"Health to thy naval, marrow to thy bones"

Daniel made it through the bone marrow harvest like a champ! He is at this very moment in recovery and the cells have been delivered. We are just waiting for the orders to put them in! The coolers are literally sitting outside her room in the nurses station. Her siblings are all here waiting to watch the initial hook up. Thank you all for your prayers!

Day 0/ Transplant Day!

Dr. Woolfrey

 Yesterday Daniel had his appointments at Seattle Cancer Care Alliance to make sure he was physically ready for the bone marrow harvesting. He was cleared! (That's the reason for the thumbs up with Dr. Ruiz-Gutierrez) Dr. Woolfrey will be the one doing the harvest today, and Dr. Ruiz-Gutierrez will be assisting her. Dr. Burroughs is the one who had originally checked Daniel in at Children's, and Christa is a precious Christian lady who works in the child life area of S.C.C.A.. After his appointments, Craig took Daniel for a special Dad and son lunch. Daniel ordered bleu cheese top sirloin steak, you know to get that iron up! The wait staff gave them free appetizers when they found out that he was donating his bone marrow to his sister! He is indeed our hero! His willingness, yea, his eagerness has been a great testimony to so many!

Daniel's surgery will take place this afternoon and then Anna will receive the fresh marrow soon after. Daniel's recovery time will be about a month as he will be restricted from rough housing and wrestling around to protect his pelvis. The pelvis will be fragile as it will have between 200-300 holes in it that could shatter the bone if he were to take a blow to it. He will also be very sore for a couple of weeks. However, his hospital stay will only be a few hours.

Dr. Ruiz-Gutierrez

Dr. Lauri Burroughs

Christa Peterson

 We are very proud of Daniel as well as all of our children for being willing to make this sacrifice for their sister. We pray that all will go well with the transplant process. The process takes several weeks to complete. The easiest part will be getting the bone marrow put in. This will be administered through Anna's Hickman line. The hard part, as well as the most life threatening part, is the grafting process. Daniel's stem cells will have the journey of accepting Anna's body as it's own, and Anna's body will have the task of receiving Daniel's stem cells as it's own. This will be a long and drawn out time. The risk of liver failure or lung failure is very real during this process through a problem called graft versus host disease. We pray this will not be an issue for Anna. A little gvh is expected and even good as Daniel's immune system will become Anna's.

Anna still has a long road ahead of her. It will be some time before she feels like her old self again. I am encouraged though. Yesterday, as I walked down the hall, I saw many of the sick teens walking around with a bit of a bounce to their step. It's encouraging to see that Anna will start to feel better. Even if it takes a little bit more time and a lot more prayers. Which is where you all have been a help to us and a blessing! We know you are praying! We feel God's presence. His comfort has been surrounding us from the beginning. His faithfulness has abounded. The joy of the Lord is our strength. He has used His people to uphold us and to encourage us through every aspect of this journey! We have not had to walk this path alone! Nor will we have to continue on this path alone. Thank you all! And........

HAPPY TRANSPLANT DAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Free! appetizers for the HERO!!

Dad And Daniel having a special lunch

Happy Transplant Day!!

A Quick Review of the Week

 Tuesday was a rough day. It was Anna's first day on the Cyclophosophamide and she reacted to it in a bad way. Anna's face had extreme raised, red splotches all over and her lips were swollen. She got really sick and this caused her Daddy and Mommy to be quite concerned. She was already on Benadryl for nausea and we thought it should also take care of any allergic reactions. The splotches gradually decreased and the Dr. was able to put us at ease. She assured us that if her reactions got worse than we would have alarms going off all over the place, and people running in to help her.

 Yesterday was a better day. Though Anna remains feeling pretty awful, she did not react to the drug the same as Tuesday! She actually was able to get up and walk two laps around the 8th floor wing!!! She also asked for some saltine crackers and Sprite, then asked for string cheese...and she ate it all! That's the most she has eaten in days! As you all know, today is Anna's day off. Not that she will get to be left alone from meds and vitals, but that she will not have any chemo drugs put in her.

Anna's neighbor is a young lady named Lyndsey. She must be about Anna's age and is on her third relapse of cancer. Please pray that she can conquer cancer once and for all! Lyndsey sent over this huge balloon for Anna! It was so sweet! She wanted to deliver it herself, but wasn't allowed at this point. So it was delivered by a nurse. She also gave Anna a black wristband that says, "stupid cancer!"  What a sweet gesture, one young lady with cancer to another. I hope we can in turn, minister to her and her family.

Tomorrow is the big day! Daniel goes in at 12:45 p.m. for surgery to harvest his bone marrow. The surgery will last about 2 hours and 45 minutes. Then he will have a 45 minute recovery time before being released. The hospital staff has said that if everyone is healthy, they encourage the family to all be there with Anna as she gets the bone marrow. They celebrate transplant day as a big 2nd birthday, as she receives new life into her body. Craig has already gotten to explain to some that this won't be her second birthday but her THIRD!!! She was born physically (17 years ago next week!), then born again through the blood of Jesus, and tomorrow, given another life from her brother's bone marrow. We are so blessed to be given the gift of life, both physical and spiritual! And to be given the opportunity to share it with everyone we come in contact with! We are thankful for all of the prayers being offered up on Anna's and our behalf! We feel the presence of God in every circumstance!!!!

Unexplainable?! We Know Better!

Getting her chemo started 

Still able to smile!

 This morning at 2:00 a.m., Anna received her last two hour dose of Busulfan, which has been administered four times a day for four days. Today she will begin her two days of Cyclophosphamide, a more extreme chemo drug that is given only once a day. After tomorrow, Anna will be done with "conditioning". Conditioning is the term used for the six days of intense, high dose chemo therapy that prepares or conditions the body to be able to accept the bone marrow which will be given on Friday.

After a few days, not feeling so well..but still smiling!

Thursday will be Anna's "day of rest"; however, Daniel will be busy with appointments at S.C.C.A. all day. Daniel will get the last minute check-ups and blood draws to make sure he is ready for the marrow harvest. He is so excited! People keep asking if he is nervous, and I honestly have to say that he isn't!

Anna has kept a positive attitude throughout this process though she has been feeling worse as the days go by. Her vision has been blurred making it difficult to be up walking around as well as to read. This has been a source of frustration for her.  Also, her nausea has been pretty bad, making it difficult to eat food. Some of the anti-nausea meds make her really sleepy.

Yesterday I stopped in to deliver a couple of books to Craig and give Anna a kiss and hug. Emotions ran a bit high, so I stayed longer than I had expected. I held my baby girl for as long as she needed. I was able to help her get freshened up and then we sat on her bed together and watched as a storm passed over us. It was beautiful to watch. From the strike of lightening to the down pour, to the sun breaking through once again. I told her how beautiful a picture that was for us. That through the storms of life, God is always there shining His light.

Anna was excited to get gummy bears from Irv (at church), delivered by Michael. She eagerly opened them and had a few~ an amazing feat since food is not very appetizing right now. Thank you Irv!!  We sat and enjoyed each other's company for a little while until she got sleepy. Again tears, I laid down next to her in her bed and held her in my arms, promising to stay by her side for as long as she needed me. Sometimes a mommy's arms is the best place to fall asleep. I am thankful for that time. Right now we live life moment by moment. A "quick trip" to the hospital can easily turn into a couple of hours or more. But that's okay. This is just for a season, and though it's difficult for the younger children to understand, they do know that their sissy is very sick and has extra needs right now. I hear it in their prayers as they ask God to "help Anna not have cancer anymore".


~"The effectual fervant prayer of a righteous man availeth much." James 5:16
I must share about the doctor's rounds yesterday..... Dr. Woolfrey and the P.A. come in the mornings for rounds. They read off Anna's numbers from the blood work that has been done and Craig asked about Anna's liver numbers. The Dr. said that Anna's numbers were amazingly perfect! She said it was completely UNEXPLAINABLE! (you see, we know that her enzymes had been bad back in January due to the TKI's, or cancer drugs, but her bilirubin remained elevated and actually climbed a bit while her liver was supposed to be "cooling off". Well, this made them think she may have something called "Gilbert's (pronounced jheel-bahyers) syndrome" which is actually common and just means her liver has issues processing the red blood cells. This was not a concern regarding the transplant so we had gotten the green light to move forward.) Well, Craig responded to Dr. Woolfrey's comment of the "unexplainable" perfect liver numbers with, "This is totally explainable Doctor, we literally have people from around the world praying specifically for Anna's liver! God has answered those prayers!"

What a great testimony of God's handiwork through the prayers of righteous people from all over the world! Thank you all for your diligence in praying for Anna! This brings great joy to my heart knowing we can share such things with the doctors and nurses whom we hope to spread the light of Christ with at every opportunity!

My exhortation to each of you today is to seize the moment! Take each opportunity to vocalize God's goodness to all you come in contact with! Share the light of Christ, pray for lost souls to come to the saving knowledge of Jesus! Especially in the storms of life, the darkest clouds can cover that light, but you don't have to let that happen...you can allow His light to shine through you and spread that hope to everyone!

Enjoying her gummy bears!

**Please pray for my father-in-law, Larry, he is currently in the hospital in Astoria, OR. We are unsure what is wrong with him, but know that he received 3 units of blood last night. Pray for wisdom from the doctors and for Craig in knowing when he may need to head down there to see him! Thank you all!**

Asleep in her mommy's arms.

All Settled In

 Yesterday was a day filled with emotion. The emotion of knowing Anna was heading to the hospital where she will be for about forty days. We've said goodbye before, when she left for three weeks to Uganda. But that was different. This time, we know she will be getting really sick, but we are hopeful that this means that she will be cured of this horrid thing called cancer.

My parents came up for a quick visit, leaving yesterday afternoon. We enjoyed that little diversion! Grandma had made a quilt for people to sign~ already many family members and even people we don't know but are praying for her have signed it.

After Grandma and Grandpa left, we headed out to get a few supplies for Anna's hospital stay. While out and about, we stopped at Starbucks for the half price frappacinos (sp?). As each moment passed, the air got thicker with anticipation. Four o'clock, meds were taken....seven o'clock, meds were taken. At home, we had family devotions and prayer for one last time. Then the gifts were given. While at the mall, Lydia brought some earrings to Daddy and asked if she could get them for Anna. Of course he said yes! This brought eager little sister, Abigail, to want to get a gift as well. So, she got Anna some bright colored socks. And then, of course, Zeke didn't want to be out done! He got her some zebra print slippers. They were so excited to give Anna their little examples of deep love and devotion.

Once the gifts were received with thanksgiving, it was time to say our very tearful goodbyes. Each sibling had their turn for hugs. Anna spoke words of love and encouragement to each one, exhorting them to trust the Lord and to love the Lord with all of their heart. She told the younger ones to be helpful and obedient. This was tough to witness. But I share a little glimpse of this intimate time with our family.

Once the goodbyes were done, we loaded up and headed out. We drove separate vehicles so I could come home later and get some sleep. Craig is taking most of the night shifts so this pregnant mama can get rest. Anna rode with me, a quiet and short drive. I held her hand the whole way. We parked, got checked in with our parent badges, and headed to the 8th floor of the new building. This is the cancer floor, for teens. The nurses were wonderful! Patti is a christian and very pleasant and bubbly. She made us feel very comfortable, showing us around and explaining things so well. I went in feeling overwhelmed and tearful, I left feeling at ease and confident that Anna is in good great hands. 

This sign was in Anna's room, it said, "Welcome Anna!" After a bit, Anna got into her comfy clothes...the clothes she will be living in for some time. Once we were done with the "orientation" and many questions, Anna was hooked up to the fluids. She has a new shadow~ her little cart of fluids/meds. This will be with her for the duration of this treatment.

Well, as every mommy should do, I tucked my baby girl into bed and kissed her good night. Rest well, my darling! I love you and will see you soon! And with that, Craig walked me to the car, kissed me goodnight, and I drove on. It was weird. I know it's best for me to be home at night as my other babies need me and I'm still not feeling well at night. But it's hard to leave. They did say that both parents are welcome to stay the night, a change in their policy that we are thankful for....who knows, maybe we will do that a time or two. But for now, we will take things one step at a time.

 This morning began the chemo. Eight in the morning they hooked her up and it took two hours. She will have four treatments of chemo a day. After the chemo, they come in every few minutes to draw blood. This will be taken to S.C.C.A. to be examined. This will determine the dose she gets.

I got to talk with Anna after it was done, she is doing well. She feels a bit swimmy from the meds, but she is in good spirit! I let her go as she was getting really tired. She is a light sleeper and though the nurses don't wake her to do procedures in the night, she wakes anyway. Her only request for today, "mom, please bring me some gum and mints...people are in my face all of the time!" Of course, last night we had gone over the other things I am to bring with me, like Phase 10, make up wipes, and finger nail clippers. I might even get to bring her brothers and sisters with me to visit today! We are thankful for the sunshine again. The view from Anna's room is amazing! I'm glad she gets to enjoy the view with the bonus of the sun...even in Seattle! I am thankful for a loving Heavenly Father who carries us through the best of times and the most difficult times.

My encouragement to each of you today is to look around you and thank God for every little blessing that surrounds you. Thank Him for your trials and your heartaches. Why, you may be asking? Because you can never know how sweet something is until you've tasted the bitter. When all you have is sweet, it becomes common place. Bland. Expected. But when you are given a bit of something bitter, the sweet becomes sweeter than you can ever imagine! Thank you, Lord, for this trial in our life!! May the Lord bless you all!

Houston, We Are Ready For Take Off

All systems are a go, Houston, we are ready for take off! Yesterday, Anna had surgery to place the Hickman line into her chest. To the right, is "Chester" (get it? haha) Chester is there to show us what a Hickman line looks like and where it is placed in the body. The line tunnels under the skin up around the collar bone and into the jugular vein. This line will be where Anna's blood is drawn, where medications such as her chemo drugs are given, fluids are put in, and ultimately, the bone marrow will be administered. Anna was a trooper through everything! The surgeon actually commented on Anna's sweet and very kind spirit. He said that everyone in the room was talking about it and that it was so refreshing in this day. This was a blessing to hear.

Smile!

Yesterday was a bit of a reality check for me. After all of the delays we are actually moving forward! There is no turning back. It was very sobering, but the peace of God surrounds us.  Tonight, at 8 p.m., Anna will be admitted into Children's. She starts her anti-seizure medicine this afternoon. The first chemo drug can cause seizures but the meds will keep that from happening. When she is finished with the first drug, she will continue for 24 hours with the Dilantin (anti-seizure). We begin tomorrow morning, bright and early.



It is hard to believe. I am still processing all of this. I am thankful for a great hospital and staff. I know Anna will be in the best place possible. And our family is as together as we can be.

Abigail: "Mommy, will we get to visit Anna?"
Zeke: "Dear Jesus, please take the cancer away from Anna, make her all better."
~Just a few things we are hearing around the house. All things that tug at my heart and bring tears to my eyes even now as I type them.

The 17th will be a big day. Daniel goes in for surgery and Anna will receive the gift of marrow on the same day. We are blessed to have a son who is so willing to sacrifice for his sister. It is sad to hear of accounts when siblings are unwilling to do this for a brother or sister. But it happens. I am a very blessed mama. I have a whole quiver of children who were willing to do this for our beloved Anna.

I don't think we could ever actually be ready for this. I know that tears are okay. The Bible says in Ecclesiastes that there is a time to weep. It also says that weeping may endure for the night but joy comes in the morning. I am looking forward to that morning!  I'm not saying that I do not have joy right now, but it's a serious time, the joy is in knowing that God is with us through it all.

Today, we say good-bye. It will be a tearful good-bye. We know not what the future holds, but we know Who holds it. We trust that God will allow what is best to bring him honor and glory. We serve a wonderful Saviour!!!!

Anna's pastoral visit in the hospital.....

Being wheeled to her waiting Mommy and Daddy

Resting, in good spirit, but in pain

The Green Light

Just a very quick update for everyone. The other day, AFTER I had posted, Craig called with some news. Monday we will have one less appointment as we no longer need to meet with the GI doctor. He reviewed our case and has given the green light to move forward with chemo and transplant! Mixed emotions here. Excitement that it's a go, sadness that it's a go. Well, that it is going to happen this next week anyway, or maybe just the fact that it needs to be done in the first place. Wow. It's been seven months since Anna was diagnosed. There have been so many "go than stop" scenario's that I actually will only believe it fully when she is admitted. Until then, we want to completely take advantage of the GORGEOUS days between now and then as we can. I'm so thankful that God has given us some of the nicest weather we could ask for!! What a special treat for these last moments together for a while.