We are back in clinic, today, preparing to have an IV placed (hot packs help prepare the veins). Justin is smiling because he’s on several milligrams of Ativan, at my request. Being able to relax really helps veins to cooperate. Since all the trauma of the many failed needle sticks, Justin is just not able to stay calm on his own.

We are hoping and praying that his body is still moving past the chemo and virus-induced bone marrow suppression and producing proper amounts of blood cells as it should.

Thank you for following, supporting, praying.

In sacrifice and offering you have not delighted, but you have given me an open ear. Burnt offering and sin offering you have not required. Then I said, “Behold, I have come; in the scroll of the book it is written of me: I delight to do your will, O my God; your law is within my heart.”I have told the glad news of deliverance in the great congregation; behold, I have not restrained my lips, as you know, O Lord. I have not hidden your deliverance within my heart;
I have spoken of your faithfulness and your salvation; I have not concealed your steadfast love and your faithfulness from the great congregation. As for you, O Lord, you will not restrain your mercy from me; your steadfast love and your faithfulness will ever preserve me! For evils have encompassed me beyond number; my iniquities have overtaken me, and I cannot see; they are more than the hairs of my head; my heart fails me. Be pleased, O Lord, to deliver me! O Lord, make haste to help me! Let those be put to shame and disappointed altogether who seek to snatch away my life; let those be turned back and brought to dishonor who delight in my hurt! Let those be appalled because of their shame who say to me, “Aha, Aha!” But may all who seek you rejoice and be glad in you; may those who love your salvation
say continually, “Great is the Lord!” As for me, I am poor and needy, but the Lord takes thought for me. You are my help and my deliverer; do not delay, O my God!

My friends, we are headed back to clinic this morning.

Would you please pray specifically for a quick blood draw and IV placement? Justin does not have a pic line placed yet and the many needle sticks are causing him so much pain, bruising and fear.

Thank you. Deep breath.

The news is beginning to sink in.

Justin is not in relapse. He is still in remission. He will not have several more years of chemo. We do not need to start looking for a bone marrow donor match.

He has a virus. A virus.

Today I am praying, cleaning and pushing yogurt on Justin to help his stomach handle the siege of antibiotics.

Again, I thank you for unparalleled support and faithfulness to prayer. I will continue to update as we move forward.

I write from our backyard, where I am soaking some sun into my vitamin D deficient, pasty, hospital pallor. And I can see that my lilac bushes have bloomed again.

Justin has a virus.

Viruses in cancer patients can cause all sorts of problems, including bone marrow suppression (where blood cells are made).

I honestly did not think this would be the outcome. Apparently, Justin’s doctors didn’t either as they ordered the bone marrow aspiration before the blood tests for viruses.

Justin is not in leukemia relapse. He is just  very sick with a bad virus.

Justin did not need a transfusion today! But his red blood cell count did drop a little so he may need one Wednesday when he is checked again.

He will also need to continue with antibiotics and intravenous immunoglobulin to treat immunodeficiency. I will be keeping him home in a bubble made of Lysol wipes.

There is still a major issue with finding veins and IV placements. He endured three sticks today. Justin will have a pic line placed in his arm until he is fully recovered from the virus and bone marrow suppression.

I am extremely relieved, just also very exhausted from the emotional rollercoaster.

Our prayers have been heard and answered. Thank you for staying with us. GOD IS FAITHFUL.

Justin was very sick to his stomach last night. I think it’s probably the switch from IV to oral antibiotics. I will talk to his doctor today about a possible alternative.

We are headed out to clinic for his blood counts to be checked and possible transfusions.

I am feeling a little refreshed after two nights in my own bed. For whatever reason, I decided to clean out my closet last night. Maybe because it was a disaster area or maybe it was that need to control something thing.

Justin rested in bed among pretzel crumbs, while I sorted.

Distractions can be a good thing.

We read a devotional with the kids last night about Joseph. If ever there was an example of God using evil for good, it would be his life story. Sold out by his own brothers into slavery only to become a powerful ruler in Egypt, second only to Pharoah.

Not that I want Justin to rule Egypt. I’d just like him to not be sick anymore.

Thank you for continued prayer and support.

We are settled at home.

I went out to run errands, but mostly to get a minute to myself.

Thank you, again, for amazing support. Please stay with us, in prayer, as we continue with outpatient treatments.

We are going home! Justin blood counts are stable enough to go home until Monday.

He will need to be monitored closely throughout next week and likely beyond. But we will be able to do it as an outpatient at the clinic.

We will need to come back to the main hospital next week to have a pic line placed in his arm so we won’t have to continue with traumatic IV placements.

We are still waiting on some results but his doctor anticipates Justin will need to have another bone marrow aspiration to retest in a few weeks.

We still don’t know exactly what’s going on, but he is stable enough to go home. This is a miracle to me! Please continue to pray for us. The next several weeks will likely be difficult as we care for Justin at home.

But, for now, pray a prayer of thanks with me. And keep believing in the power of prayer. God is able and God is good.

So here is where we are. Justin’s doctor does not anticipate any definitive answers over the weekend.

Justin’s blood counts will be checked today as they have been everyday. If he does not need a transfusion, we can actually go home and continue as an outpatient Monday at the Voorhees clinic.

Of course, we would need to be very careful because he is neutropenic, meaning his white blood cell count is extremely low and his body would not be able to fight any viruses or infections.

But our family could be together and we could sleep in our own beds.

Here’s hoping…

I don’t know if we can say we are getting a miracle quite yet, but it sure is great news.

The bottom line is that they still don’t know.

Justin has abnormal cells in his bone marrow but they are not the same as the leukemia cells he had before.

They are now testing for genetic abnormalities of his bone marrow, also called bone marrow failure.

However, they haven’t completely ruled out relapse  yet.

They are also testing him for rare viruses that can suppress bone marrow.

I get the impression it’s been a hot topic down in pathology. Even the doctor seemed annoyed. It seems to be a conundrum.

The good news is that Justin is feeling fairly well after many units of blood and saline.

Also I washed my hair.

God knows what is going on. We have not been told his cancer is back, so, for now, we will delicately hold onto that.

We were able to get out of the room and take a walk earlier. Justin says, “May the Fourth be with you, but it’s only funny if you say it like Daffy Duck, Mom!”

Of course.