A Quote from Steven and Some Great News

"Okay, Mom. It's really time now for Dad to come home. It's been long enough. I miss my Dad."

I hear ya, kid. I hear ya! We are all missing Jim and are ready for him to come home.

After my last post when Jim's anc was 72, we were cautiously optimistic that his counts would continue to go up. The next day we were disappointed that his anc dropped to 35. That was a long way from the 500 we need for discharge. I fell into a bit of a slump and haven't updated the blog. Since Sunday, Jim's anc has risen, albeit, very slowly. After 35, his anc went to 54. The next day brought a number of 102. We began to see the end in sight, although the doctor was concerned that his counts weren't rising faster. There are a couple of reasons why it would take so long for his counts to rise. One is that Jim has undergone so much chemotherapy over the past year that it just takes longer for his counts to recover. The other reason is that there might be something preventing his counts from recovering. The doctors decided another bone marrow biopsy was in order to make sure everything was okay. The biopsy was done on Tuesday of this week. On Wednesday, Jim's anc rose to 154 and we waited for the results of the biopsy. Today, we got the best news of all. The bone marrow biopsy results shows there are no leukemia cells and that Jim is in remission. Jim's anc rose to 360 and the doctor gave Jim strict instructions not to run a fever today or get into any other trouble and he would consider discharge tomorrow. It's been 5 weeks today. A very long time.
On another note, Steven saw his doctor yesterday and had a good visit. We stopped in to see Jim before the appointment. Steven's lung function has improved and his cough isn't as frequent. He has gained weight over the last 2 weeks and looked and felt great. He finishes up his IV antibiotic today. We were hoping to have his PICC line pulled after his antibiotics were finished, but today Steven came home from school with a low grade fever and was not feeling well. After a call to the doctor, we were told that it's possible he may have picked up a virus. We will continue to monitor him and continue all medications as prescribed and see how he does. The doctor has decided to leave the PICC line in place for another 2 weeks in case we may need it for more medication. There is also a concern for Jim's health if he comes home to a household with sick kids. Brad is home for fall break and is also just getting over a cold.

Here's how you can pray:

• Please pray that Steven's medications would be effective and that he would be fever-free and feeling better.
• Pray that Brad would also recover quickly from his cold.
• Pray that when Jim is discharged, he would be able to remain separated from Steven and Brad and be protected from any illness.
• Pray for rest and strength for me. There have been times this past week that I questioned how much longer I could continue on with this. I was reminded again that I do not have to do this alone. My Savior is with me every step of the way and knows my fears and concerns. I experienced comfort in knowing that.
• Thank God with us that Jim's bone marrow biosy results show REMISSION!

This has been a long haul and we aren't finished yet. We are thankful for God's protection every step of the way and we trust Him with the next steps in Jim's treatment. Thank you again for all your prayers and support. Jim has appreciated all the cards and visits. Please continue to keep us in your prayers.