January 18, 2011 in Uncategorized with 17 Comments

It was a long day but we can’t say that it was a bad day, which is quite a statement after the last couple of weeks. Today, Gray had a CT Scan to check the progress of his shrinking tumors and to schedule surgery. We arrived at the hospital at 10AM, two hours before his scheduled scan, so that Gray had plenty of time to drink the contrast that is required for all his tests. This “contrast” tastes really gross, obviously, because it is a struggle to get Gray to swallow it. The hospital was running a bit behind, but they finally called Gray in for his CT Scan. It was a nightmare. Gray freaked out! They ended up sedating him, though, and we made it through. Gray also had blood work done again today. Then the waiting began. It’s beyond nerve racking waiting for such life changing results. Our every breath hangs on what the doctor may or may not say. When the doctor finally came in we were prepared to hear whatever the news would be. In the end, she delivered overall good news! Gray’s tumors have continued to shrink! We were ecstatic! Unfortunately, Gray’s blood test results weren’t so great. His counts are down to almost 30! Meaning that we went straight home from the hospital and Gray cannot be around ANYONE! Gray also got another nose bleed at the hospital today. Overall, though, of all the news we heard we couldn’t be happier to know that Gray is still responding well to his chemo treatments. While we sit at home this evening with one weight lifted, and couldn’t be more grateful for that, we are also bearing a new weight. As the doctor delivered the good news of Gray’s tumors she also went over Gray’s aggressive treatment plan for the next few months. Gray has to go back to the hospital on Friday for more blood tests and is scheduled for surgery on Tuesday. The doctors are still telling us they will do their best to remove as much of Gray’s tumor as they can. Please continue to pray that they can remove all of it! Including the portion around his aorta! We know and believe that God is bigger then any tumor, any cancer and any obstacle the doctors deliver news of! After Gray’s surgery he will be kept in the hospital for a week to recover and then they will go ahead and keep him for his sixth round of chemo. This puts us in the hospital for about two weeks. Following his last round of chemo, Gray will be allowed to go home for a week or two and then will be re-admitted for his 30 day stem cell transplant. We also covet your prayers about the transplant. It’s such a long stay in the hospital and while we have so much help from family and friends it will still be a rough time. We ask for your prayers for strength in our family and also that the transplant takes the first time. If for some reason it doesn’t work Gray would have to stay for another 30 days. We can’t and won’t even think about the possibility of a 60 day hospital stay if and until that time comes. Gray’s treatment plan continues from there but the stem cell transplant is as far as we have the energy to think about tonight. We have so many prayer requests right  now. We need peace in our family, especially during the periods we will be spending apart. We desperately want to make sure that Seth has understanding during this time and that he feels connected and loved each and every day. We also simply need the emotional endurance to survive the rest of Gray’s treatment. The constant and ever changing schedule of Gray’s treatment, the unexpected late night hospital visits, the daily shots at home, no sleep and an emotional three year old accompanied with normal life and the normal routine of cooking, cleaning, homework and coveted infrequent quiet time…it’s enough to drive you crazy. If there’s one thing cancer forces you to learn, whether you like it or not, it’s that you have to take one day at a time. You literally have no choice. Plans change daily, hourly and sometimes in a split second! Sigh. Thank you to everyone who has prayed without ceasing and to those who have called, sent cards and even cooked meals. Tonight, no matter how much physical rest we get, we rest on our faith, in our friends and family, in your prayers and in the smiles of our two boys…

“That day when evening came, he said to his disciples, ‘Let us go over to the other side.’ Leaving the crowd behind, they took him along, just as he was, in the boat. There were also other boats with him. A furious squall came up, and the waves broke over the boat, so that it was nearly swamped. Jesus was in the stern, sleeping on a cushion. The disciples woke him and said to him, ‘Teacher, don’t you care if we drown?’ He got up, rebuked the wind and said to the waves, ‘Quiet! Be still!’ Then the wind died down and it was completely calm.” Mark 4:35-39