6/25/10 - Hemoglobin is UP!!!!

Today was a huge answer to prayer! When we met with the doctor to discuss Joe's hemoglobin count, he told us it went UP...from 7.1 to 8.1. So not only did the count go up, but it increased a whole point. This is the first time since his treatment began that his hemoglobin has increased at all...so a whole point was huge. This was such an encouragement to us and it also meant that Joe did not have to endure a blood transfusion this week. Praise God! (Eph. 3:20 "Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us.") Joe received the Doxorubicin and Vincristine chemotherapy medicines at this appointment so his counts may decrease again over the next two weeks. He will go in for a blood test next week and the clinic will continue to monitor his blood for any low drops. Joe's doctor feels that the bone marrow is starting to recover from the radiation treatment and hopeful that the counts shouldn't drop as much in the future. This week also marked the end of 10 weeks of weekly chemotherapy. In two weeks, Joe will have a sonogram on his abdomen and an x-ray to evaluate how the treatment is progressing, and if all is well, he will resume chemotherapy every three weeks for the next 15 weeks (that means only 5 more treatments!). We are thrilled and thankful to our Lord, Jesus Christ, for providing what we need when we need it as it says in Phil. 4:19 "And my God will meet all you needs according to His glorious riches in Christ Jesus."

Today at the clinic I was once again reminded how much we have to be thankful for. Joe is doing so well with his treatment and his body continues to fight. The clinic was very busy today and there were many very sick kids. There was one small boy about Caleb's age (2 1/2) getting blood drawn and screaming to "let me go", there was an infant in a baby carrier who had to have some type of treatment and get blood drawn, there was an older boy lying in one of the rooms getting blood who looked so exhausted, there was a boy around Will's age (4) who looked like he had surgery on his head and was getting hooked up for treatment and crying, and there was a boy playing on the Play Station with Joe that had to leave to be checked back into the hospital. Oh, it must be excruciating for their parents to have to watch their kids go through this. The little kids just don't understand why they have to be poked so many times and don't feel well and can't communicate when and where they hurt. The kids just want to be normal and participating in activities with their peers. The families just want this to be over as they wait hours in the clinic with other children to care for. This is such a small piece of the picture of what goes on up at the clinic and in these lives. We don't even know the rest but I felt a lot of sympathy for these families today for how cancer affects the parents, the siblings and themselves. Even though Joe has cancer, his outcome looks so positive, he is old enough for us to be able to communicate with him about it, and he is being so strong. Our family is truly blessed. (I Thes. 1:18 "Give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus.") Lord, we pray for all of these other families that have so much more to endure than we do.

A special thanks to Pastor Jon, Beth, and Jacob who spent their day off with Ben, Will, and Caleb. Our boys had a great time! We hope they didn't wear you out too much. Go Frogs!