who's life's mission was to kill the Prophets of God. There had been a drought in the land for 3 years, and the situation was grave. So God told the Prophet Elijah to go and present himself to King Ahab, and He would send rain.
As Elijah was on his way, he ran into Obadiah. He was a faithful believer who worked for Ahab, and had risked everything to save and care for 100 of God's Prophets...even though his boss' wife wanted them dead. When Obadiah saw Elijah, he recognized him immediately. Elijah told Obadiah to go and tell his boss that Elijah wanted to see him, but that was not what Obadiah wanted to hear. I imagine that he just rolled his eyes at Elijah and he basically said,"What have I done wrong? Are you trying to get me killed too? I can't go and tell Ahab that I have talked to you...or had anything to do with you. Who knows where God will send you in the mean time. Then when you are not around, Ahab will kill me dead. Don't you know about those 100 guys I saved?" Obadiah was freaking out, and he knew that this was not going end well. However, Elijah re-assured him, and Obadiah did as he had been told.
21 Elijah went before the people and said, “How long will you waver between two opinions? If the LORD is God, follow him; but if Baal is God, follow him.”
Elijah told the 850 that they could get started by preparing a sacrifice, and that he would do the same.
He has also started having more nausea, and he has all but lost his appetite. So, tomorrow he will be having an endoscopy to take some biopsies from his upper GI tract. He is not stoked at all about having to undergo this, but it should show whether or not he is having some Graft vs. Host reactions. This could explain all of his symptoms.
If the biopsies are positive for Graft vs. Host (GVHD) they will give him a higher dose of steroids for a short time, and it will all be better. They told us today that they would have expected him to have much more GVHD at this point, but I'm not surprised. For all of the difficult moments, this adventure, on whole, has really been fairly easy. It is simply God's extreme faithfulness.
For those of you who have not seen my Facebook updates, the last couple of weeks have been challenging. Nick has been out of the hospital; back to the E.R. the same night; back in the hospital; and now he is out. He is certainly better than 2 weeks ago, but we are still awaiting answers.
As I started to write this afternoon, I immediately thought of a specific happening in the Old Testament. King Ahab was married to Jezebel, the nasty queen who's life's mission was to kill the Prophets of God. There had been a drought in the land for 3 years, and the situation was grave. So God told the Prophet Elijah to go and present himself to King Ahab, and He would send rain.
As Elijah was on his way, he ran into Obadiah. He was a faithful believer who worked for Ahab, and had risked everything to save and care for 100 of God's Prophets...even though his boss' wife wanted them dead. When Obadiah saw Elijah, he recognized him immediately. Elijah told Obadiah to go and tell his boss that Elijah wanted to see him, but that was not what Obadiah wanted to hear. I imagine that he just rolled his eyes at Elijah and he basically said,"What have I done wrong? Are you trying to get me killed too? I can't go and tell Ahab that I have talked to you...or had anything to do with you. Who knows where God will send you in the mean time. Then when you are not around, Ahab will kill me dead. Don't you know about those 100 guys I saved?" Obadiah was freaking out, and he knew that this was not going end well. However, Elijah re-assured him, and Obadiah did as he had been told.
I Kings 18 (NIV)
16 So Obadiah went to meet Ahab and told him, and Ahab went to meet Elijah. 17 When he saw Elijah, he said to him, “Is that you, you troubler of Israel?” 18 “I have not made trouble for Israel,” Elijah replied. “But you and your father’s family have. You have abandoned the LORD’s commands and have followed the Baals. 19 Now summon the people from all over Israel to meet me on Mount Carmel. And bring the four hundred and fifty prophets of Baal and the four hundred prophets of Asherah, who eat at Jezebel’s table.”
So 850 of the false gods prophets showed up, along with countless people from all over Israel. It was surely billed as the show down of the century.
21 Elijah went before the people and said, “How long will you waver between two opinions? If the LORD is God, follow him; but if Baal is God, follow him.”
Elijah told the 850 that they could get started by preparing a sacrifice, and that he would do the same.
24 Then you call on the name of your god, and I will call on the name of the LORD. The god who answers by fire—he is God.” Then all the people said, “What you say is good.” 25 Elijah said to the prophets of Baal, “Choose one of the bulls and prepare it first, since there are so many of you. Call on the name of your god, but do not light the fire.” 26 So they took the bull given them and prepared it.
The false prophets hooted and hollered, cried and screamed, flailed about and cut themselves until they were nearly bleeding out. Then the Bible says, " there was no response, no one answered, no one paid attention." They were awaiting an answer, but it was never going to come. They carried on for the half a day, and Elijah had had enough. He prepared an altar, cut up his sacrifice, and had it drenched with water...just to make sure that the people could see how miraculous it was going to be when God set it on fire.
36 At the time of sacrifice, the prophet Elijah stepped forward and prayed: “LORD, the God of Abraham, Isaac and Israel, let it be known today that you are God in Israel and that I am your servant and have done all these things at your command. 37 Answer me, LORD, answer me, so these people will know that you, LORD, are God, and that you are turning their hearts back again.” 38 Then the fire of the LORD fell and burned up the sacrifice, the wood, the stones and the soil, and also licked up the water in the trench. 39 When all the people saw this, they fell prostrate and cried, “The LORD—he is God! The LORD—he is God!”
God had answered powerfully and immediately, but how about that no rain for 3 years thing. After the showdown, Elijah sent his servant to look toward the sea and report back about any rain clouds that he saw. Over and over again the servant came back to report that the sky was as clear as a bell, but Elijah did not give up. He knew that this God that he served was extremely faithful. On the 7th time that the servant went to look, he returned with a report that he saw a cloud about the size of a man's hand. That was all Elijah needed to hear. He immediately sent word to Ahab that he had better head out because the roads were about to get washed away with the torrential rains.
On the same day...same Prophet...same God...One time there was an immediate answer, and one time he had to wait until the 7th time that he believed. Even then, he only saw a tiny improvement across the horizon.
I see improvement, and I still believe.
It is well.
Friday, March 9, 2012
Patience...If It Were Easy, Everyone Would Be Doing It.
A dear friend of mine and I had an online discussion last night that sparked an internal conversation. As we talked, she encouraged me that her family would continue to pray for wisdom and peace. However, she further stated that they would not pray for us to have patience. I agreed and we shortly discussed how patience should be a four letter word. I told her that the faith part was easy, but that patience thing...well, that's another story. Then I got to thinking. Isn't that just one of the sweet things about our Heavenly Father. He doesn't usually hit us over the head with things. He prompts a dear friend to make a joke that nearly every christian has made before, and somehow, this time, it hits me like a ton of bricks.
At this point, I'm not sure that patience can be separated from faith. I mean...without one...the other has little effect. How valuable is it to have faith in God, but only if He operates in my timetable? What other demonstration of faith do we have other than the patience that allows us to rest in His sovereignty?
I don't like needing patience (not one little bit), but the lack of it shows lack of faith...not only in God, but in our children, spouses, co-workers, students, etc. Maybe we should stop considering "patience" a dirty word, and see that it is but one demonstration of love toward Him (and others) that He wants cultivated in our lives.
I need and desire for God and people to have patience with me. So, I'm going to make a bold statement: If you feel so led, pray for us to have patience. It will only foster greater faith and God's intervention in our lives. You might want to try it for yourself too. (Just a suggestion.)
We are, by the grace of God, still awaiting answers to Nick's current difficulties. Answers are coming, and it's all going to be O.K.
It is well!
At this point, I'm not sure that patience can be separated from faith. I mean...without one...the other has little effect. How valuable is it to have faith in God, but only if He operates in my timetable? What other demonstration of faith do we have other than the patience that allows us to rest in His sovereignty?
I don't like needing patience (not one little bit), but the lack of it shows lack of faith...not only in God, but in our children, spouses, co-workers, students, etc. Maybe we should stop considering "patience" a dirty word, and see that it is but one demonstration of love toward Him (and others) that He wants cultivated in our lives.
I need and desire for God and people to have patience with me. So, I'm going to make a bold statement: If you feel so led, pray for us to have patience. It will only foster greater faith and God's intervention in our lives. You might want to try it for yourself too. (Just a suggestion.)
We are, by the grace of God, still awaiting answers to Nick's current difficulties. Answers are coming, and it's all going to be O.K.
Galatians 5:22-23 (NLT)
22 But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against these things!It is well!
Monday, March 5, 2012
No-Brainer???
Nick is back in the hospital tonight. Even though hypovolemia seemed like a no-brainer...voluminous fluids did not help. So, fluid volume is not the problem. He still has the headaches; blood pressure that drops when he sits or stands; and pulse that races when he sits or stands. It is a quandary.
This is one of those times where I just need to keep my eyes open & my mouth shut while I wait for God to do His thing. (It's O.K. to pray with your eyes open.) I wish that I had the answer right now, but it's almost as good to be confident that the answer is coming. I know in Whom I have believed...
It is well!
This is one of those times where I just need to keep my eyes open & my mouth shut while I wait for God to do His thing. (It's O.K. to pray with your eyes open.) I wish that I had the answer right now, but it's almost as good to be confident that the answer is coming. I know in Whom I have believed...
It is well!
Sunday, March 4, 2012
Keep Your Eyes Open And Don't Miss A Thing
Here we are at good old Vanderbilt. Nick has been doing great. He has just had some issues with headaches and dizziness over the last few days. So, we came to the clinic yesterday, and are back today. There are two theories about what might be going on: either a drug interaction, or simple hypovolemia (dehydration.) Even though we have been making sure that he is getting at least 2 liters of fluid per day, it may not be enough for him. The doctor described it to Nick as if his body were a well oiled machine. Chemo kind of threw a monkey wrench into the machine, and some spots may have gotten dented. So, it takes a while for the dents to pop out.
This morning when he got up to leave, Nick nearly fainted. (Amanda fainted one time after an appendectomy. It was all that I could do to bear her approximately 125 lbs. If Nick actually faints I will just have to slow his descent to the floor and guard his head...no way I'll be able to keep him upright.) When we got to the hospital they did what are called orthostatic vitals. They checked his B/P & pulse in three position: lying down, sitting up, and standing. Lying down, everything was normal. When he sat up his B/P dropped and his pulse went up. When he stood up his B/P was not being registered on the machine and his pulse was in "danger danger Will Robinson" range. The machine was registering his pulse at 216.
Let the scurrying begin! A mass of people descended upon his room to do further assessments and hook him up to the heart monitor. His heart was beating in a normal sinus rhythm, but it was just so very fast. Within about a minute of him lying back down, his pulse was back to about 60 (normal, healthy range.) This really does sound like hypovolemia. So, we are going to have to keep him full to the brim with liquids. He is getting a liter of normal saline as I type.
I have had a number of people ask if we were already at home because of the good reports. The answer is, no. He still has to be in Nashville until April 25th. He is taking a number of medications...some of which lower his body's immune response so that his body does not reject the transplant. Even though he is already completely converted to Amanda's DNA, his body was used to being Nick for 23 years. So, we are staving off any rouge rebellions. Because of this he needs to be close to Vanderbilt until the 100 days are finished. He may get some furlough days at home before the 100 days is up, but only a few at a time.
We have witnessed, first hand, the glory of God in Nick's body. I don't care one bit what anyone else might think to the contrary. We have experienced miracle after miracle...no other way to explain it. However, going through the last couple of days has been kind of odd. Why is he having these new difficulties?
As I prayed about this this morning, I had a picture of Peter, James, & John on the Mt. of Transfiguration. So I looked it up and re-read the scriptures. We have to laugh at the antics of the disciples because they are no different than us. Jesus led these three guys up to a mountain top to witness a miracle, but as soon as stuff started happening they began thinking with their carnal minds instead of just witnessing something that no one would ever get to see again. Peter starts feeling uncomfortable and asks Jesus if he and his buds really need to be there. (Like Jesus had made a mistake in inviting them.) Then he starts trying to earn their presence by offering to make each of the three Prophets his own tabernacle. They are obviously feeling out of place. So, when they actually see what they came there to see, they fall out with terror. (Remember, these three guys had been actually living with Jesus for quite a while before this, and had seen Him do miracle after miracle for them and for others.) Here are the scriptures that I am talking about:
This is what I believe that God was speaking to me through this. This little bump in the road does not diminish the miracles that we have already seen. When God shows up in our lives and invites us to see something supernatural, it does not require us to earn it or even question it. In fact, if we don't just choose to keep our eyes on Him, we may miss the experience while we think...or work...or fall on our faces in fear. For reasons that I can not explain, we have gotten to witness so much. So, from now on, when I sense the Lord saying," Come over here and watch this, " I'm just gonna keep my eyes open, keep my mouth shut, and not miss a thing. My goal is to not question the good ...or the bad...just believe.
I, you, and everyone else needs to just BE STILL at times while He lets us KNOW that He is GOD.
It is well! (So very well!)
This morning when he got up to leave, Nick nearly fainted. (Amanda fainted one time after an appendectomy. It was all that I could do to bear her approximately 125 lbs. If Nick actually faints I will just have to slow his descent to the floor and guard his head...no way I'll be able to keep him upright.) When we got to the hospital they did what are called orthostatic vitals. They checked his B/P & pulse in three position: lying down, sitting up, and standing. Lying down, everything was normal. When he sat up his B/P dropped and his pulse went up. When he stood up his B/P was not being registered on the machine and his pulse was in "danger danger Will Robinson" range. The machine was registering his pulse at 216.
Let the scurrying begin! A mass of people descended upon his room to do further assessments and hook him up to the heart monitor. His heart was beating in a normal sinus rhythm, but it was just so very fast. Within about a minute of him lying back down, his pulse was back to about 60 (normal, healthy range.) This really does sound like hypovolemia. So, we are going to have to keep him full to the brim with liquids. He is getting a liter of normal saline as I type.
I have had a number of people ask if we were already at home because of the good reports. The answer is, no. He still has to be in Nashville until April 25th. He is taking a number of medications...some of which lower his body's immune response so that his body does not reject the transplant. Even though he is already completely converted to Amanda's DNA, his body was used to being Nick for 23 years. So, we are staving off any rouge rebellions. Because of this he needs to be close to Vanderbilt until the 100 days are finished. He may get some furlough days at home before the 100 days is up, but only a few at a time.
We have witnessed, first hand, the glory of God in Nick's body. I don't care one bit what anyone else might think to the contrary. We have experienced miracle after miracle...no other way to explain it. However, going through the last couple of days has been kind of odd. Why is he having these new difficulties?
As I prayed about this this morning, I had a picture of Peter, James, & John on the Mt. of Transfiguration. So I looked it up and re-read the scriptures. We have to laugh at the antics of the disciples because they are no different than us. Jesus led these three guys up to a mountain top to witness a miracle, but as soon as stuff started happening they began thinking with their carnal minds instead of just witnessing something that no one would ever get to see again. Peter starts feeling uncomfortable and asks Jesus if he and his buds really need to be there. (Like Jesus had made a mistake in inviting them.) Then he starts trying to earn their presence by offering to make each of the three Prophets his own tabernacle. They are obviously feeling out of place. So, when they actually see what they came there to see, they fall out with terror. (Remember, these three guys had been actually living with Jesus for quite a while before this, and had seen Him do miracle after miracle for them and for others.) Here are the scriptures that I am talking about:
Matthew 1: 1-8 NKJV
17 Now after six days Jesus took Peter, James, and John his brother, led them up on a high mountain by themselves; 2 and He was transfigured before them. His face shone like the sun, and His clothes became as white as the light. 3 And behold, Moses and Elijah appeared to them, talking with Him. 4 Then Peter answered and said to Jesus, “Lord, it is good for us to be here; if You wish, let us[a] make here three tabernacles: one for You, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.”
5 While he was still speaking, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them; and suddenly a voice came out of the cloud, saying, “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. Hear Him!” 6 And when the disciples heard it, they fell on their faces and were greatly afraid. 7 But Jesus came and touched them and said, “Arise, and do not be afraid.” 8 When they had lifted up their eyes, they saw no one but Jesus only.
This is what I believe that God was speaking to me through this. This little bump in the road does not diminish the miracles that we have already seen. When God shows up in our lives and invites us to see something supernatural, it does not require us to earn it or even question it. In fact, if we don't just choose to keep our eyes on Him, we may miss the experience while we think...or work...or fall on our faces in fear. For reasons that I can not explain, we have gotten to witness so much. So, from now on, when I sense the Lord saying," Come over here and watch this, " I'm just gonna keep my eyes open, keep my mouth shut, and not miss a thing. My goal is to not question the good ...or the bad...just believe.
I, you, and everyone else needs to just BE STILL at times while He lets us KNOW that He is GOD.
It is well! (So very well!)
Friday, February 24, 2012
It Took My Breath Away
Have you ever experienced something that took your breath away? No, I mean really took your breath away... not like a roller coaster or a punch to your midsection, but something that was so life changing that the emotion created some sort of pressure gradient that was incompatible with the involuntary action of breathing? This week I saw a baby born for the first time. It was wonderful, miraculous, and beautiful, but that wasn't it. This week I saw an evening sunset sky that literally made me cry and spontaneously worship the Maker of the heavens and the earth, but that wasn't it either.
A week ago today, Nick had his first post transplant bone marrow biopsy and a second biopsy on his arm. We were expecting the results on Monday. We received the news that he had an outbreak of Graft vs. Host on his arm that was easily treatable, but no word on the bone marrow. Maybe Tuesday, but no. Surely by Wednesday...didn't happen. By Wednesday evening Nick was terrified. He called me late that night to say that when we did get the results, he did not want to know. I comforted him the best I could, but there wasn't much that I could say. It was not a very good night for any of us.
The next morning I went to work with a program introducing healthcare careers to high school kids. So, my phone was off until about 11:00 a.m. After the program was over, several of us were sitting around talking, and I realized that I had not checked my phone. I pulled it from it's hiding place, (Some of you know where that is) and peeked at the screen. Then it happened. All of the blood rushed to my head. My breath was gone and the tears began to flow. "Leukemia free" was the phrase that I saw. I think that at that moment there was just so much thankfulness in my heart that there wasn't enough room in my chest cavity for the thankfulness and the air. The people around me thought I was having some sort of cardiac episode or seizure or something. So, as soon as I could speak I shared the news. Everyone in the room was crying by then.
But wait. There's more. Today we got the news that Nick is officially converted to Amanda's DNA and blood type, which means that the transplant is officially a success. Today is day 35...not day 90. It was supposed to take at least three months.
I know that you probably find this hard to believe, but I do not have any words to express my gratefulness and awe at the events of this week.
All that I can say is...It is well.
A week ago today, Nick had his first post transplant bone marrow biopsy and a second biopsy on his arm. We were expecting the results on Monday. We received the news that he had an outbreak of Graft vs. Host on his arm that was easily treatable, but no word on the bone marrow. Maybe Tuesday, but no. Surely by Wednesday...didn't happen. By Wednesday evening Nick was terrified. He called me late that night to say that when we did get the results, he did not want to know. I comforted him the best I could, but there wasn't much that I could say. It was not a very good night for any of us.
The next morning I went to work with a program introducing healthcare careers to high school kids. So, my phone was off until about 11:00 a.m. After the program was over, several of us were sitting around talking, and I realized that I had not checked my phone. I pulled it from it's hiding place, (Some of you know where that is) and peeked at the screen. Then it happened. All of the blood rushed to my head. My breath was gone and the tears began to flow. "Leukemia free" was the phrase that I saw. I think that at that moment there was just so much thankfulness in my heart that there wasn't enough room in my chest cavity for the thankfulness and the air. The people around me thought I was having some sort of cardiac episode or seizure or something. So, as soon as I could speak I shared the news. Everyone in the room was crying by then.
But wait. There's more. Today we got the news that Nick is officially converted to Amanda's DNA and blood type, which means that the transplant is officially a success. Today is day 35...not day 90. It was supposed to take at least three months.
I know that you probably find this hard to believe, but I do not have any words to express my gratefulness and awe at the events of this week.
All that I can say is...It is well.
Thursday, February 9, 2012
Grafted
O.K... So, this is how it was supposed to go: Tomorrow is day 21, which is hospital discharge day. Then the process of rebuilding should begin. The platelets would take a while to rebound and the white count, specifically the neutrophils, would take a bit longer. We would need to go daily to the stem cell clinic for IV infusions and blood work. After several weeks we should be able to go every other day, and close to day 100 we should be going back weekly. This was to be the best case scenario. No...I don't think so!
As of today, Nick has already been out of the hospital for a week. We were told that he got out earlier than anyone with the same transplant in the history of Vanderbilt. (If Google is correct, Vanderbilt was established in 1873.) He went to the stem cell clinic daily for four days. By Saturday his platelets were in normal, average, healthy person range. We were told early on that his neutrophils had to be at 500 for three days in a row before he would be declared "grafted." By Sunday they were at 450; Monday - 850. They gave us Tuesday off. Wednesday his neutrophils were 2400, which meant that he was already grafted before the day that he was scheduled to get out of the hospital. He goes back tomorrow and we will have the entire weekend off.
Grafted? Where have I heard that word before? Oh, yes...Romans 11. Romans graphically (no pun intended) describes how we, as Christians, were not part of the original "Olive tree," but were grafted in to the thriving plant . What in the world does that mean? I'm glad that you asked.
To put it simply, the nation of Israel grew up from the "root of Jesse" under the covenant that God made with Abraham. Of course, the "root of Jesse" was always a description of Jesus, but that was not evident until the prophesies of the Old Testament were fulfilled in the birth, life, crucifixion, and resurrection of our Savior. We, as Gentiles, were not part of the original plant, but God knew from the beginning that there would be a way for us to be a seamless part of his living, growing, thriving planting.
As the book of Romans describes, when we were grafted in, we then started drawing our life and nourishment from the original root. Jesus, Himself, described this phenomena in John 15:5:
As of today, Nick has already been out of the hospital for a week. We were told that he got out earlier than anyone with the same transplant in the history of Vanderbilt. (If Google is correct, Vanderbilt was established in 1873.) He went to the stem cell clinic daily for four days. By Saturday his platelets were in normal, average, healthy person range. We were told early on that his neutrophils had to be at 500 for three days in a row before he would be declared "grafted." By Sunday they were at 450; Monday - 850. They gave us Tuesday off. Wednesday his neutrophils were 2400, which meant that he was already grafted before the day that he was scheduled to get out of the hospital. He goes back tomorrow and we will have the entire weekend off.
Grafted? Where have I heard that word before? Oh, yes...Romans 11. Romans graphically (no pun intended) describes how we, as Christians, were not part of the original "Olive tree," but were grafted in to the thriving plant . What in the world does that mean? I'm glad that you asked.
To put it simply, the nation of Israel grew up from the "root of Jesse" under the covenant that God made with Abraham. Of course, the "root of Jesse" was always a description of Jesus, but that was not evident until the prophesies of the Old Testament were fulfilled in the birth, life, crucifixion, and resurrection of our Savior. We, as Gentiles, were not part of the original plant, but God knew from the beginning that there would be a way for us to be a seamless part of his living, growing, thriving planting.
As the book of Romans describes, when we were grafted in, we then started drawing our life and nourishment from the original root. Jesus, Himself, described this phenomena in John 15:5:
5 “I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing.
Without our having been grafted in to the original vine (who was directly from the original "root of Jesse") we would not have the life that we now have...and will have for eternity. The new covenant completely broke us off from our old lives, and spliced us into of a completely different, fruit bearing species.
Nick's blood (where the life is) was contaminated before. His marrow that should have been producing oxygen carrying, germ fighting, life sustaining cells began producing mutated cells that could not sustain life. So, he has gone through the last 9 months of chemo trying to separate the good from the bad (so to speak,) but the mixture just couldn't be separated. So, the old marrow had to be cut off, and he had to be grafted into a source that was not contaminated...a source that would only produce life. Sound familiar?
Don't get me wrong. I am not saying that Amanda is Nick's savior. I am just pointing out some interesting parallels. I think that God is so sweet to help us understand the difficult things in life, by understanding the plan that He set in motion before the beginning of time.
Without our having been grafted in to the original vine (who was directly from the original "root of Jesse") we would not have the life that we now have...and will have for eternity. The new covenant completely broke us off from our old lives, and spliced us into of a completely different, fruit bearing species.
Nick's blood (where the life is) was contaminated before. His marrow that should have been producing oxygen carrying, germ fighting, life sustaining cells began producing mutated cells that could not sustain life. So, he has gone through the last 9 months of chemo trying to separate the good from the bad (so to speak,) but the mixture just couldn't be separated. So, the old marrow had to be cut off, and he had to be grafted into a source that was not contaminated...a source that would only produce life. Sound familiar?
Don't get me wrong. I am not saying that Amanda is Nick's savior. I am just pointing out some interesting parallels. I think that God is so sweet to help us understand the difficult things in life, by understanding the plan that He set in motion before the beginning of time.
Roman's 15:12 quotes the Prophet Isaiah from the Old Testament:
“There shall be a root of Jesse;
And He who shall rise to reign over the Gentiles,
In Him the Gentiles shall hope.”
And He who shall rise to reign over the Gentiles,
In Him the Gentiles shall hope.”
This is where our hope lies...in the "Root of Jesse"...in the Way, the Truth, and the Life...in Jesus, Himself. Because of Him we have both hope and life.
It is well.
Thursday, February 2, 2012
Worth The Wait
YEAH!!!! Nick is out of the hospital. We were told that he would get out Tuesday, but Wednesday is just as good. It was 9 days earlier than the minimum stay. So, all that I can say is PRAISE GOD!!
Amanda took him to the apartment yesterday after he was discharged. He was very tired and didn't feel very well. This morning when Amanda got up she went to his room to see if he wanted some breakfast, and found him standing by his computer eating a pecan spin. He replied to her breakfast question, "No, I have lots of stuff to download before my appointment at 10:00." Classic Nick...I would say that he is doing just fine. What a difference a day makes.
4 1/2 years ago Andrew and Amanda had been courting for over a year. He was literally at our house every night for more than a year. They didn't date. They courted. When a couple begins a courting relationship they have already decided that they will marry, and are committed to wait for all of the married stuff...until they are actually married.
One afternoon Andrew came to the house to show us the ring and ask for Amanda's hand. We were elated. He is a wonderful young man! That same night, Amanda and I were standing in the kitchen talking, and she began to cry...this was the ugly cry...the kind where you can't catch your breath and certainly can not be responsible for where the snot flies. She was at the end of her rope believing that Andrew was never going to actually ask her. I had been sworn to secrecy. So, all that I could do was try to console her...all the while knowing that tomorrow everything would be completely different.
So many times we get to the end our proverbial ropes and give up just short of everything changing. Is there something or someone on which you are about ready to give up? What if tomorrow is the pivot point...where everything tips and heads in a different direction. What if you have to wait another month or another year? Will it be worth the wait?
This is my prayer and pondering point for the day:
Amanda took him to the apartment yesterday after he was discharged. He was very tired and didn't feel very well. This morning when Amanda got up she went to his room to see if he wanted some breakfast, and found him standing by his computer eating a pecan spin. He replied to her breakfast question, "No, I have lots of stuff to download before my appointment at 10:00." Classic Nick...I would say that he is doing just fine. What a difference a day makes.
4 1/2 years ago Andrew and Amanda had been courting for over a year. He was literally at our house every night for more than a year. They didn't date. They courted. When a couple begins a courting relationship they have already decided that they will marry, and are committed to wait for all of the married stuff...until they are actually married.
One afternoon Andrew came to the house to show us the ring and ask for Amanda's hand. We were elated. He is a wonderful young man! That same night, Amanda and I were standing in the kitchen talking, and she began to cry...this was the ugly cry...the kind where you can't catch your breath and certainly can not be responsible for where the snot flies. She was at the end of her rope believing that Andrew was never going to actually ask her. I had been sworn to secrecy. So, all that I could do was try to console her...all the while knowing that tomorrow everything would be completely different.
So many times we get to the end our proverbial ropes and give up just short of everything changing. Is there something or someone on which you are about ready to give up? What if tomorrow is the pivot point...where everything tips and heads in a different direction. What if you have to wait another month or another year? Will it be worth the wait?
This is my prayer and pondering point for the day:
Romans 15:4-6 (NIV)
4 For everything that was written in the past was written to teach us, so that through the endurance taught in the Scriptures and the encouragement they provide we might have hope. 5 May the God who gives endurance and encouragement give you the same attitude of mind toward each other that Christ Jesus had, 6 so that with one mind and one voice you may glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.
It is well!
It is well!
Sunday, January 29, 2012
Anointed or Annoyed???
Today is day +9. Other than having a really goofy hair do, Nick is doing very well. His hair is coming out in clumps, and is nearly gone on the front of his head. There is also a bald spot on the very back of his head. Glenn joked that he looks like George Kastanza (from Seinfeld.) It's not a very flattering description, but sort of true.
When Nick's docs came in this morning, one of their comments was that he could not stay here much longer. He gets more Methyltrexate on day +11, but after that it shouldn't be very long before he can move to the apartment. He is doing so much better than the average day +9 guy.
I just got back from the worship service in the Vanderbilt chapel. It is always a sweet time worshiping with believers of all different traditions. Same Savior...different songs. The Pastor leading the service had a very thick Russian sounding accent. I could understand him perfectly, and he very obviously was being led by the Holy Spirit. As he read the 23rd Psalm I was repeating it with him in my mind. When he got to the part that says, "He anoints my head with oil," his pronunciation made it sound like, "He annoys my head with oil." Strobe lights went off in my brain.
Annoys? Is that ever true? The sad answer that I have to give is, yes. I had never thought about it that way, but whenever we sense that empowerment and prompting from God to do something or say something or sacrifice something or even surrender to a life's calling, at that very moment our heads are being anointed for that task. Do you feel anointed or annoyed?
This morning I had to repent to my sweet Savior for having been annoyed at times by His anointing. It is a wonderful thing that He weaves our lives together by these moments of anointing, and chooses to trust us, as flawed as we are, to impact the lives of others. My prayer this morning is that I would no longer EVER be annoyed by His anointing...that regardless of what is going on in my life, I be ever ready to move at His slightest prompting.
I realize that I may be the only one to which this applies, but I believe that I was anointed to share it...so I did.
It is well.
When Nick's docs came in this morning, one of their comments was that he could not stay here much longer. He gets more Methyltrexate on day +11, but after that it shouldn't be very long before he can move to the apartment. He is doing so much better than the average day +9 guy.
I just got back from the worship service in the Vanderbilt chapel. It is always a sweet time worshiping with believers of all different traditions. Same Savior...different songs. The Pastor leading the service had a very thick Russian sounding accent. I could understand him perfectly, and he very obviously was being led by the Holy Spirit. As he read the 23rd Psalm I was repeating it with him in my mind. When he got to the part that says, "He anoints my head with oil," his pronunciation made it sound like, "He annoys my head with oil." Strobe lights went off in my brain.
Annoys? Is that ever true? The sad answer that I have to give is, yes. I had never thought about it that way, but whenever we sense that empowerment and prompting from God to do something or say something or sacrifice something or even surrender to a life's calling, at that very moment our heads are being anointed for that task. Do you feel anointed or annoyed?
This morning I had to repent to my sweet Savior for having been annoyed at times by His anointing. It is a wonderful thing that He weaves our lives together by these moments of anointing, and chooses to trust us, as flawed as we are, to impact the lives of others. My prayer this morning is that I would no longer EVER be annoyed by His anointing...that regardless of what is going on in my life, I be ever ready to move at His slightest prompting.
I realize that I may be the only one to which this applies, but I believe that I was anointed to share it...so I did.
It is well.
Friday, January 27, 2012
Two...In More Than A Decade
Here we are at day +7. We were told Monday that by day +7 Nick would be fed by IV because his throat would be too sore and his mucous membranes would be in a horrible state. In fact, on Monday Nick asked his doctor when the "sucky days" would begin. She said that by the end of the week it would be pretty sucky. She also followed that she had only had one patient in more than a decade that could still eat by day +7, and that he could no longer even try to eat anything but soft foods.
We have had a couple of pretty hard days. Wednesday evening Nick's fever spiked all of a sudden and his throat became very sore. They immediately took blood and urine samples to culture, did a chest x-ray, and put him on more prophylactic antibiotics. We were told that this was expected, but they needed to find the cause immediately. We were also told that he would be on parenteral nutrition Thursday morning.
To make a long story short...not only is the fever gone and all the cultures negative, but today he ate two bowls of Ramen noodles, one bowl of macaroni & cheese, and drank two Ensures, two bottles of apple juice and a Gatoraid. No IV nutrition, and no more sore throat. He had rebounded by Thursday afternoon.
Now she has seen TWO, in more than a decade.
It is Well.
We have had a couple of pretty hard days. Wednesday evening Nick's fever spiked all of a sudden and his throat became very sore. They immediately took blood and urine samples to culture, did a chest x-ray, and put him on more prophylactic antibiotics. We were told that this was expected, but they needed to find the cause immediately. We were also told that he would be on parenteral nutrition Thursday morning.
To make a long story short...not only is the fever gone and all the cultures negative, but today he ate two bowls of Ramen noodles, one bowl of macaroni & cheese, and drank two Ensures, two bottles of apple juice and a Gatoraid. No IV nutrition, and no more sore throat. He had rebounded by Thursday afternoon.
Now she has seen TWO, in more than a decade.
It is Well.
Saturday, January 21, 2012
Life-Changing Camping Mattress
Yesterday's transplant went very well. There is much preparation that goes into safe guarding against reactions, but we had no reactions with which to deal. Before the transplant they pre-medicated Nick with several anti-nausea drugs, Tylenol, & Benadryl, which all worked together to make him very sleepy. So, the only small difficulty that we had was to watch his oxygen saturation. Whenever it would drop, Amanda or I would poke him or stroke his hand and remind him to breathe. It was like poking an angry bear with a stick. He was so sleepy, and was not happy at all that we repeatedly had to awaken him. That wore off in a couple of hours, and he really felt great.
The doctor and attending nurse were amazed at how easy it went...absolutely no complications. You prayer warriors out there are making a tangible impact on our lives!
Today Nick has been very tired. He has slept most of the day, but the amazing thing is that we both slept last night. What a difference it makes to sleep more than an hour or so in a row. We were still sacked out when the docs came in at 0900. On a useful side note: If you ever have to stay all night in a pull out chair, especially several nights in a row, a trip to Walmart can make all the difference in the world. I got a twin sized camping mattress and a plug-in blower-upper for less than $20. Talk about a great investment! When we are finished with this adventure I plan to make sure that every room on Vanderbilt's oncology floor is equipped with these life-changing camping mattresses. There are caregivers sleeping in pull-out chairs in nearly every room.
This is day +1...just 99 more, and home we go.
It is well.
The doctor and attending nurse were amazed at how easy it went...absolutely no complications. You prayer warriors out there are making a tangible impact on our lives!
Today Nick has been very tired. He has slept most of the day, but the amazing thing is that we both slept last night. What a difference it makes to sleep more than an hour or so in a row. We were still sacked out when the docs came in at 0900. On a useful side note: If you ever have to stay all night in a pull out chair, especially several nights in a row, a trip to Walmart can make all the difference in the world. I got a twin sized camping mattress and a plug-in blower-upper for less than $20. Talk about a great investment! When we are finished with this adventure I plan to make sure that every room on Vanderbilt's oncology floor is equipped with these life-changing camping mattresses. There are caregivers sleeping in pull-out chairs in nearly every room.
This is day +1...just 99 more, and home we go.
It is well.
Thursday, January 19, 2012
More Than Enough (Do You Know Him?)
Oh my my! Have you met the God of MORE THAN ENOUGH? (Where's a Hammond B3 organ when you need it?)
Here is how the day went: Amanda and Andrew went to breakfast. Amanda ate a cheese & veggie omelet & part of Andrew's pancakes. (That is a miracle in itself) Then she checked in for the vein drain. Before they started they had to do some testing. She was told that she needed a baseline stem cell concentration of 15 in order to continue with the harvesting. She was also told that petite, white females didn't usually have very good numbers, and that if she were a large, ethnic male she would have a better chance to have a number closer to 70. Here's the second miracle: her number was 115. Yes, the number that she needed, plus one hundred. The medical professionals were amazed.
They obviously proceeded. She endured having two 17 gauge needles inserted in her arms, and having her arms tied down for a little over 4 hours straight. She was aching from the shots that she had had all week, on top of being unable to move. She shivered, and hurt, and eventually had a pile of 10 blankets on top of her, but she endured. (When has anyone ever done something so very important without there being something to endure?)
At the end of the time period she was told that she could stay hooked up for another 1 1/2 hours, or risk having to come back tomorrow morning for another harvesting session. The pain had been so great that she chose to rest and come back. A couple of hours ago the doctor called to let her know whether or not she needed to return. She started by telling Amanda that they needed 4,000,000 units for the transplant. Then she continued by telling Amanda that they had already harvested 7,000,000 from her. More, More, More than enough!
Y'all, I can hardly contain myself. Why don't you just go ahead and praise the Lord with me. WooHoo!!
The transplant is tomorrow at 11:00 a.m. I can't wait to see what else happens.
It is VERY well.
Here is how the day went: Amanda and Andrew went to breakfast. Amanda ate a cheese & veggie omelet & part of Andrew's pancakes. (That is a miracle in itself) Then she checked in for the vein drain. Before they started they had to do some testing. She was told that she needed a baseline stem cell concentration of 15 in order to continue with the harvesting. She was also told that petite, white females didn't usually have very good numbers, and that if she were a large, ethnic male she would have a better chance to have a number closer to 70. Here's the second miracle: her number was 115. Yes, the number that she needed, plus one hundred. The medical professionals were amazed.
They obviously proceeded. She endured having two 17 gauge needles inserted in her arms, and having her arms tied down for a little over 4 hours straight. She was aching from the shots that she had had all week, on top of being unable to move. She shivered, and hurt, and eventually had a pile of 10 blankets on top of her, but she endured. (When has anyone ever done something so very important without there being something to endure?)
At the end of the time period she was told that she could stay hooked up for another 1 1/2 hours, or risk having to come back tomorrow morning for another harvesting session. The pain had been so great that she chose to rest and come back. A couple of hours ago the doctor called to let her know whether or not she needed to return. She started by telling Amanda that they needed 4,000,000 units for the transplant. Then she continued by telling Amanda that they had already harvested 7,000,000 from her. More, More, More than enough!
Y'all, I can hardly contain myself. Why don't you just go ahead and praise the Lord with me. WooHoo!!
The transplant is tomorrow at 11:00 a.m. I can't wait to see what else happens.
It is VERY well.
Tuesday, January 17, 2012
Carried
Nick and Amanda are both doing fine. Since I last wrote, Nick had his Hickman port installed. He did very well with that. He just had a bit of soreness, but handled it like a trooper. Then he and Amanda went back to Vanderbilt on Saturday morning. He was admitted on Sunday morning and received chemo that evening and again on Monday. Today he had his first two radiation treatments. It caused a bit of redness, but other than that it hasn't seemed to cause any reactions. Amanda joked that he was going for "rotisserie" treatments. ( I'm glad that he didn't come back smelling like broiled chicken.)
Amanda has been getting daily Neupogen shots to beef up her immune system. This will continue until tomorrow, and the stem cell harvest will begin Thursday morning.
Our children were born very close together. Currently Amanda is 26, Megan is 25, and Nick is 23. Amanda has always been petite and constantly moving. She was full on running at 8 months of age, and still gets up every morning to run multiple miles. (I'm proud of her for doing it, but I do not understand it.) Nick weighed 7lb 6 oz, and was born 4 weeks early. I was told that he would have been an 11 pounder if he had been born on time. He was a big boy.
When Amanda was 4 and Nick was 1, Amanda would pick him up, put him on her hip, and walk around with him like she was already grown. I don't think that there was much difference in their weights at the time, but it didn't seem to phase her. I really believe that it took much longer for him to learn to walk because he just plain didn't need to. He could holler, "Manda," and get taken anywhere he wanted to go.
As I think back on those memories that are emblazoned in my mind, I am in awe. Only God knew that one day He would use her to save his life. Nick is now nearly twice her size, but just let me tell you, size does not matter. There is no way that she could carry him around on her hip, or even pick him up, but because God is in charge... she is carrying him.
Throughout this journey I have had so many people say, "I don't know how you are doing this." The answer is that we are being carried. All of you faithful friends and family are praying, and the God that created the universe is upholding us with His strong right hand. Glory to God!!!
It is well!
Amanda has been getting daily Neupogen shots to beef up her immune system. This will continue until tomorrow, and the stem cell harvest will begin Thursday morning.
Our children were born very close together. Currently Amanda is 26, Megan is 25, and Nick is 23. Amanda has always been petite and constantly moving. She was full on running at 8 months of age, and still gets up every morning to run multiple miles. (I'm proud of her for doing it, but I do not understand it.) Nick weighed 7lb 6 oz, and was born 4 weeks early. I was told that he would have been an 11 pounder if he had been born on time. He was a big boy.
When Amanda was 4 and Nick was 1, Amanda would pick him up, put him on her hip, and walk around with him like she was already grown. I don't think that there was much difference in their weights at the time, but it didn't seem to phase her. I really believe that it took much longer for him to learn to walk because he just plain didn't need to. He could holler, "Manda," and get taken anywhere he wanted to go.
As I think back on those memories that are emblazoned in my mind, I am in awe. Only God knew that one day He would use her to save his life. Nick is now nearly twice her size, but just let me tell you, size does not matter. There is no way that she could carry him around on her hip, or even pick him up, but because God is in charge... she is carrying him.
Throughout this journey I have had so many people say, "I don't know how you are doing this." The answer is that we are being carried. All of you faithful friends and family are praying, and the God that created the universe is upholding us with His strong right hand. Glory to God!!!
It is well!
Thursday, January 12, 2012
You Silly Girl
Nick is having a short surgical intervention in the morning. They are removing his Power Port and replacing it with a Hickman Line. It shouldn't take very long, but it's surgery nonetheless. Both the Power Port & Hickman Line are central lines. To put it simply, they are internal IV catheters that provide access from the outside of his body to just above his heart. The Power Port can only be used for one thing at a time. Whereas, the Hickman has 3 separate lines. The transplant requires a Hickman.
This has been a week of blessings and difficulties (Sounds like normal life, doesn't it?). A dental check-up and any needed dental work was a requirement of the transplant. So, he was to go Monday & Tuesday to have a few fillings. Tuesday he was way to nauseous to "have some guys hand in my mouth," as he put it. So, we moved Tuesday's work to Wednesday. When he got there the dentist advised that he should pull 2 of Nick's wisdom teeth that were crowding on the side that would already be numb. I really don't think that either Nick or the dentist knew that that would not be a wise course of action at this time. It took several hours to get the bleeding stopped the first time. Then came a nap, pain meds, and some chicken nuggets. After another nap the bleeding started up again, and we didn't get it stopped until very late last night. Megan arrived at 5:45 this morning to whisk him away to Vandy.
There was some question this morning as to whether the pulled teeth would postpone the transplant, but after much consultation it was decided that we could proceed.
Megan and Nick checked in to the aforementioned apartment this afternoon. Nick texted me that it was luxury accommodations...just like a vacation house. We didn't know til yesterday that...not only are the utilities included, but utilities include WiFi & cable. Yet another blessing! When God arranges something He takes care of all of the details.
My sweet cousin, Gaye Lynn, expressed this so well on my Facebook page: "Don't you love when God can say, "You silly girl. All that concern for nothing...I've got your back!" He is ALWAYS in control and we are always human...love and hugs!"
I'm so thankful that such a wonderful God desires a relationship with this flawed human. Meeting our needs...building our faith...and loving us like we can't even imagine.
Day -7 eve, and it is well.
This has been a week of blessings and difficulties (Sounds like normal life, doesn't it?). A dental check-up and any needed dental work was a requirement of the transplant. So, he was to go Monday & Tuesday to have a few fillings. Tuesday he was way to nauseous to "have some guys hand in my mouth," as he put it. So, we moved Tuesday's work to Wednesday. When he got there the dentist advised that he should pull 2 of Nick's wisdom teeth that were crowding on the side that would already be numb. I really don't think that either Nick or the dentist knew that that would not be a wise course of action at this time. It took several hours to get the bleeding stopped the first time. Then came a nap, pain meds, and some chicken nuggets. After another nap the bleeding started up again, and we didn't get it stopped until very late last night. Megan arrived at 5:45 this morning to whisk him away to Vandy.
There was some question this morning as to whether the pulled teeth would postpone the transplant, but after much consultation it was decided that we could proceed.
Megan and Nick checked in to the aforementioned apartment this afternoon. Nick texted me that it was luxury accommodations...just like a vacation house. We didn't know til yesterday that...not only are the utilities included, but utilities include WiFi & cable. Yet another blessing! When God arranges something He takes care of all of the details.
My sweet cousin, Gaye Lynn, expressed this so well on my Facebook page: "Don't you love when God can say, "You silly girl. All that concern for nothing...I've got your back!" He is ALWAYS in control and we are always human...love and hugs!"
I'm so thankful that such a wonderful God desires a relationship with this flawed human. Meeting our needs...building our faith...and loving us like we can't even imagine.
Day -7 eve, and it is well.
Tuesday, January 10, 2012
A Quick Update
Just a quick update: I wrote a couple of days ago that we were having a difficulty with the apartment arrangements. Well, I just found out that it is all worked out, and that it will all be paid for by our insurance...including utilities. Originally, we were going to need to pay any utilities over $100 per month.
It just goes to show us that just because things are not working out like we think they should...it doesn't mean that God does not have something better in store.
Please do not let your faith waiver. The very definition of faith says that we should not take into account what our eyes see, but what our spirits know to be true: the goodness, kindness, faithfulness, and omnipotence of God.
It is well.
It just goes to show us that just because things are not working out like we think they should...it doesn't mean that God does not have something better in store.
Please do not let your faith waiver. The very definition of faith says that we should not take into account what our eyes see, but what our spirits know to be true: the goodness, kindness, faithfulness, and omnipotence of God.
It is well.
Sunday, January 8, 2012
Multicolored Strobe Lights With Glitter On Top
So much of normal daily life seems to have been a series of unremarkable days strung together with sparkling, beaded milestone days that stand out in our memories. I am believing that this transplant is not only going to be a sparkling day, but a day full of multicolored strobe lights with glitter on top (metaphorically speaking.)
The schedule has changed by one day since I last posted dates. Nick goes this Friday (Day -7) to have his current life port removed and have a Hickman port installed. He will be checked again on Saturday, then admitted on Sunday to begin treatment. He will get 2 days of high dose chemo, then 3 days of full body radiation. Next Friday, January 20th, he will receive the transplant. Amanda begins her treatment this Saturday and should be finished with her portion by the morning of the 20th.
Amanda, Megan, my sister, Emily, and I are Nick's designated care givers for the 107 days. We will be tag team mothering him. He will not be able to have visitors other than care givers (and Dad) for the first several weeks. After the first week or so we will need to be watching closely for any reactions to the transplant called graft vs. host. He will be on several medications to guard against the reactions, but it will be a miraculous thing if he has no reactions. As long as we keep a close watch and alert the doctors promptly, these reactions can be taken care of with very little drama. If everything goes as planned, he should be reaction free after a year or so. By then his body should be completely converted to Amanda's DNA, and no longer fighting against itself.
He is expected to be in-patient at Vanderbilt for approximately 21 days, then we should move to an apartment close to Vanderbilt for the remainder of the 100 days. We are supposed to gain access to the apartment this week so that family can sleep, rest, shower, wash clothes, and eat there. However, there seems to be some difficulties with the apartment arrangements. Please pray that all of these details will work out peacefully. We do not have access to the accommodations about which we were originally told, but I am just expecting that that means that we will have more of a blessing in store.
For those who have asked, I'll detail a bit of what is going on with the rest of us. I am beginning my second semester in nursing school, and should graduate in May 2013. Amanda will graduate in December 2012.
I am taking only 1 of the 2 clinical courses usually taken at this point, but will make up the shortfall later. This choice will allow me to be at Vanderbilt Thursday evening through Monday evening or Tuesday morning of each week while Nick is there. The other caregivers will cover Tuesday through Thursdays. I am also taking a History course online. I only lack a couple of classes having the prerequisites for pursuing my masters after I complete the RN next May. There will be a lot of sitting and studying time during the next 107 days. Megan is saving lives as an ER nurse, and Glenn is still protecting the citizenry.
Please continue to pray. I don't feel like I have anything profound to say today, but we are standing in faith and pursuing peace!
It is well.
The schedule has changed by one day since I last posted dates. Nick goes this Friday (Day -7) to have his current life port removed and have a Hickman port installed. He will be checked again on Saturday, then admitted on Sunday to begin treatment. He will get 2 days of high dose chemo, then 3 days of full body radiation. Next Friday, January 20th, he will receive the transplant. Amanda begins her treatment this Saturday and should be finished with her portion by the morning of the 20th.
Amanda, Megan, my sister, Emily, and I are Nick's designated care givers for the 107 days. We will be tag team mothering him. He will not be able to have visitors other than care givers (and Dad) for the first several weeks. After the first week or so we will need to be watching closely for any reactions to the transplant called graft vs. host. He will be on several medications to guard against the reactions, but it will be a miraculous thing if he has no reactions. As long as we keep a close watch and alert the doctors promptly, these reactions can be taken care of with very little drama. If everything goes as planned, he should be reaction free after a year or so. By then his body should be completely converted to Amanda's DNA, and no longer fighting against itself.
He is expected to be in-patient at Vanderbilt for approximately 21 days, then we should move to an apartment close to Vanderbilt for the remainder of the 100 days. We are supposed to gain access to the apartment this week so that family can sleep, rest, shower, wash clothes, and eat there. However, there seems to be some difficulties with the apartment arrangements. Please pray that all of these details will work out peacefully. We do not have access to the accommodations about which we were originally told, but I am just expecting that that means that we will have more of a blessing in store.
For those who have asked, I'll detail a bit of what is going on with the rest of us. I am beginning my second semester in nursing school, and should graduate in May 2013. Amanda will graduate in December 2012.
I am taking only 1 of the 2 clinical courses usually taken at this point, but will make up the shortfall later. This choice will allow me to be at Vanderbilt Thursday evening through Monday evening or Tuesday morning of each week while Nick is there. The other caregivers will cover Tuesday through Thursdays. I am also taking a History course online. I only lack a couple of classes having the prerequisites for pursuing my masters after I complete the RN next May. There will be a lot of sitting and studying time during the next 107 days. Megan is saving lives as an ER nurse, and Glenn is still protecting the citizenry.
Please continue to pray. I don't feel like I have anything profound to say today, but we are standing in faith and pursuing peace!
It is well.
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