"Once his numbers are all within the normal range, how do we know his leukemia is dormant/gone/in remission? Will a blood test be the only way we will know for sure? Will signs of infection be our only clues that the leukemia is back?"
But, I wasn't able to ask those questions because his white blood count had dropped from 2.54 down to 2.1 (4-11 is normal) and his neutrophils had dropped from 1.48 down to .8 (2-8 is normal and below 1 makes him highly susceptible to infection) in just 4 and a half weeks.
The upward trend in Brad's numbers in April had given us hope that this medical journey might be coming to an end.
But, as the Lord has seen fit, it hasn't.
So, we have a short term plan in place. Wait for a week just to rule out that a virus wasn't the culprit of his low numbers...we had been living life normally, with visits from out of state family and friends, day trips to Pella, IA, and LOTS of neighbor kids running through our house. If his numbers are still low on Friday, the next step will be to do another bone marrow biopsy.
And as I've been told since the beginning of March, the answers are often found in the bone marrow.
After we get a pathology report from that, Brad's oncologist will be able to make a plan for what's next.
So, unfortunately, we're back in the "waiting room".
Many of you have texted and called and reached out to us with prayers and words of encouragement.
Thank you!
So, how are we doing?
Overall, we're doing okay. I'm not going to lie...Thursday was a really, really hard day. But Friday morning, Brad and I were both up early, and we refocused and made plans for the new day.
Last Friday was our kiddos' last day of school, and we decided to spend the day celebrating the completion of another school year!
We started the festivities with a some pizza at a park.
Then the kids rode the carousel at Union Park...it's only 50 cents per ride!
The kids went swimming and played on the beach at Gray's Lake.
And Brad and I got to relax a little in the shade. He always tells me to tell people that he's smiling under his mask!
Then we dropped off Sammy at Hidden Acres camp on Sunday afternoon.
When Sammy first saw Brad with his mask back on last Thursday, she quickly stated without any hesitation, "I'm not going to camp. I need to be here in case something happens." As the oldest, she has carried a lot of the weight of family life at home in March and April.
But no, sweet girl, you are headed to camp! You need to have a week to be a kid and not worry or be anxious about what may lie ahead.
As Brad continues to work from both home and church, preparing for his sermon on Sunday and VBS in a couple of weeks, the younger 3 kids and I have been busy with basketball camp, trips to parks, and some hot afternoons at the pool.
It's crazy how life continues to go on every day. There are moments where I only think about Brad's cancer and other moments when I'm busy doing things around the house or am out and about with the kids that I forget about the black cloud of cancer that hangs over our family.
It's a strange, new normal. And it's something I'm sure our family shares now with many, many other cancer families out there.
So, while we're in this waiting room and preparing for, perhaps, another round of chemotherapy and then a 4-6 week recovery, we work on house projects, spend time together, and make adjustments to plans in light of Brad's compromised immune system.
I feel compelled, as long as we are on this journey, to not waste what God has for us in this battle against leukemia. If I believe, and I do believe, that God doesn't allow anything to touch us except what has been filtered through his loving hands, then there is good to be found in this.
So, we place our hope in God, savor each new day, and live life in a way that makes much of the name of Christ.
1 comment:
Dear friend, praying for you to know that you are held in His loving arms even in the waiting room. Thank you for writing and sharing.
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