We are finally reunited with our children! We left Houston on Wednesday, and by Wednesday evening we were hugging our babies on the beach in Florida. We decided that our family needed some quiet, healing time to just be, so we rented a condo on the beach for a week. Our reunion was full of hugs and kisses and we are enjoying each moment together.  It has been a long 4 months.

Prior to leaving MD Anderson, I met with my stem cell doctor. I’m recovering well from the transplant. We have a plan that includes: an array  of prescription medications that will prevent infections and organ problems, at 5 months I’ll re-do all of my childhood vaccines, and follow-up screenings scheduled for every three months.

I had sort of an impromptu CT scan on Tuesday, and I’m thrilled and relieved to report that it was normal / all clear! Our prayer now is that each subsequent scan from here on out is clear.

My stem cell doctor would like me to decide in the next 10 days whether or not I’d like to proceed with a donor stem cell transplant. We would need to do the transplant in 1-2 months. This is a huge decision. This is the same debate that the medical professionals had a couple of months ago and couldn’t come to a clear consensus because the data doesn’t support a clear direction.

Please pray for wisdom as we make this decision. There are too many details to share on why this could be beneficial and all the risks involved, but we believe that the Holy Spirit will give us a sense of peace as to the best course of action. Please pray with us for this clarity.

Prayer Requests: Praise for the clear scan! Clear direction on whether or not to pursue a donor stem cell transplant. Complete healing. A wonderful, quiet family time and smooth transition back to our “new normal” life.

Well, things are wrapping up here. This last week I had several appointments. Many were lab draws and then a meeting with the nurse practitioner to interpret the results. My blood counts are looking strong, and thankfully we didn’t need to replete any electrolytes, blood products, etc. I’m also very happy to report that the loathed IV in my chest was finally removed! That was one of my happiest experiences while being here.  I’ll see my stem cell transplant doctor on Monday, and if my labs look great and I’m eating/drinking okay, then I’ll be discharged from outpatient care for 2 months.

My family and I have been incredibly cared for and supported through this journey and I’m so thankful. I can’t mention everything that has been done over the last several months, but I can tell you some of the blessings of the last week.  While still in the hospital, a friend from our church came for a visit and prayed with us. After returning to our apartment, our senior minister and an elder from our church came to visit with us and pray for me. A woman from the church we are renting our apartment from, came to visit and gave me two beautiful rings (of my choosing – she’s downsizing on her jewelry, and using it to brighten others’ day). My friend drove my child to and from school every day (which she’s done since school started). Our next door neighbor helped my dad install a new microwave at our house.  Jonathan’s cousin’s wife came to the apartment and helped me with my makeup. I mentioned a while back that the radiation took away the majority of both eyebrows and all eyelashes on my right eye. She brought me makeup and taught me how to draw eyebrows on and how to apply fake eyelashes. She is talented and she does it effortlessly. It’s going to take me lots of practice. If you see me, don’t laugh if my eyebrows look “angry” or my fake eyelashes are halfway falling off. I’m really quite clumsy with it all right now. And last but not least, our family tirelessly continues to team-up on childcare without a hiccup.  Just so many people giving their time and support to our family. . .

I feel very blessed.  I think for my circumstances, I have the best scenario possible, and it is still very hard. I feel for those with more dire prognoses and less support. There is a great need out there. Thank you for supporting us in an amazing way. I ask for your continued prayers. It is a moment to moment battle. Throughout the day I’m learning  to repeat a short prayer before I become completely overwhelmed. “Jesus, I trust you. I surrender to you. Fight this battle for me.” I have definitely learned that I can’t do this on my own.

Tomorrow will be 3 weeks & 2 days since being admitted into MDA, and it looks like I’ll

be going “home”! (Home being our local apartment.) It has been a ride with many twists and turns, many I can’t even remember clearly, but I’ve made it through to the other side. Thank you so much for your prayers, cards, texts, emails, comments.  Each one gives me a little more oomph to put one foot in front of the other.

With the stem cell transplant, comes a “lethal” dose of chemo.  The drugs were so powerful and harsh that my skin was affected with a sunburn effect & blistering, my GI tract was so damaged I couldn’t talk or swallow – and hence, Jonathan says he saw me the maddest he’s ever seen me (that’s in almost 20 years).  I was beyond fed up with my circumstance. We  called in reinforcements, a.k.a. Mom, and thankfully each day the severe reactions lessened.  We’ve seen my stem cells engraft, and now I’m on my way to outpatient monitoring.

As happy as I am to leave the hospital, there is a bit of trepidation. I imagine most cancer survivors understand the vulnerability you feel as you complete your treatment. After actively fighting the monster for months, you are suddenly “done”. It’s a little like a dead silence and looking over your shoulder for what’s next. It is an area I will need prayers on. I need to keep my eyes fixed on Him and let my faith be bigger than the “what ifs” that lurk around. It is easy for me to replay statistics and doctors’ talks of recurrence in my head. BUT then I have to remind myself to WAKE UP and remember all of the evidence of God’s plan, love, & trustworthiness AND all he has already done to restore my health.

Please pray that I keep my eyes fixed on Him, that I am patient as I finish these last weeks in Houston, that there is complete healing for my body, that our family fares well through this trial and that the emotions that accompany this transition will be manageable.

This morning her count jumped to 5!

We had great news today. April’s white blood cell count went from .1 (yesterday), to 1.5 today! We also walked around the unit wings 4 times (almost a mile). Thank you for the prayers.

Jonathan here again, and this will be pretty brief. First of all, thank you for your prayers. There will be a few specific requests at the end of this post.

The first couple of days after the stem cell transplant were pretty good. We walked the halls, ate regularly, watched a few of the Jaws movies , etc.

And then day 3 or 4 (after the transplant) came. April has suffered through some intense side effects – burning and blisters on her skin, throat sores that make it impossible to swallow (she hasn’t had a gulp of any liquid or any food in days), a fever at times, lack of good deep sleep, and plenty more. A pain pump has helped. And I’m happy to report that she is able to speak again pretty freely.

Please pray for continued recovery – specifically that her white blood cell count increases (she was at 0, went to .1, and is at 0 again today).

Compared to earlier in the week, things are actually much better. Also, April’s Mom came to allow me get some sleep at the apartment during the night. The pain pump meant hourly vital checks…

Again, thanks for your prayers. God is good. We can’t always understand our present situation, but our future is on a firm foundation thanks to Jesus.