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.

Bone Marrow Transplant- Day Minus 5

Today was John's first day of Chemotherapy; he received through his Hickman line over the period of a few hours. He reacted well with no sickness or nausea. John is doing well both physically and emotionally; he has been able to have time to reflect and have time praying.
It's hard to comprehend that this last year has been the most healthy of his life and and we are choosing to make him sick again with the hope that this will be the cure for the future.

The doctors came to see John today and asked if they could take some of his DNA as they wish to do a research study on John's immune deficiency. They just got some research grants and wish to spend some of it on figuring out exactly what John has and how he got it. We are so excited about what there findings will be and are hopeful that this will help many more people like John to have hope of healing.


Happy new year to you all and Thank you for all your prayers!


 

Bone Marrow Transplant- Day Minus 6

Dear Friends.

John was admitted yesterday to Brigham and Woman's Hospital to begin his Bone Marrow Journey. That day was referred to by the doctors as Day minus 6, all days up in until transplant are negative and day 0 is the day of the transplant and then from then on we talk in positive days. We arrived at the hospital at 5.30am. We have talked about this day for a year and half and now here we were; scared but oddly calm. John went into surgery at 7.30am to have a Hickman line put in his chest, this will enable them to administer drugs (save them poking his arm a million times a day) and the stem cells (the volume of which will be too great for an IV).

They originally tried to put the line his right chest vein however it was not there; apparently 30% of people do not have that vein, so they went into a superficial neck vein (superficial simply means surface).
The rest of the day was spent resting, watching TV you would never even consider were you not in a hospital with nothing else to do!

They are very strict about germs, every thing has to be wiped down and all have to wear a mask and gloves; even his wife! :) 

The whole day we were surrounded by the tangible presence of God; I never feel His presence quite as strong as when I am here. Jesus dwells in the waiting room, the ICU, the wards- he dwells with the sick, hurting and broken; I am so glad He chooses this.

John and I talked that night before we went to sleep, shared our fears and hopes and reminded ourselves of the scriptures God had given us and took strength; we talked about how we would  feel if this really worked; I could not stop the tears.

Day Minus 5 is Chemo...

Christmas

I hate waiting for things, what about you?
I want things instantly, right now; when God speaks I want to see the fruit of it right then and there.
Waiting is frustrating.

Can you imagine waiting 400 years for something?
Would you doubt it was coming? Would you perhaps doubt you heard right? Would you think you were forgotten?

The last words spoken in the Old Testament point to this person who was coming, this messiah who would save His people and reconcile the world to God.

Then nothing. No words. No prophets.
For 400 years this promise lay dormant, waiting to be fulfilled.

And then…in the silence…in a poor town, in a dirty dung ridden stable there came a cry. A cry of a baby, wrapped in rags; held by a woman who simply obeyed.

And there it was, the one who was pointed too throughout all the hundreds of years of the Old Testament, who was prophesied about 1887 times was here, with us. A baby, fragile, dependent.

He grew up just like you and I, he cried, he had to be changed, burped.
Did He know then He was God?
As he began to make friends and play with the other kids, as he went to school and learned his trade. Did He know He was God?
As he read the scriptures in the temple, the words describing His coming and His character; Did He know it was Him?

This same baby in the manger, this same small boy in his mothers arms is the same man who healed the sick, freed the possessed and forgave sins. He was the same man who was led to the cross. He was killed and beaten for you and I. So you and I could be restored to God.

That is why we celebrate Christmas.
It is the fulfillment of God's promise, one He was faithful to keep.

So when Christians say those cheesy phrases like "Jesus is the reason for the season" or "keep the Christ in Christmas" understand that the heart behind that is that we are celebrating the fulfillment of God promise not just to us, the church, but to you and all of the world.

Jesus is for all, with all. He is looking at you, he is listening to you and he longs to be reconciled to the world he loves so deeply.

And on a personal note God has kept his promises to us this year. He has been faithful to provide all we need to go ahead with the bone marrow transplant for John; their have been obstacles that have led us to worry but God, as he was 2000 years ago, was faithful. And as we look ahead at all the challenges of 2011 we can only trust that His faithfulness will remain.

"Pray for us. We have no doubts about what we are doing and why, but it's hard going and we need your prayers…" Hebrews 13: 18 (MSG)

This Christmas our prayer for you as well as ourselves is to more fully realize the gift of Jesus; the sacrificial offering God gave to us. The ultimate ask of selflessness, not just for those who loved him but for those who had turned their back.

May you be blessed abundantly this Christmas season! May the knowledge of our Lord and Savior permeate your hearts and minds.

Update on Bone Marrow

John was admitted this morning only to be sent home around 3 hours later. Our health insurance still refuses to cover the Bone Marrow Transplant.
Thank you for your prayers; we will not give up; we believe God wants us to do this and that He has healing for John.
Please continue to pray for us. We are both very broken and sad right now but we are choosing to trust that God is bigger than our circumstances.
We are currently in our third appeal with the insurers. Please pray.
We will keep you all posted.
Love you all
John and Amanda