Praise God, Jeremy’s counts skyrocketed the week we were home.  There are mixed emotions. We’re very glad to hear that he’s recovered so well, but we’re also sad to go back so soon.  It’s the little things, really.  I was cleaning in the garage the other day and was happy to hear his chubby little feet stomping around upstairs.

Jeremy really enjoyed his freedom and time at home, but he maintains a good attitude and picked out a few toys to bring back to the hospital for the upcoming round.  He got in a good amount of play and running before he finally settled down for bed tonight.

And thank you all for your continued prayers.  It is very comforting to know that Jeremy is covered in prayer by the body of Christ.  Your prayers, support, kind words (email and comments on the blog) have encouraged us throughout this situation.

“Is anyone among you in trouble? Let them pray.  Is anyone happy? Let them sing songs of praise.  Is anyone among you sick? Let them call the elders of the church to pray over them and anoint them with oil in the name of the Lord.  And the prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well; the Lord will raise them up.  If they have sinned, they will be forgiven.  Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed.  The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective.” (James 5:13-16)

“This righteousness is given through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe.  There is no difference between Jew and Gentile, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and all are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Jesus Christ.” (Romans 3:22-24)

Praise God:

  • that He put Jeremy in complete remission (< 5% blasts and negative MRD)
  • that Jeremy’s counts recovered well from this last round
  • that Jeremy’s skin biopsy site continues to heal and looks good
  • that Jeremy did not encounter any fevers or infection while home
  • the infections encountered during treatment were treated and lifted without any serious complications
  • that Jeremy did not encounter any fungal or yeast infections
  • that Jeremy ate relatively well and was able to stay off IV nutrition
  • that He protected Jeremy’s heart, liver, and kidneys for the last round of treatment
  • that Jeremy has been tolerating the dressing changes without too much irritation or itchiness
  • that Alice and I continue to be healthy to care for the boys
  • that baby brother continues to grow and kick about
  • that, so far, around 1,200 (unofficial count) have registered to be bone marrow donors at drives for Jeremy

Please continue to pray (new/updated items in bold):

  • that God would continue to use this situation for His glory
  • that we would be obedient to God’s plans for this situation
  • that we would continue to cast our worries and fears on the Lord, that we would fix our eyes on Him
  • that we would continue to be reminded of God’s greatness and provision, that we would wait on Him, and that we would not allow fear to creep in
  • that we would rejoice in the moments that God gives us
  • that God would provide full and complete healing and total health for Jeremy
  • that God would provide with the whole process of finding a bone marrow match, the risks of transplant, and the anxiety of it achieving long-term remission for Jeremy
  • that word would continue to get out about the need for a perfect bone marrow match and that one would be found for Jeremy
  • that Jeremy’s little brother would be a match and that there would be a sufficient volume of cells in the cord blood to qualify for a good transplant
  • that everyone who needs to be involved in the cord blood collection would be diligent and the collection and processing would go smoothly
  • that Jeremy will not experience any stomach pains
  • that Jeremy will not encounter any life threatening side effects
  • that Jeremy would not have any brain, liver, lung, kidney, pancreatic, heart, or any other type of organ damage as a result of the chemo
  • that God would continue to protect Jeremy’s heart from the lasting effects of the new medication (mitoxantrone)
  • that God would protect Jeremy from any bacterial, yeast, or fungal infections
  • that there wouldn’t be any more line infections and that we wouldn’t need to replace it at any point during Jeremy’s treatments
  • that God would protect Jeremy’s kidneys and liver from the medications he will receive during this block of treatment
  • that God would continue to protect Jeremy’s central line and there would be no additional infections as a result of it
  • that Jeremy would sleep well during this round of treatment
  • that Alice and I would not get sick in order to care for our family
  • that God would protect Alice and baby brother from all the emotional stress
  • that baby brother would be full term before deciding that he wants out
  • for adjustment for all of us when we welcome baby brother into the family
  • that baby brother’s birth would be free of complications and that it would be quick and easy
  • that Alice would recover quickly
  • that baby brother would nurse easily and sleep well
  • for our neighbors who are also enduring trials of their own
  • for our parents – that they would have rest and place their trust in Jesus
  • that God would give us wisdom in teaching Jeremy in the hospital environment
  • that we would be witnesses of God’s love and grace to our neighbors and the medical staff