What a wonderful, brilliant, marvelous, fantastic feeling to be lounging on our very own couch… snacking on blueberries… playing Lego Star Wars on the Playstation. These are simple things I won’t be able to take for granted for a very long time.
This morning the medical student following our case came in and gave me a chart of Ethan’s blast count and told me that his most recent labs showed it was at ZERO. I positively burst from the pure joy I felt! To have prayed so extremely specifically for this and to be able to give God the glory in our victory was a feeling beyond description. Many “Team Ethan” high fives were shared.
The day got better as it passed. Ethan was out of bed most of the time, being his talkative self and eating well. He received platelets in anticipation of several procedures that he will have tomorrow (despite his platelet level having already risen some on its own). I asked his lead attending doc in her opinion how he had responded to treatment this week and her response was “very well”. Then we packed up and walked out the front door of the hospital. No wheelchair, no IV pole. Just me and my son. Holding hands.
Even as we revel in the joy of positive lab reports and returning home, I’m fully aware that we aren’t done… that we have a rollercoaster ahead of us. Whatever the next three years holds, God has us in the palm of his hand. What more can I do than hope and pray and celebrate our small victories as they come?
What we are praying for today:
- Ethan is receiving several chemo drugs tomorrow, including one intrathecal (injected in the spinal fluid). Nausea is worse on these days and he also has sedation for the surgery. We are praying strength for his little body.
- Tomorrow they are doing the bone marrow biopsy (not the 10th, I posted incorrectly before) to see if he is a rapid responder. His long term prognosis and course of care is dependent on these results. We are praying for less than 5% blasts in the bone marrow.
- Protection from infection and fever. More than half of A.L.L. kids return to the hospital within the first month for fever.
- Ethan made a friend in the hospital named Sam. He is the same age and we live in the same city. Sam also has A.L.L. but he has been facing some very serious complications. It was very hard for Sam to see Ethan leave today. Would you lift little Sam up in your prayers? His family has been extremely wonderful and supportive to us. We are rooting for Sam to go home from the hospital soon too!
We share your joy. What great news. God is good. We pray for Ethan’s strength, his blast count to be less than 5%, protection from infection and fever, that Sam may quickly recover from the effects of his disease and treatment and soon return home, and for Ethan and Sam’s complete healing.
God Bless,
Bob and Kathy
We rejoice with your precious family!! Thank You, Lord for the miracles You will continue to show! Thank You for the many hearts & lives bring changed from Ethan’s diagnosis. We know it’s been a hard, emotionally & physically exhausting road, but we also choose to thank You! What a joy to serve You, a living, breathing, listening, hearing, caring God. A God who has all this planned out. A God who knows what a struggle this is, but who knows the outcome as well!
We ask & believe for an amazing report tomorrow- blast count of 0%! We ask You to bring relief from any nausea, and we beg for protection from fever or infection.
Lord, we also intercede for Sam. Be with him, pour Your healing touch in his body. Bring peace, rest, JOY, strength & miracles!
We continue to pray for these things & we thank you for the miracles you’ve shown!
We share the joy of your whole family as you now have Ethan home and we will continue our prayers for the things you mentioned Em and also for little Sam as he struggles. We love you all.
We are definitely lifting up Ethan AND Sam in our prayers! Thank you for the faithful updates!