Day 21

Great News! The platelets are on the up! Slowly...they are now 37,000 and his white cell count, although still low, is slowly climbing!
Doctor was very happy with John today and he is feeling much more like himself!
Also all nurses and doctors agreed John looks great with a shaved head! See for yourself...

Day 19

Weekend masquerade ball at the Catons!

After a weekend of seclusion I (Amanda) am feeling much better! We made the most of our sick days, lots of tv and talking! I can think of no one I would want to be quarantined with more!

Today was a bit of a sad day. John has been loosing his hair for a few days now, getting thinner by the day. It was funny but sad to know where he had been because of all the hair he had left.
John told me tonight that it hurt when his hair came out, the nurse told us it would. So after talking we decided I would shave his head. Our quarantine just became the Caton's Hair Salon!

We laughed and joked as we did it but as soon as John went to shower I could not stop the tears. Why does it bother me so much? He looks great, he actually pulls of the bad boy short hair quite nicely; in fact it's pretty sexy! Lol

The reason it made me sad was remembering when I found out my Dad lost his hair when he had chemo and the still raw pain of loosing him came rushing back like it was yesterday. A reminder of how much Chemo has affected the men I love most.

That aside, my tears are not a lack of faith or fear. They are simply a sign of my brokenness. I know sometimes the church tries hard to cover all signs of weakness and emotion just in case people think we don't have it all together but I am not sure why?
Brokenness is ok with me right now and I am unashamed.
God is my strength and refuge. I am weak but He is strong.

Day 17

Another platelet count, now dipped to 35,000. This is normal but we look forward to the slow climb back to normal. His white cell count seemed stable.
No need for any platelets to be given or transfusions so a good appointment.

Halfway through John's IV I (Amanda) began to be feel very weird. I have seen him and many others I know have IV'S a bunch of times but for some reason I felt very sick seeing it this time. I stumbled the bathroom and slid down the wall, I could see the room spinning and I felt hot and sick. I could not shake it so I decided to go back and tell John. We both decided I should go the ER; better safe than sorry. This way we would know if what was happening in me could be passed onto John. The Dana nurse said my blood pressure was very low. After an hour in the ER, all my tests came back normal. "It's just one of those strange viruses" the nurse said. I had a similar deal a year ago but this was much less severe.

Fortunately I have been feeling a little off this last few days so had been wearing a mask in the house and sleeping on the couch. Good job.

So today I am wiped out and so is John- The Caton's are officially both in sick mode!

Please continue to lift us up in prayer, thank you so much to those who faithfully do so. Pray I (Amanda) can get back to normal soon so I can care for John. Also pray that in that process I can take better care of myself, I guess I have been neglecting that a little.

Day 14

On Wednesday we went for another appointment with the nurse, Bonnie, at Dana Farber Cancer Center. John's platelet  count has now taken a dive down to 58,000 and his white count is very low. This is all normal but we were shocked as John had been feeling quite well. The nurse speculated that because John has been sick is whole life he perhaps has just learned to function through tiredness, she is probably right.
John's low platelet count and white cell count make him extra vulnerable to infection so we are super quarentined this week, no visitors. I (Amanda) am taking all the immune supplements  money can buy to ward of any incoming infection! So far so good but please pray I can stay healthy.
We have another  appointment on Saturday to check the platelets and white cells and they may give him so meds to up his white cell count.
In 2 weeks we will have the anticipated chimer-ism test; this will be able to tell us how much of Ian's stem cells have taken over John's! We are so excited. It's just a first step if that comes back good but it's a big step!

What is "Ministry"?

By Amanda Caton

Back in December I was praying and asking God to speak to me about what ministry looks like for me in the next year.

I have been staffing our third Creative Arts in Worship school and loving every minute! I love teaching and encouraging these young people, they inspire me. However I will not be joining them on their outreach phase which begins in a month and lasts 8 weeks, essentially the rest of their school. I am tempted sometimes to feel as if I have abandoned them, done only half a job.

As I prayed and asked for God's words and guidance as to what His plan was to be for this year. I confessed to God it broke my heart not to be able continue with this team. But God showed me that this year I have a ministry only I can do, a calling only I can fulfill.

I confess I often believe the most "holy" and the "best" way to serve God to is go and tell as many people about Jesus as possible! His great commission is surely the top call? But now God is calling me to care for one, John. John is my ministry this year. Caring, supporting and loving John is my call today, this year and for my life.

God went on to show me that "there will be a breakthrough in our marriage" this year, that this will be a time of building strong foundations.

If we submit,

If we obey,

If we commit,

No compromise.

As far as the school goes, I am deeply committed to them also; they are like family to me. God showed me that I am to be their "prayer warrior" and their "prayer covering". This will be my job in the team and the way I will show my love to them.

I remember about a year ago, our friends Annette and Anita, ministers from New Hampshire, visited our base and prophesied over me that God will be giving me a ministry to family. I wrote this down but never really gave it much thought. But now looking back over the last 7 months of my life I see that my main areas of ministry have been the ministry to my mum and my family in the wake of my dad's death and to my husband as he walks the long road to healing.

Is this ministry any less or greater  than the Great Commission? No it's just different.

It's God's specific call on my life for right now.

And don't worry, I will still be out there whenever I can, sharing Jesus with who ever I can on the streets! I am just coming to an even deeper understanding of what ministry looks like for me in 2011.

Day 12

John is doing "excellent" in the words of his nurse!
The doctors predicted that his platelet count would be at his lowest this weekend. John awoke Friday feeling quite weak and tired but still in good spirits. At his appointment on Saturday the nurse took a platelet count and he was at 129,000; some people bottom out around 50,000 so if this is John's lowest than that's really good! Our next appointment is Tuesday or Wednesday. John has been feeling good since Sunday.
Today is John's Birthday, 28 years old! :)

Day 6

Today we went to the hospital for a platelet count; 200,000. It has been slowly dropping since John came out of hospital; in the next week it will probably drop to under 50,000. John will be tired, easily bruised if he knocks himself and generally feeling very drained. Please pray for us during this time, it is completely normal for this to happen. In the next weeks Ian's stem cells should graft onto John and begin replicating. The next few weeks are the most dangerous and the most important.
All of his tests were good today so we are doing well so far!

Day 4

Our List of Rules for visitors

Phew! John got to come home on Day 3 (we are now in plus days, with the transplant day being day zero!)
To have him home was both exciting and relieving and also scary. Beth has been an amazing help to me these last few days! Helping me clean :)

The sign above my sink so I don't forget!

John has a list of medications as long as our kitchen door, which in fact is where the sheet of them is stuck! It's a little overwhelming to remember when he takes what but we are getting there. Nutrition this year will be the toughest, so many restrictions and guidelines of how I cook and serve. I have to soak the sponge in part bleach and water every day, change it every 2  weeks, wash and dry the dishes (air or paper towel) before and after I use them! Cooking and baking take all my brain now, no longer will I bake to relax!

The next 100 days will be the hardest as the most dangerous because he is most prone to infection. This is why we are limiting to visitors; only close friends and family, please do not be offended if we respectfully decline your visit.

Hanging out playing Wii in the latest fashion!

Today is Ian and Beth's last day with us ; here they are all mask and gloves!

More coming soon...hope you are enjoying reading about our journey!

Much love to you all

Finally Day Zero!

A Joyful day in pictures- Stem Cell Transplant 5th January 2011

John with the Stem cells

John and his Dad

John with brother Ian and Beth and Amanda

John and his Mom

Update on Bone Marrow- Writtenby Beth Caton (Ians wife)

Hello,

I just wanted to give a more detailed update about John and Ian's transplant.  Ian's surgery was yesterday and the marrow harvest was very successful, they obtained a liter of marrow.  The marrow was then filtered and given to John yesterday afternoon via a hickman line in his chest (due to volume it was too much for regular IV). 

John had been nauseous and sleepy this week, not much like himself at all.  He was not very talkative as he usually is and was not up for much short of a few trips to the bathroom.  They have been adjusting his meds and after chemo he was slowly feeling better.  Yesterday he was out of bed and in a chair and today he was up and around the room talking and joking, more like we are used to seeing him! 

Ian had difficulty coming out of the anesthesia which is not uncommon.  He was very nauseated and was not able to get up and walk until around 7 pm last night, and the surgery began at 7:30 am.  He felt better pretty quickly however, when we got to the hospital this morning he was walking (slowly and carefully) around his room alone.  I helped him get ready and he went to see John before he was discharged around 2pm this afternoon.  He is pretty sore but has not taken any pain meds since we left the hospital. 

John was not able to come home today as we had hoped.  They pulled his chest line today where he has a blood clot (which is not too serious and he is on blood thinners), and they are keeping him at the hospital to watch for infection at the site.  We are all disappointed, I'm sure not as much as poor John but is better to be safe!  At least they removed the irritating line.

Thank you all so much for your love and support through this process.  It means more to Ian and I than words can express and I know John and Amanda feel the same.

Love,

Ian and Beth

Bone Marrow Transplant- Day Minus 1

Phew....finally! The transplant is tomorrow, I can barely believe it's here; so long awaited.

Today I got a lesson from the pharmacist about all the millions of medications John will have! It's pretty intense; his first month medications were $200!!! I should probably be overwhelmed and worried about how we can afford it but God WILL provide and the price of keeping John healthy is priceless.

Today was John's rest day, no chemo but still he slept most of the day. Ian also had all his pre op work done.

We are due in at 5.30am to begin the removal of the stem cells from Ian and late morning/ early afternoon they will put in John.

 I also spent a while putting smiley face stickers on all the foods John can eat and all of his hygiene items so no one else touches them! Ha! I felt like a Kindergarten teacher :)

On a lighter note, Ian, Beth and I were playing Wii tonight and as we left it on to clean we noticed John and I Mii character were sitting together! :)

Bone Marrow Transplant- Day Minus 2

Today Ian and Beth arrived :) Nice to have family around now and not to be alone in the house.

This was John's last day of chemotherapy, Thank God! He was very sick today and it was hard to see.We were out for lunch he told the nurse he had pain in his neck, this made them worry that he may have a blood clot; one of the risks off having a Hickman line. We got back from lunch to receive the news that he had been taken for a ultrasound- time went very slow as we waited.

Eventually, after over of an hour of waiting, John arrived back. I was so happy to see him. He was still very nauseous and sick. The doctor told us he does have a blood clot (although a nurse had just told us there was not a blood clot, confusion) and that they were giving him blood thinning medicine. Originally they were planning on leaving the Hickman line in when he left hospital to easily administer medicines (saves poking his arm a million times!) but with this new development they will probably end up removing it.

Before I left John was complaining about having bad knee pain but seemed to be coping OK.

Please pray for us. John is very weak.

Much Love to you all

Bone Marrow Transplant- Day Minus 3

Today I am updating from the hospital. I bought it so we could Skype with family but unfortunately John has been knocked out from anti-nausea medication the whole day. I have been here for 3 hours and he can't have said more than 10 words to me. Fortunately though tomorrow is the last day of Chemo; the next is a rest day and then the stem cells are put in.

Time has indeed, as many said, moves fast and we are both excited about Ian and Beth arriving in the morning.

Bone Marrow Transplant- Day Minus 4

Today was a tough day. The chemotherapy is making him sick and nauseous. He slept most of the time I was there. On a positive note; I text a few of our close friends and families and ask them to pray and within the next 30 minutes he was up and talking and feeling fine! The power of prayer at work, Thank God!!!
We are so excited about Ian and Beth (John's brother and wife) arriving on Monday and for his parents to arrive on Tuesday.
To have the family here will be such a blessing.