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.
Friday, February 24, 2012
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!
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