Happy New Year (and the 2 year anniversary of diagnosis)

Happy New Year Prayer Warriors,
Thanks for the prayers. We really need them. We just got back from the clinic. Erin's liver enzymes are still up but they said it would take a couple of weeks to get everything under control. Her other numbers looked good. Erin feels like she has been beat up with a baseball bat. Her skin is very sensitive and itchy. They are checking muscle enzymes to see if it is her skin or her muscles that is causing that feeling. They labeled it "Acute GVH" even though she is outside the 100 days that we were so concerned about. Please pray it all settles down quickly so she can get off of these steroids. The steroids keep her awake at night. Last night she was up til 3 a.m. That is no fun when your body is exhausted. They have added a sleeping pill to her bucket-o-pills. Hope it works. We are so thankful she still has energy to play and an appetite to eat. God is good. Thanks again for the prayers for her continued recovery. 2010 should be a great year!! Hope you all have a Happy New Year! We love you, janet

"I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh. And I will put my Spirit in you and move you to follow my decrees and be careful to keep my laws. You will live in the land I gave your forefathers; you will be my people and I will be your God." Ezekiel 36:26-68

Let's start the New Year right!! Amen

1st weekly update

Merry Christmas Prayer Warriors,
I know it has been a long wait since our last conversation. This weekly update was hard for me to wait on too. We just got back from the clinic and they told Erin she has Graft vs. Host. She is itchy but no rash and her mouth is sensitive and dry. The real tell tale sign was that her liver enzymes are up. Graft vs Host on a small scale is not a bad thing because that means she is also getting graft vs. leukemia which is the whole point of having a transplant. Basically, since her liver sustained a "trauma" during her bout of VOD back in aug/sept, it has been trying to recover slowly. In the meantime, it hasn't been metabolizing her immunosuppressant drug very quickly. so they had her on a very small dose. Now that her liver is starting to recover, it is metabolizing her medicine faster and so the level has dropped enough to stir up the GVH response. All that to say, they are putting her on steroids and doubling her immunosuppressant to get everything stabilized for now. Of course, any news like this is hard to understand and have to deal with 2 days before Christmas. We praise God that He is in control as always!!! Please pray for Erin's liver to recover and do what it is supposed to do. Also please pray that Erin shakes off this news and is ready to Rock and Roll for Christmas! We also ask you to pray for our friend Megan who is also suffering from GVH at this time. Thanks as always for the prayers. We pray that you all have a blessed Christmas! love, janet

"And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, "Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. Today in the town of David a savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord. This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger." Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying, "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on whom his favor rests." Luke 2:8-14

Wed 9 days til Christmas

Hello Prayer Warriors,
Thanks for your prayers!! Erin is doing fine and so is Bill. We just got back from Bill's surgery and he did great. Good thing Erin feels better enough to help me with him. Isn't God's timing perfect that way! Amanda suggested I start blogging just once a week since things are so much better. Sounds like a plan. I will try to wean myself off. I am sort of co-dependent on this blog and your prayers. But isn't that the best blessing to be at this point in Erin's recovery!! Woo Hoo. Merry Christmas!! janet

"If you keep your feet from breaking the Sabbath and from doing as you please on my holy day, if you call the Lord's holy day honorable, and if you honor it by not going your own way and not doing as you please or speaking idle words, then you will find your joy in the Lord, and I will cause you to ride on the heights of the land and to feast on the inheritance of your father Jacob." The mouth of the Lord has spoken.

Tues 10 days til Christmas

Blessings Prayer Warriors,
Thanks for the prayers. Erin is feeling fine today. She ended up using the bucket last night. I don't know if it was the salad she ate or the fact that I was bragging yesterday about her not using the bucket in a while. I think it was just a random thing, nothing big going on. But rest assured, I shall not say another word about the bucket. Erin's friend Jenna brought by some things full of corn and rice that one of her church members made for Erin. You microwave them to warm them up and they stay warm a long time so you can snuggle with them. Just putting it out there for the committee at large, for any objections before we let her use them. We got slammed on the electric blanket, so I want to be sure. I will use the microwave and run, as usual. I won't let her near it. How's that sound? Heaven knows I am trying everything to keep her warm and safe at the same time.
Bill's surgery got changed to 1:45 in case your prayers are time specific. Thanks in advance. blessings on your day, janet

"As a mother comforts her child, so will I comfort you; and you will be comforted over Jerusalem." Isaiah 66:13

Monday - 11 days til Christmas

Hello Prayer Warriors,
Thanks for the prayers. Please add Bill to your list for this week, he is having foot surgery on Wed at 3:30. Erin is doing great, a little headache, a little stomach ache, but great comparatively speaking! We just took a trip to the mall. She says the mall misses her and the economy fell because she wasn't allowed to shop, so she is making up for lost time. Hope you are enjoying the Christmas Spirit. Blessings, janet

"One man pretends to be rich, yet has nothing; another pretends to be poor, yet has great wealth." Proverbs 13:7

That's a thinker!

Sunday - 12 days til Christmas

Blessings Prayer Warriors,
Thanks for the prayers. Erin is doing well today. She is just spending the day under the warm blanket hiding from the cold dreary day outside. Hopefully tomorrow will be warmer so she can get out and about some more. There are always last minute shopping details to take care of and with school letting out in a week, this IS our last minute. We took our Christmas photo last night but Amanda and Kyle were otherwise engaged and missed it. So they got the boot from the annual photo. It is sorta sad but they are doing their own thing for Christmas photos, what with their own dog and everything. Feels like our census is low. The times, they are a-changing. hugs, Nostalgic in Dacula

"In those days Caesar Augustus issued a decree that a census should be taken of the entire Roman world. (This was the first census that took place while Quirinius was governor of Syria.) And everyone went to his own town to register. So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem the town of David, because he belonged to the house and line of David. " Luke 2:1-4

Sat- Just 13 days til Christmas

Hello Prayers Warriors,
Thanks for the prayers. Erin is doing well this morning. She is busy getting ready for Christmas. Aren't we all? We just need to remember how blessed we are to be able to freely celebrate God! Bill and Laura are off to get their swine flu shots at the mall. Not much else happening, thank the Good Lord!! Praise God from whom all blessings flow. hugs, janet

"As a prisoner for the Lord, then, I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received. Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace. There is one body and one Spirit - just as you were called to one hope when you were called = one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all." Ephesians 4:1-6

Friday

Hello Prayer Warriors,
Thanks for the prayers! Erin had a good day yesterday and is looking forward to another good day today. She is trying to get all her running around done before school gets out so she can avoid crowds. Praise God she is able to get out and do things. Speaking of getting out, if any of you in the local area are out to the mall area this weekend, they are giving free swine flu shots at Mall of Ga upstairs by William Sonoma all day Sat and Sun. If you get the flu mist variety, please stay away from Erin. She can only be near folks that get the shot. Sorry. But I think it is a great idea to give them free at the mall, lots more folks will get immunized that way. Hope you have a great weekend. hugs, janet

"Taste and see that the Lord is good; blessed is the man who takes refuge in him. Fear the Lord, you his saints, for those who fear him lack nothing. The lions may grow weak and hungry, but those who seek the Lord lack no good thing. Come, my children, listen to me; I will teach you the fear of the Lord. Whoever of you loves life and desires to see many good days, keep your tongue from evil and your lips from speaking lies. Turn from evil and do good; seek peace and pursue it." Psalm 34:8-14

Thurs

Dear Prayer Warriors,
Thanks as always for your prayers. We are still walking on cloud nine! Erin feels pretty good but didn't sleep well last night. too much excitement maybe. I just Thank God every single minute for His blessing!
A clarification on the electric blanket. As soon as the blog was posted, my Mom ran over to say NO electric blankets. Apparently they cause electromagnetic fields that are bad for you. So back to the store it goes. Grandmommy brought along a very hot blanket my grandmother made many years ago and that is now keeping Erin toasty.
Praise God for toasty blankets and blessings to also keep our hearts warm this winter. hugs, janet

"Delight yourself in the Lord and he will give you the desires of your heart." Psalm 37:4

AMEN

Wednesday

Thank you all for your wonderful support. We are so excited about our great news. God has been so faithful throughout this journey to keep us uplifted by your prayers and encouragement. What a wonderful faith community we have!! Blessings on you all for your prayers! We just got back from the clinic and had a good visit as expected. The Dr confirmed that all the results are great. HER BIOPSY IS SQUEEKY CLEAN! We are still absorbing the impact of that awesome report. Erin's magnesium is still on the low side but that is what they expect until we get off of immune suppresants. They will start decreasing her prograf in January and see how she does at that point. We just danced around the clinic today with big smiles. Thank you Lord!! Now that we got our gift, let Christmas begin! love, janet

"Thanks be to God for his indescribable gift!" 2 Corinthians 9:15

Tues/ BIG UPDATE!!

Blessings Prayer Warriors,
Thanks for your prayers. We have our appt tomorrow to get the rest of the results. Please pray for the cleanest possible results. Erin is doing well today, just very tired. We went out to Target today and got her an electric blanket. She is chilly to her bones 24/7 and wears several layers of clothing and 2-3 blankets all around the house. Lately since it has gotten cold, she lays on the floor in front of the fire and can't get away. You know how that goes, once you are toasted on one side, all you want to do is toast the other side and start over. Bill and I are comfortable, it's not like we live in the ice house, she is just so skinny and has no fat to keep her warm. Hopefully she will stay warmer now under her electric blanket. We are anxious to get our results tomorrow and will let you know as soon as we get home. hugs, janet

"And our hope for you is firm, because we know that just as you share in our sufferings, so also you share in our comfort." 2 Corinthians 1:7

BIG NEWS!! The nurse from Emory just called and said everything is NEGATIVE!! I asked if they did the FISH studies and they said they didn't need to because there was NOTHING to look at!! Thank you Jesus!! Praising God with all we have!! Thank you SO much for your prayers!! God is faithful and Erin is cancer free! Halleluia!

Monday

Dear Prayer Warriors,
Thanks for the prayers. Erin is doing well, off and about again today, visiting. Gotta love it after all she's been through. We have not heard the final details about the biopsy but did get another call from the nurse saying that the info they have so far is good. They are just waiting on the FISH studies to come back. That provides the most important details they need to assess. We will let you know when we know. Erin is doing great, Praise God, at weaning off of her meds. I am hoping to be completely off of one by tomorrow and start weaning the next one on Wed. She doesn't want me to be in any hurry but she feels so good right now, I like getting rid of the extra medications. Please pray for energy, good magnesium levels, and no germs from all her outings. Thanks and blessings, janet

"We wait in hope for the Lord; he is our help and our shield. In him our hearts rejoice, for we trust in his holy name. May your unfailing love rest upon us, O Lord, even as we put our hope in you." Psalm 33:20-22

Sunday

Dear Prayer Warriors,
Thanks for the prayers! Erin is doing well this morning. She is successfully weaning off of her pain medicine and for that we are grateful. We are anxiously waiting for Wednesday so we can get the full report on her biopsy. Other than that there is not much to tell. Halleluia! We count you in our blessings daily as you continue to support Erin with your prayers. hugs, janet

"The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands. Day after day they pour forth speech; night after night they display knowledge. There is no speech or language where their voice is not heard. Their voice goes out into all the earth, their words to the ends of the world." Psalm 19:1-4

Tree Day

Good Morning Prayer Warriors,
Thanks for the prayers. Yesterday was a long day waiting on results. We appreciate you waiting with us. We are praising God for good news so far! Hopefully we will have all the rest of the results Wednesday. Today we are going to get our tree. Christmas will be here before you know it and there is so much to do. Blessings on you as you prepare your celebration of Jesus' birth. hugs, janet

"But as for me, I will always have hope; I will praise you more and more. My mouth will tell of your righteousness, of your salvation all day long, though I know not it's measure. I will come and proclaim your righteousness, yours alone. Since my youth, O God, you have taught me, and to this day I declare your marvelous deeds. Even when I am old and gray, do not forsake me, O God, till I declare your power to the next generation, your might to all who are to come." Psalm 71:14-18

Friday with update

Dear Prayer Warriors,
Thanks for the prayers. We don't have any news yet on the biopsy. The practioners are all in New Orleans for a conference. I e-mailed our NP but she hasn't responded yet. We will update today if we hear anything. Erin is doing well. She shopped a little too long yesterday and was pretty wiped out, but she did all her shopping, and that is huge. Today she is at the movies again and out to lunch with a friend. Praise God for a normal Erin, out and about, having fun. Thank you Lord!! We are all on pins and needles waiting for results but trying to be patient and positive. God is calming our hearts every minute. Thank God He is big enough to handle all the details. Heaven knows I can't do it! We love you for your prayers. hugs, janet

"..we have not stopped praying for you and asking God to fill you with the knowledge of his will through all spiritual wisdom and understanding. And we pray this in order that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and may please him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God, being strengthened with all power according to his glorious might so that you may have great endurance and patience, and joyfully giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in the kingdom of light." Colossians 1:9-12

We heard from the NP by e-mail from New Orleans. She said the preliminary report looks good but everything isn't back yet. We will learn the full details next week. Praise God for a great start on the report. It puts our hearts at ease for the weekend. We can rest better knowing it looks good so far. Please continue to pray for the full report to be squeeky clean. Blessings, janet

Thurs

Hello Prayer Warriors,
Thanks for the prayers. Erin is doing pretty good. Considering she is out Christmas shopping, I guess she is o.k. I know her biopsy site is very tender but it takes a lot to stop a shopper on a mission. She slept most of yesterday, o.k. ALL of yesterday. I guess it takes a while for the sedation to catch up to her. Anyway, all is well today. We will let you know if we hear about the biopsy results tomorrow. Our friend Megan got clear results today. That is a huge praise. God is working overtime for these sweet girls. We are thankful for His blessings. May you also be blessed! hugs, janet

"Strengthen the feeble hands, steady the knees that give way; say to those with fearful hearts, 'Be strong, do not fear; your God will come, he will come with vengeance; with divine retribution he will come to save you.'" Isaiah 35:3-4

Biopsy Day

These are the beautiful women who ran the half marathon on Thanksgiving morning. so cool!

Hello Prayer Warriors,
Thanks for the prayers. We just got back from the clinic. Erin's bone marrow biopsy went smoothly. She requested her favorite practitioner to do it and it went fine. She was her usual chatty self through the whole procedure. I could hear through the door that she was telling stories on other practitioners and other incidents that have happened to her at Emory. She just talks up a storm when they give her sedation. She actually doesn't get "sedated" at all. It is so funny. When they came out of the procedure room I asked if she gave them all my bank account info too. Yikes! They may have results as early as Fri and they said we could e-mail them to ask. Otherwise we have to wait until next Wednesday's appt. Good news is that her magnesium was up to the lowest end of normal so she gets to decrease her magnesium from 4/day to 3/day. Praise God for small favors! She also got the o.k. to drive today! That is huge for Erin. Now that she feels so much better, she has places to go, people to see. Thanks for keeping us in your prayers today. Please continue to pray for sterling results. God is all over this! Blessings, janet

"You will keep in perfect peace him whose mind is steadfast, because he trusts in you. Trust in the Lord forever, for the Lord, the Lord, is the Rock eternal." Isaiah 26:3-4

WOW!

Dec 1

Dear Prayer Warriors,
Wow, can you believe it is already December? Time flies, even when it crawls! We are praising God for another month of recovery checked off of our first year. Erin was feeling pretty good this morning until she ate lunch. Her cravings don't often match her stomach's tolerance. French bread pizza was not a hit. She has been doing some on-line shopping and planning her next adventure out in the world. I think she is going to see New Moon for the 3rd time this afternoon. What is it about sparkly pale vampires and hairy werewolves? We had her test drive her car last night, about a mile. I think she is safe to go out and about short distances. She is excited to get to drive again. Probably more excited to get out alone instead of being chauffeured everywhere. So that is another praise. Hope your day is going great. Thanks for the prayers. hugs, janet

"Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. These commandments that I give you today are to be upon your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates." Deuteronomy 6:4-9

Monday

Dear Prayer Warriors,
Thanks for the prayers. Erin is having a good day, just taking it easy after a busy weekend. Her nausea seems to be getting so much better. Hopefully after we get through this biopsy on Wed., we can drop a couple more pills off the list. Please pray for her magnesium level and her biopsy.

You all are such a blessing to us, I can't begin to tell you how comforting it is to know you are praying every day for her recovery. I know the daily update gets boring, but frankly I praise God that we are finally in the boring part of the recovery!! hugs, janet

"What other nation is so great as to have their gods near them the way the Lord our God is near us whenever we pray to him?...Only be careful, and watch yourselves closely so that you do not forget the things your eyes have seen or let them slip from you heart as long as you live." Deuteronomy 4:7,9

Sunday

Hello Prayer Warriors,

Thanks for the prayers. We just got back from Fl, visiting Bill's Mom and the rest of the Blonshine clan. We got to see 2 new additions to the family, so that was very fun. Erin did great with the long trip, except for the Burger King incident! We got very little beach time because it was very windy and very cold there. We managed to stick our feet in the sand and one toe in the water. Very native of us. All the Canadians were out in their swimsuits running around and playing in the pool. Crazy Snowbirds!

Prayer requests for this week include her bone marrow biopsy on Wednesday, the procedure and the results of course, and her magnesium level. Thanks for your continued faithfulness to pray us through this ordeal. We love you, janet

"May the God who gives endurance and encouragement give you a spirit of unity among yourselves as you follow Christ Jesus, so that with one heart and mouth you may glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ." Romans 15:5-6

Sat 11/28

Hello Prayer Warriors,
Thanks for the prayers. Today has been pretty good so far. Unfortunately, Erin had a headache last evening that led to an upset stomach. It may have been from eating Burger King for lunch. I admit I didn't feel so hot after that either. We should know better!! Erin went to bed at 7 and felt pretty good this morning after 14 hours of sleep. Who wouldn't! Hopefully the rest of her weekend will be better. We are so thankful for every minute she does feel well. God is good!

Go Dawgs! love, janet

"God is working in you to help you want to do and be able to do what pleases Him." Phil 2:13

Friday

Hello Prayer Warriors,
Thank you for your prayers. Erin is having a good day despite not getting to shop on her favorite shopping day of the year. The sales are so tempting but the crowds are not. Hope you all are finding good deals and stimulating the economy for us. We are praising God for the blessings of health and happiness today. hugs, janet

"Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good, his love endures forever." 1 Chronicles 16:34

Thanksgiving

Happy Thanksgiving Prayer Warriors,
Thanks for the prayers. We are very thankful for an awesome Thanksgiving! The race was so cool. 15,000 people at O'dark hundred wrapped in plastic bags running a marathon or a half marathon! And we were there to cheer them on! The Team in Training was there in full force, running for the cure for Leukemia! Thank you Lord for the faithful athletes who raised money and ran. Jana and Erin did a great job! Jana even called Erin on her cell phone as she was getting close to the finish line so they could "cross the finish line" together. Boy did that cause a flood. They didn't end up getting on TV but, they were still our heroes and they definitely looked like Rock Stars! Thank you ladies!! It was cool to be there with our other Leukemia/Lymphoma society marathon runner from last year. Denise ran last year in San Diego. It was like we were getting to support her too in retrospect.
Erin enjoyed her Turkey dinner, both times! She has really had a some good days recently and we love it! Praise God for His perfect timing in all things. Hope you have had a blessed day. We love you, janet

P.S. We are thankful for confetti too. Nothing says "i love you" like a suitcase full of confetti. It lives forever!

Give thanks to the Lord, call upon His name, make known His deeds among the people."
1 Corinthians 16:8

Wed

Happy Day Before Thanksgiving Prayer Warriors,

First I have to say Happy Birthday Jo! Yes, you are my favorite sister!!

Erin had a good evening last night. She is understandably sore from her procedure, Today she is off to the movies again after a baggy-free shower. We are so thankful to see her do normal things! Hope you are having fun with your Thanksgiving preparations and hope you have a blessed day tomorrow. love, janet

"For everything God created is good and nothing is to be rejected if it is received with thanksgiving, because it is consecrated by the work of God and prayer." 1Timothy 4:4

Central Line OUT!!

Dear Prayer Warriors,
Thanks for the prayers. Erin just got her line out and everything went fine. She is now sleeping off the sedation. Thank you Lord!! She is looking forward to being able to take a shower without a baggie attached to her. And I am excited not to have to do dressing changes and line flushes all the time. Ahhhh, Freedom!! We are thankful.
Apparently Erin and her friends Erin Lace and Jana Bearden are going to be on 11 Alive News on Thanksgiving morning. The Leukemia/Lymphoma Society's Team in training is participating in the race on Thanksgiving morning and they found out about Jana and Erin running in Erin's honor. They are going to interview them for the show. So tune in and see if they look like movie stars. We are so humbled by the gift of their participation in this fundraiser. It is awesome to know they put in all the training and energy into this because of Erin. Help us pray that the researchers can find the cure we all so desperately need. Thank you Jana and Erin! Words cannot express our appreciation! Go Team Erin Blonshine!! love, janet

"Come. let us sing for joy to the Lord; let us shout aloud to the Rock of our salvation. Let us come before him with thanksgiving and extol him with music and song. For the Lord is the great God, the great King above all gods. In his hand are the depths of the earth, and the mountain peaks belong to him. The sea is his, for he made it, and his hands formed the dry land. Come, let us bow down in worship, let us kneel before the Lord our Maker; for he is our God and we are the people of his pasture, the flock under his care." Psalm 95:1-7

DAY 100!!!!!!

Halleluia for Day 100!! Hello Prayer Warriors,
Thank you for praying us all the way to day 100. It is a huge milestone in terms of recovery. We just got back from the clinic and they were not able to fit her in to get her line out today. They have scheduled her for 8 a.m. tomorrow at Wesley Woods. She is bummed they didn't get it done today but very excited to get it out before Thanksgiving. Her magnesium level came up from 1.1 to 1.4, so that is great. 1.6 is the low end of normal so we are getting there. Unfortunately she had to use the bucket of opportunity when we got home. It is just part of the process I guess. We can't give everything up at once! She also lost another 4.5 pounds. What is that all about?? She is seriously "Twiggy" now. Please continue to pray for her line removal procedure, her nausea and her numbers. Thanks and we wish you all a Very Thankful Thanksgiving! Praising God for His rich blessings! love, janet

"Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom, and as you sing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God. And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him." Colossians 3:15-17

D

+99 WooHoo

Happy Sabbath Prayer Warriors,
Thanks for the prayers. Erin had a good day yesterday and is enjoying a rainy day inside today. We have praises again. She is doing great without her scopolamine patch and we reduced her nausea med from 3 pills a day to 2 and she did great. Thank you Lord!! She is still on the smallest amount of pain medicine and after her line gets out and things settle down, we will try to get rid of that too. Please pray that her magnesium level is back to normal. She is really struggling taking 6 huge mag pills a day. They said once her prograf started to come down, she wouldn't burn up as much magnesium. Let's hope each day brings less pills and more energy. Bless you for your prayers. We are thankful! janet

"I always thank my God as I remember you in my prayers, because I hear about your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all the saints. I pray that you may be active in sharing your faith, so that you will have a full understanding of every good thing we have in Christ. Your love has given me great joy and encouragement, because you, brother, have refreshed the hearts of the saints." Philemon: 4-7

Sat Day +98

Happy Saturday Prayer Warriors,
Thanks for the prayers. Erin had a good day yesterday. She saw her movie and then topped it off with some food network. That was a full day. She is doing well today, supervising her Father's yard work. Sorry this is late, but I got waylaid by my sister, then by Bill and one of his projects. I am happy to focus on other things for a change. Erin did get a chance to walk outside on this, another beautiful day. Praise God! We are anxious to get her line out on Monday but as of yet, we don't have an appt. I guess a lot of people are trying to get procedures done before the Thanksgiving holiday. Please pray for decreased nausea and no motion sickness. We decided yesterday to stop her scopolamine patch and so far, she is doing well without it. Hope you are having a great weekend. hugs, janet

"I delight greatly in the Lord; my soul rejoices in my God. For he has clothed me with garments of salvation and arrayed me in a robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom adorns his head like a priest, and as a bride adorns herself with her jewels. For as the soil makes the sprout come up and a garden causes seeds to grow, so the Sovereign Lord will make righteousness and praise spring up before all nations." Isaiah 61:10-11

Friday

Dear Prayer Warriors,
Thanks for the prayers. Erin's day yesterday started with 2 visits to the "bucket" but she ended up feeling pretty good. She even walked outside in the afternoon. Today she is up early and we are on our way to the movies. We have to go to the morning movies to avoid the crowds. Praising God for reasons to get up in the morning, even if it is a vampire movie. Please pray for no nausea and increased energy. Have a blessed day. love, janet

"Be on your guard; stand firm in the faith; be men of courage; be strong. Do everything in love." 1 Corinthains 16:13-14

Thursday

Good Morning Prayer Warriors,
Thanks for the prayers. Unfortunately, the dimple forecast was not accurate yesterday. Erin did not end up having a good day. She had a stomach ache and felt sort of dizzy all day. She forced herself to eat dinner but was nauseous all night from it. I wish I could pinpoint what is causing this setback, but it's impossible. Please pray for a better day. I was really hoping we had turned the corner. But we will still praise God for the 6 days we had and strive to have a longer run next time. It would sure be nice to have a run of good days for Thanksgiving. Please pray also for discernment about getting her line out on Monday. We wanted to get it out before the holidays but if she is still puny, we might better wait. Give us wisdom Lord! love, janet

"If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given him. And when he asks, he must believe and not doubt, because he who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind." James 1:5-6

Wed

Woo Hoo Prayer Warriors,
One week of feeling good in a row! Praise God from whom all blessings flow! Erin had a good day yesterday. She just hung around the house but she felt good. She didn't sleep too good last night but that may be because we are still weaning her long acting pain medicine. We also changed the type of magnesium she takes. One of the those things probably caused a little stomach upset, not to mention the prograf level decreasing. Even so, I think today will be a good day too. It is all relative to months of crummy days. Perspectives change! If I can illicit a dimple when I wake her up in the morning, I consider that awesome. Thank you Lord for dimples!! Please pray for easy transitions for all of her medicine changes, a calm stomach and energy to exercise so she can get her muscles back. Thanks as always for your prayers. There is power in prayer!! Amen! We love you, janet

"Is any one of you in trouble? He should pray. Is anyone happy? Let him sing songs of praise. Is any one of you sick? He should call the elders of the church to pray over him and anoint him with oil in the name of the Lord. And the prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well; the Lord will raise him up. If he has sinned, he 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 man is powerful and effective." James 5:13-16

Tues

Hello Prayer Warriors,
So far so good. We are hoping for 6 good days in a row. Erin had a good afternoon yesterday. Of course she slept, after such a big morning in the clinic. But still, no "bucket" is a victory in my book. She also had a good night except for some muscle cramps. That may be related to the low magnesium or the fact that we stopped the posi. Who knows. We are just praising God for status quo right now. I forgot to tell you, yesterday was the first time she hadn't lost weight in a few weeks. She didn't gain, but she did hold her own. Now that she can eat, we just have to work on getting some muscle back on her. Her hair is definitely staging a comeback. We are pretty happy around here with all the blessings. Thanksgiving will be full of thanks!! Bless you for your prayers. hugs, janet

"Listen, O heavens, and I will speak; hear, O earth, the words of my mouth. Let my teaching fall like rain and my words descend like dew, like showers on new grass, like abundant rain on tender plants. I will proclaim the name of the Lord. Oh, praise the greatness of our God! He is the Rock, his works are perfect, and all his ways are just. A faithful God who does no wrong, upright and just is he." Deuteronomy 32:1-4

Woo Hoo Day +93

Good Job Prayer Warriors,
Erin is on day 5 of feeling good in a row!! We just got back from the clinic. They said she is doing great and they said she can stop taking posi!! Do you know how much she hates taking posi? Thank you Lord!! It is a huge blessing to get off of that medicine. They also said we can stop the home IV fluids and see how she does. Because of the interaction of prograf and posi, her prograf level will drop with the end of the posi. This might stir up some graft vs. host, so we will be on the lookout for that. Remember they said a little GVH is good because along with that you get graft vs. leukemia and that is a great thing. So many details to understand and watch. Let me just make it simple, praise God for taking care of Erin and ask for His continued care. He knows all the details and is already working on them.
Blessings, janet

Jesus said, "I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life." John 8:12

Sunday

Happy Sabbath Prayer Warriors,
Bless you for your faithfulness in prayer! Erin is on her fourth day in a row of feeling good. Thank you Lord!! She walked outside again yesterday, dressed like it's a blizzard, right beside Bill who was in shorts. What a beautiful Indian Summer we are having. It has been a special treat for Erin's good days to be able to get out and enjoy the weather. The fall color has been fantastic too. I am feeling better today, probably from the left-over antibiotics I am taking. But I thank God that He provided those left overs for me, for just this occasion. So, as you can see (read), we are doing o.k. Praise Be! Please continue to pray for Erin's stomach, God is definitely listening! blessings, janet

"... Therefore be clear minded and self-controlled so that you can pray. Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers a multitude of sins. Offer hospitality to one another without grumbling. Each one should use whatever gift he has received to serve others, faithfully administering God's grace in its various forms." 1 Peter 4:7-10

Sat

Hello Prayer Warriors,
Thanks for the prayers. Erin is having a good day so far and had a good day yesterday. Dare I say that makes 3 in a row? Can it be a trend? Praise God for that hope. We are still weaning meds and are grateful to say God is blessing that process too.
Thanks for the prayers for me as well. I am still feeling under the weather and am trying to stay on the opposite side of the house from Erin. Please pray that I haven't and won't give her any germs.
Have a great weekend and as always, GO DAWGS!!
love, janet

"May the God who gives endurance and encouragement give you a spirit of unity among yourselves as you follow Christ Jesus, so that with one heart and mouth you may glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ." Romans 15:5-6

Fri Day +90

Happy Friday Prayer Warriors,
Thanks for the prayers. Erin had a really good day yesterday. She ate normal and walked outside to enjoy the beautiful day. It was so good to see her being Erin. Praise God!! I hope we have reached a turning point for her nausea. Wouldn't that be wonderful? Just in time for Thanksgiving, her favorite meal. We certainly have a ton of blessings to be thankful for this year. And believe me, you are all on our list. I don't know what we would do without all of your prayers holding us up. We are eternally grateful.
Erin has no big plans for today except to enjoy whatever she can. She is not really up yet to determine her stomach status, but I hope it is just like yesterday! Unfortunately I woke up with a sore throat so Grandmommy is over here on duty for Erin and I am gonna make myself scarce. I am hoping it is just a scratchy throat from painting yesterday. Please pray it is nothing contagious. Blessings on your day and weekend. hugs, janet

"Give thanks to the Lord, call on his name; make known among the nations what he has done. Sing to him, sing praise to him; tell of all his wonderful acts. Glory in his holy name; let the hearts of those who seek the Lord rejoice. Look to the Lord and his strength; seek his face always." Psalm 105:1-4

Thursday

Happy Thursday Everyone,
Thanks for the prayers. Erin had a double throw up day yesterday. Not a good thing. Of course I was on a quick errand both times. Oh the Mother guilt!! Maybe she is trying to tell me something.... like don't leave me or else!! We are hoping for a better day today. I don't plan on any errands, so maybe her stomach will be quiet for a change. When will it end?? This nausea is so, what's the word...blech! Anyway, I am hopeful that she will have relief soon. Please pray for her nausea to go away. I know I am like a broken record asking for this prayer but perseverance produces character and character produces hope and hope will not disappoint us. May we all be full of character instead of just being characters! We love you, janet

"Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God. Not only so, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us." Romans 5:1-5

Wed Day +88

Good Morning Prayer Warriors,
Thanks for the prayers! Erin had an o.k. day yesterday. She hung out in front of the T.V. and chilled, literally. She had a friend to hang out and watch movies with, so it was a lazy day. Unfortunately she fell asleep at 6:30 and didn't really get up, even for Biggest Loser! So she missed her walking, but there is always today. I don't know if the Reglan is helping but it isn't hurting so far, and that is a praise! Hopefully today she will have a little more energy. Her stomach doesn't feel too great this morning and she is again taking it easy. But she did say today that overall she feels better than she did 2 weeks ago. Thank God He shows her those kind of perspectives to hold on to when things are so slow to change. Every little bit is a glimmer of hope that tomorrow will be even better. What a gracious God we serve. Blessings, janet

"Brothers, as an example of patience in the face of suffering, take the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord, As you know, we consider blessed those who have perserved. You have heard of Job's perserverance and have seen what the Lord finally brought about. The Lord is full of compassion and mercy." James 5:10-11

Rainy Tues

Hello all,
Thanks for the prayers. Erin is having a snuggly rainy day with a whole lot of blankets. They said she would have a very cold winter because the chemo basically messes with your thermostat. Anyway, she is feeling o.k. so far today. She walked yesterday and ate some soup for dinner. No side effects yet from the Reglan although we are keeping a close eye on her. Thanks to all you super prayer partners out there keeping the hotlines to Heaven busy. We love you for that! hugs, janet

"Be strong and take heart, all you who hope in the Lord." Psalm 31:24

Monday Day +86

Hello Prayer Warriors,
Good job on all the prayers. Erin had a really good day yesterday. She was awake for 12 hours. We are praising God for an almost normal Erin. She hasn't been awake for 12 hours in 5 months!! She is always so tired, she usually requires 2-3 naps a day, just like a baby. It was incredible. Then she had a bad bout of nausea in the night, so it soured our victory a little. Today we went to the clinic and got a bunch of questions answered. They are going to start her on some Reglan to see if it helps her nausea. We thought she was allergic to it because in the hospital, she got a hot flush when they gave it to her. But we are willing to try the pill form to see if it helps. We also found out we can have a live Christmas tree this year. That is a praise too. We are going to hang on to her central line until these stomach issues are under control but that is o.k. with us. The daily IV fluids are such a help when she is nauseous. Her numbers looked good but her magnesium is still really low. That is also in the IV fluids. The only number I don't like is the continued weight loss. She is down 25 lbs from where she started. That's too much. O.K. Warriors, you have your assignments. Conquer the enemy with your faith! We want no more nausea, no more weight loss, normal magnesium levels and more energy! Go Team! Seriously, thank you from the bottom of our hearts for your compassion and prayers! hugs, janet

"Shout for joy, O heavens; rejoice, O earth; burst into song, O mountains! For the Lord comforts his people and will have compassion on his afflicted ones." Isaiah 49:11 AMEN

Sunday Day +85

Happy Sabbath Everyone,
Thank you so much for your prayers!! Erin was able to go to the dinner at church last night but only made it through half the entree. She and Bill went home. I am so sorry she missed the fashion show some of the youth put on and the speaker, our own Ramona. She had fun while she lasted! It was great for her to want to get out and actually attempt it, but by the time she showers and dresses, she's done for the day. She did end up using her bucket when she got home. I don't know if we should blame Bill's driving or what!
Today is a new day and we are praying for God's blessings on her stomach. She ate a couple of bites of brunch. We go to the clinic tomorrow, so we will see what they say. Please pray for God to cover every detail of Erin's needs. We probably don't have a clue what most of them are, we just pray for the obvious things like her energy and her nausea. Thanks for helping with the prayers, it is a constant need. hugs, janet

"Is this not the kind of fasting I have chosen; to loose the chains of injustice and untie the cords of the yoke, to set the oppressed free and break every yoke? Is it not to share your food with the hungry and to provide the poor wanderer with shelter - when you see the naked, to clothe him, and not to turn away from your own flesh and blood? Then your light will break forth like the dawn, and your healing will quickly appear; then your righteousness will go before you , and the glory of the Lord will be your rear guard. Then you will call, and the Lord will answer; you will cry for help, and he will say: Here am I." Isaiah 58:6-9

Sat

Dear Prayer Warriors,
Thanks for the prayers!! We praise God for another day toward good health, even if it is just baby steps. Erin is having a not-so-great morning again. She got up to the wonderful smells of her father cooking breakfast and only ate one bite of toast. Please pray for her stomach, her stomach and her stomach. We have tried everything. She had a piece of pizza last night. I guess that wasn't a good idea, but we have to go with whatever she thinks she can eat at the time. I offered her lentil loaf...I dont' know why she turned her nose up at it.
She is planning on attending a dinner at church tonight, hope she feels up to it. She would enjoy the company, and the opportunity to get out of the house. Until then, it's the couch and the food network. Let's call it culinary therapy.
Blessings on your weekend. Go Dawgs! love, janet

"No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love him" 1Corinthians 2:9

Friday

Hey all,
Thanks for being our prayer warriors. Erin did get to go shopping yesterday but had to sit down in every store. She did great until we got home and then it went south. The rest of the evening was o.k. but it definitely took all her energy to go out of the house. Today is having a questionable start. She is nauseous and taking it slow. I really thought we would have a gradual recovery from this nausea but it just seems to be hanging on. We are now going to start weaning her Oxycontin which is a long acting pain reliever. Maybe it is contributing to her nausea. Please pray for it to let up. Nausea is miserable, especially for months on end!! All you Moms out there can give us an AMEN on that I am sure! The praise with nausea is that as soon as you let it out, you feel better for a while. Small comfort but you have to find something good in everything! Blessings on your day! love, janet

"A cheerful heart is good medicine..." Proverbs 17:22

Thurs Day +82

Hello Warriors,
Thanks for the prayers. Erin is having a good day so far and had a good evening last night. We might even go shopping for an hour or so and see how she does. Nothing like a little retail therapy. She still isn't eating much but she did let me fix her a smoothy with protein powder in it last night. So maybe that has given her a shopping power boost for today. Who knows. We are just thanking God for a good start to the day. Bless you all! Hope you enjoy this beautiful day. love, janet

"Be patient, then, brothers, until the Lord's coming. See how the farmer waits for the land to yield its valuable crop and how patient he is for the autumn and spring rains. You too, be patient and stand firm, because the Lord's coming is near." James 5:7-8

Wed Day +81

Hello Prayer Warriors,

We appreciate your prayers. Erin had a good day for the most part yesterday. We are so thankful for tidbits of fun when we see Erin's dimples and hear her laugh. She really has been amazing throughout this ordeal. She has never felt sorry for herself or mad at God or the world. She just does what she has to do and looks forward to being normal again. That's not to say she hasn't missed being able to jump up and do the things everyone else is able to do, but she just doesn't let anyone around her know it. She maintains an upbeat spirit and keeps us all up with her. And that, my friends, is a gift of the Spirit! It's called peace and she has always had it in abundance. As a matter of fact, being the middle child, she is the peace-maker in the family. I thank God every day for the gifts He has given the girls, because they are a gift to us as well. Peace, janet

P.S. Welcome Baby Wyatt!

"Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again; Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus." Philippians 4:4-7

Tues, Day +80

Hello Prayer Warriors,
Wow 80 days! Seems like you could go around the world in 80 days. Maybe we have, since Erin got an international donor. We definitely have prayers from all around the world! You find out fast how small the world is when you take a journey like this. Thank you all for sending her prayer requests worldwide. It's like surround-sound in heaven! Love that image.
We celebrate each day as a day closer to good health. And frankly, we can't wait to get there! Erin didn't have a very good day yesterday since she felt nauseous all day. She could only eat a bite or two of dinner but she did get on the treadmill. Victory happens one step at a time. We just wish she could get past this nausea and get the nutrition her body needs to heal. She has really been looking forward to the Christmas Season since she marked that as a time when her hair would be "in", her line would be out, and she would be "well" on her way to being done with this nonsense! That will be the best Christmas present of them all. Glory to God!
Hope you have a yummy day, janet

"Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have summoned you by name; you are mine. When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze. for I am the Lord, your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior." Isaiah 43:1-3

Monday Day +79

Blessings All,
We just got back from the clinic. Erin's numbers look good but she threw up in the lobby of the clinic. Luckily, it did not set off a chain reaction among all the other cancer patients. Nausea aside, we got some very happy news. They said if she can taper off of her IV fluids, she can get her central line out before Thanksgiving. And she can wait until after the Thanksgiving holiday to have her biopsy so it doesn't ruin her holiday. We thought that was nice of them! So we are still asking for prayers for nausea, energy and good biopsy results in a few weeks. Thanks in advance for talking to God on Erin's behalf. There is nothing He likes more!! love, janet

P.S. Happy Birthday Aunt Sherry

"Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good. Be devoted to one another in brotherly love. Honor one another above yourselves. Never be lacking in zeal but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord. Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer." Romans 12:9-12

Sunday Nov 1

Blessings Prayer Warriors,
Thanks for the prayers. Erin is doing o.k. today so far. She enjoyed the game or at least 17 pts of it. Unfortunately she did have some stomach upset in the middle of the night. Probably post-game nightmares. She has successfully weaned off of her Dilaudid and for that we are praising God today. She is more alert and ready to get rid of some more pills, if possible. Another praise is that she has been walking on the treadmill! Yeah team!! November is going to be a great month!! She is all ready to get the holidays started! So bring it on. love to all, janet

"For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways," declares the Lord. "As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts. As the rain and the snow come down from heaven, and do not return to it without watering the earth and making it bud and flourish, so that it yields seed for the sower and bread for the eater, so is my word that goes out from my mouth; It will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it." Isaiah 55:9-11

There is power in that knowledge!!

Happy Halloween!

Prayer Warriors,
Thank you for your prayers. Erin is up and off the Dilaudid so far!! Praise God! We weaned it off as gradually as we could. I guess we will know today if she has any withdrawl symptoms. She ate a few bites of dinner last night but not much. Hopefully the tailgate food for the BIG GAME will stimulate her appetite. Go DAWGS!! Not that we don't love our FL friends, but on game day, it's every fan for themselves! Hope you have sweet trick-or-treaters at your doors tonight. Blessings, janet

"Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus." Phil:3:13-14

Friday

Hello Prayer Warriors,
Thanks for the prayers! Erin just got started on her day, so I am not sure yet what kind of day she will have. Yesterday we went to Athens to have lunch with Laura. It was fun but tiring. She did pretty well until just before dinner when she revisited her lunch. That seems to happen every time we eat out or take out from restaurants. I don't know what it is but her stomach only tolerates home cooking. Now, if you know me at all, you know I hate to cook! So that puts alot of pressure on me to "deliver" outside my comfort zone. Actually, it is easier to make vegetarian meals than it is to buy them. I guess I should be thankful that it is not my cooking that makes her nauseous, cuz that could happen!!
Today is a new day and we are praying, as always, for decreased nausea and increased energy. Hope you all have a Happy Halloween! Blessings and Treats! janet


"But godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it. But if we have food and clothing, we will be content with that." 1Timothy:6-8

I think that means, be happy we have food to eat! Amen!

WooHoo +75

Dear Prayer Warriors,
Can you believe it? Day 75! Praise God for bringing us this far! We are happy to report a good day yesterday. Erin didn't throw up once. She slept a good bit and she was able to eat a normal dinner again! She asked for porcupine meatballs and I caved and made them of course. I'm just so happy she ate something! Thank you for your prayers for decreased nausea, God is listening! Our new request for prayer is that we can get Erin off of her pain medicine. She is still on Dilaudid for pain and Ativan for nausea. We have tried several times to wean it off, but we were trying to wean both at the same time. Yesterday we separated them and are trying to phase out just the Dilaudid over the next few days. Hopefully then she will have more awake time to do her walking etc. Erin says she has been very busy growing hair so she hasn't used her energy to walk. However, she really needs to walk so she can get her muscles back. So many prayer requests. It's a good thing we serve the Almighty God, who is more than capable of handling every detail. Blessings, janet

"This is what the Lord says - your Redeemer, The Holy One of Israel; 'I am the Lord your God, who teaches you what is best for you, who directs you in the way you should go.'" Isaiah 48:17

+74

Blessings Prayer Warriors,
We are so comforted by your prayers. Every day we count you among our blessings, knowing you are giving your time to intervene for Erin.
Erin had a much better evening after I wrote you yesterday. She actually ate a reasonable dinner, praise God! We were so relieved and hopeful that her rough days might be lightening up. Her labs were good today and they suggested some rearranging of her pills to keep the nausea down. We are hoping that works! She is going to stay on IV fluids at home for at least another week. They said it might be a little Graft vs. Host causing the nausea. but frankly I don't know, since she has always had it. It just gets worse, then better, then worse again.
I got some extremely good news yesterday about my job. I talked to HR and they said they can extend my personal leave for a full year from my first FMLA date. In other words, I don't have to quit completely, I will just extend my leave and see what's available when I am ready to go back to work. Thank you Lord!! What a relief!
So, you see, God is in the details!! Cool! Hope you are relying on a gracious God to bless the details of your life as well. hugs, janet

"Bring joy to your servant, for to you. O Lord, I lift up my soul. You are forgiving and good, O Lord, abounding in love to all who call to you." Psalm 86:4-5

Tues +73

Blessings, Thanks for the prayers everyone! They are sure needed. Erin is having another yucky day. We were actually up in the mountains this weekend and just got back. It was nice to have such awesome scenery for a change. The leaves were prettier than I have ever seen in GA. Erin spent most of the time on the couch but we did manage to get her on the Smokey Mountain Railroad trip to see the leaves! It was fun. She only slept through the second half. Luckily we didn't see any bears but believe me, I was very vigilant. We saw one in May when we were there and I will definitely be more cautious from now on in the mountains. Please pray for her tummy issues and energy. We will let you know what the Dr says tomorrow. hugs, janet

"He has made everything beautiful in his time. He has also set eternity in the hearts of men; yet they cannot fathom what God has done from beginning to end. I know that there is nothing better for men than to be happy and do good while they live. That everyone may eat and drink, and find satisfaction in all his toil - this is the gift of God. I know that everything God does will endure forever; nothing can be added to it and nothing taken from it. God does it so that men will revere him." Ecclesiastes 3:11-14 WOW!!

Monday

Hello Prayer Warriors,
Thanks for your prayers. I wish I had better news for today, but Erin ended last night with vomiting and started today with vomiting again. It is so discouraging! She is so weak. We are scheduled at the Clinic on Wednesday this week, so hopefully they will have ideas for us. I am really considering asking for IV food again. She is just not getting enough nutrition. Please pray for decreased nausea and increased energy and endurance. Love, janet

Psalm 27: 1-3
"The Lord is my light and my salvation;
Whom shall I fear?
The Lord is the strength of my life;
Of whom shall I be afraid?
When the wicked came against me
To eat up my flesh,
My enemies and foes,
They stumbled and fell.
Though an army may encamp against me,
My heart shall not fear;
Though war may rise against me,
In this I will be confident."

Sunday - Day 71

Blessings on your Sabbath, Erin is having an okay day. A little nausea and not much food but okay. She struggled trying to get much to stay down. It is a vicious cycle/catch 22; meds help the pain and nausea; but if you can't take with food, they hit the bucket. If you eat, it produces nausea and pain which lead to more medicine which makes you sleepy so you don't want to eat. Basically, her stomach is waging war all the time. She tries to get a little energy in but not give her stomach ammunition if you know what I mean. Again, we just praise God she is holding her own and not requiring hospitalization.
We covet your prayers. Love, janet

Mark 12: 28-31
"'Which commandment is first of all?' Jesus answered, 'The first is, "Hear, O Israel: the Lord our God is the only Lord; love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and all your mind, and with all your strength." The second is this: "Love your neighbor as yourself." There is no other commandment greater than these.'"

Good day!

Hello Prayer Warriors,
Erin had a very good day yesterday. Beautiful leaves, lots of games, family fun. Praise God for a good day, she really needed one. Hoping for another good one today. Please pray for energy to enjoy her good days.
Blessings, janet

"Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light." Matt. 11:28-30

Friday 10/23

Dear Prayer Warriors,
Thank you so much, I know I say it every day, but it is always true!! We couldn't make this journey without your daily support. Erin had another rough evening last evening. She tossed her smoothie and her pills a couple of times. Today is a new day though, praise God, and she is feeling o.k. so far. We just take it one hour at a time and so far, so good. Unfortunately, she had plans with friends yesterday that she had to cancel because of her stomach. She doesn't make many plans to see people, so I am always so disappointed for her when she can't do it. Again, it is just frosting on the cake to do the extras, but who doesn't like a little frosting?? Please continue to pray for her energy and stomach. We are on day +69 and excited to hit the 70s. These first 100 days are critical and we can't wait to have them behind us! blessings on your weekend, love, janet

I asked Erin if she had an idea for a scripture for today and she said, "Thou shall not barf!"

"Save me, O God, for the waters have come up to my neck....But I pray to you , O Lord, in the time of your favor; in your great love, O God, answer me with your sure salvation." Psalm 69: 1,13

Psalm 69 for day 69, how cool is that!!

Thursday

Blessings Prayer Warriors,
Thanks for the prayers. Erin had a better night last night than the night before. She was so worn out by her previous 24 hours that she just slept and slept last night. We "nicely coerced" her into drinking a smoothie with protein powder in it to give her a boost. I think it helped. She hadn't eaten more than a couple of bites the last 3 days. Today she has continued to sleep and nap and lie down alot. It takes time to recover from a night like she had! We are hoping she perks up a bit because we have company coming for the weekend and we were hoping to drive up to see the leaves. I guess this is our "new normal" as they say. We take it one day at a time and do what we can with her energy level. We praise God that she is home and can enjoy the simple things, knowing everything else is icing on the cake. No wonder they said the recovery would be a year. Thanks for your continued prayers for energy and decreased stomach pain. One day at a time Sweet Jesus, that's all we're asking from you!

"The Lord said, 'Go out and stand on the mountain in the presence of the Lord, for the Lord is about to pass by.' Then a great and powerful wind tore the mountains apart and shattered the rocks before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind, After the wind there was an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake. After the earthquake came a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire. And after the fire came a gentle whisper." 1Kings 19:11-12

May you hear His whisper calling your name. Blessings, janet

Long day and night

Blessings Prayer Warriors,
Erin had a very rough night, vomiting 10 times. We gave her extra IV fluids in the night to keep her hydrated until we could get to the clinic this morning. They checked her out and gave her some IV meds and more fluids, hopefully breaking the cycle of nausea.
I am praising God for His pointed confirmation of my decision to stop working. This year of recovery will apparently have sudden ups and downs and it is easier to just be here 24/7. It takes the stress off of the whole family, especially me.
Speaking of family, my Dad spent 8 hours in the ER yesterday. He swallowed something that stuck in his throat and he couldn't get it to move. He couldn't cough it up and he couldn't swallow it down. After hours of waiting for his turn in the ER, the food had finally moved before he was seen and he didn't have to have any invasive procedure! Thank you Lord! Sometimes waiting is a good thing.
Well, that's all the news for today. Thanks as always for the prayers!! love, janet

"Yet the Lord longs to be gracious to you; he rises to show you compassion. For the Lord is a God of justice. Blessed are all who wait for him!" Isaiah 30:18 AMEN

Tues 10/20

Dear Prayer Warriors,
Thank you so much for your prayers. Erin is having a tired and yucky day again so far. She has managed to walk on the treadmill the last 2 evenings. She just usually starts the day slowly. Hopefully she will perk up here shortly. Please pray for energy and decreased stomach pain. Yes, she still has stomach pain. Just enough to make it hard for her to eat much and enough to keep her "bucket-of-opportunity" close at hand.
The big news today is that I quit my job. I worked the weekend and got really scared thinking about the potential for germs. Erin is so severely immune compromised that the slightest germ to you and me could quickly put her in the hospital, not to mention the big germs out there. I asked Human Resources if they had anything non-patient related that I could do, but I haven't heard back yet. If they do, then maybe I will work part-time. Who knows. God has provided beautifully every time I have taken time off to care for Erin and I know He will see us through this time as well. Like my friend Ramona said, God longs for us to be 100% dependent on Him. Well, we are, and we are confident He will sustain us and bless us for our commitment to our child and to Him. Blessings on you for your prayers, janet

"Surely God is my help; the Lord is the one who sustains me." Psalm 54:4

Monday +65

Hello Prayer Warriors, Thanks for your prayers!! We just got back from the clinic. Erin's labs look good, they are stopping her steroid today so they said she might have an adjustment to make as far as aches and pains. Also, they are stopping the IV antiviral and starting her pill form again. They want to keep the IV fluids going one more week. So there are always slight adjustments on her meds. The Dr urged Erin to get back on that treadmill to keep up her strength. Erin feels sorta tired and yucky today. No energy. So you know that is our prayer request, that she would get some energy and feel better overall. Thank you for continuing this long long journey with us. I know we keep asking for prayers but it is definitely a ongoing process and we appreciate you hanging in with us for the long haul. God will provide us with the endurance and I know you all will help with the encouragement along the way. Bless you all, janet

"See to it, brothers, that none of you has a sinful , unbelieving heart that turns away from the living God. But encourage one another daily, as long as it is called Today, so that none of you may be hardened by sin's deceitfulness. We have come to share in Christ if we hold firmly till the end the confidence we had at first." Hebrews 3:12-14

Sunday - Day +64

Hi Friends....Bill here again,

What a beautiful Fall Sunday! Erin is feeling better today but very tired. She slept until noon and really only got up then after some prodding on my part. The discomfort yesterday afternoon and evening seemed to settle down after getting her IV meds last night. We are trying to stretch the time between pain meds and I think we may have stretched a little too far yesterday.

Janet survived her first real day back at work yesterday (albeit somewhat shortened which was a blessing) and is back at it today. Please continue to keep her in your prayers as I know it is weighing heavy on her heart to be away from Erin and to be out in the world of germs which she worries about bringing home especially in this heightened Flu season. As it turns out, just as I was getting ready to post this, Janet got home early from work....must have been another slow day in L&D and we are grateful for God's continued blessings!!

Nothing else to report really. We are at day 64 after the transplant and the next major milestone is the bone marrow biopsy around day 100 when we will find out how the new marrow is doing and if any leukemia is present. Thanks for checking in and for continuing to keep Erin in your prayers!

Blessings.....

Bill

"This is the day the LORD has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it."
- Psalms 118:24

Peaceful Saturday

Hello Friends....It's Bill here,

It's been a fairly quiet Saturday. Laura came home to hang out and watch the Dawgs take on Vandy. Janet initially got called off from work this morning but then was called in around 11:00 a.m. We all ran over to see Amanda and Kyle's house decorating changes and new backyard fence. Erin has been doing pretty well although she started having a little stomach pain this afternoon and just had a bout of nausea. We continue to pray for relief for Erin from stomach pain and nausea. [I'm wondering if the ugliness of the first half of the game contributed as I wasn't feeling all that great either. Oh well...an ugly win beats a close loss in our book! (Sorry Davis!)]

The only other news to report is that Erin's hair is starting to come back in which is a big praise! I think we are all anxious to see if there will be any significant changes in color or curliness.

Thanks for checking in and for the awesome prayer support! We are blessed to have you with us on this journey!! We pray God's blessings and peace for each of you this day and always.

- Bill

"Now may the Lord of peace himself give you peace at all times and in every way. The Lord be with all of you." - 2 Thessalonians 3:16

Friday +62

Dear Prayer Warriors,
Thanks so much for your prayers. Erin is having a good day. She is out shopping at the outlet mall with Aunt Jo and Grandmommy. Just a little early Christmas shopping I think. The IVs Erin has been getting have really seemed to help her feel better. That is a huge praise!! It will make this work transition easier. I have to go to work this weekend and am trying to get geared up again. Yesterday was a nice surprise but I know L & D can't stay "Q" too many days in a row. We don't say the "Q" word out loud because then it gets crazy. Thanks for your prayers for my return, they worked great for Thursday, let's keep them up and maybe I won't ever have to go back! Dreaming again...
Hope you all have a great weekend! Blessings, janet

"Trust in the Lord and do good; dwell in the land and enjoy safe pasture. Delight yourself in the Lord and he will give you the desires of your heart." Psalm 37:4

The Lord sure gave me the desire of my heart on Thursday when I didn't have to go to work! Amen!

Thurs

Happy Day Prayer Warriors!
I am home blogging because the census was low at work and they were able to let me stay home. I am floating on air. Erin cried happy tears. I am on call for the rest of the day but I am enjoying my reprieve right now. Halleluia! God knew I needed a gift. Wow!
Erin is doing fine this morning. She was all geared up to hang out with her Grandmommy but she is happy I am home today.
Erin was playing with the nurses on 8E when she was still in the hospital about feeling like she had earned her medical degree since she had spent so much time there. She said she wanted a white coat with her name on it. So when she was ready for discharge the staff pitched in and bought her a white coat. They recently had it embroidered with her name and she was so excited about it that she wore it to her clinic appt. yesterday. What a hoot. Hence the photo. She is definitely a Rockstar in my book. Thanks for celebrating her healing with us. God is a miracle worker...Every day!! Amen. Blessings, janet

"Dear children, let us not love with words or tongue but with actions and in truth. This then is how we know that we belong to the truth, and how we set our hearts at rest in his presence whenever our hearts condemn us. For God is greater than our hearts, and he knows everything." 1John 3:18-20

Thank you Lord for always showing me a new scripture or an old scripture in a new light!!

Wed

Hello Prayer Warriors,
Sorry for another late post (Uncle Rick), but we had a long day at the clinic and out shopping a little. Erin's CMV is back under control and that's great. We just have to finish up the week of home infusions to make sure it's gone. And her prograf is finally leveled out so that is a huge praise!! Hopefully, we are doing fine for me to go back to work. Erin has set up a schedule for all her visitors. Everyone in the family is probably gonna stop by for "some reason" tomorrow while I am gone.
We had an unfortunate incident last night. Erin had a little fall. She ended up with a bruised knee but thankfully nothing serious. The dogs were all trying to go out the door when the door was open and Erin was trying to hold them back and slipped on her long PJ pants. It scared her pretty bad! Some of the meds she is on make her dizzy and off balance, but frankly, 3 big dogs can take anyone down!!
Please pray for our adjustment apart as I return to work. blessings, janet

"Strengthen the feeble hands, steady the knees that give way; say to those with fearful hearts, 'Be strong, do not fear; your God will come, he will come with vengeance; with divine retribution he will come to save you.'" Isaiah 35:3-4

DAY +59

Hello Prayer Warriors,
Thanks for the prayers. Erin is feeling o.k. today so far. She is excited that her pill bucket is less full today. We start home infusions today and are very thankful for that. We appreciate your extra prayers for her nausea. God is listening. So far, I am still planning on going back to work on Thurs. as long as nothing changes and Erin doesn't get readmitted. Ugh, I could fall apart right now if I let myself think about it too much. Self-control is a gift of the spirit I never felt I had, but maybe God has given me a pinch of self-control now to get through this. If only it applied to overeating, speeding and reality TV. HA! Yes, I am a sinner! I guess you can tell by my jokes that Erin is feeling better. Because when Erin feels better, we all feel better. Bless you for your attention to detail in your prayers for her. Each time I ask for a specific need, you all are on it fast. And God's inbox is surely full of the details we all submit by faith. Praise God for His mercy!! love you, janet

"But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is not law....Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit." Galatians 5:22,25

Happy Columbus Day

Happy Columbus Day!
We just got back from the clinic, a very long day. They agreed to give home health a chance before they go to the extreme of readmitting her. They took away 9 of her daily pills and will give her IV fluids and her antiviral IV at home. Isn't that great? Thank you Lord!! She also hasn't thrown up all day. WooHoo! It's the little things that make our day!! As long as she doesn't run a fever and can eat and drink some, I think it will be o.k. We can do all things through Christ who strengthens us. Thanks for the prayers and notes of encouragement. Erin is always amazed at how many people she hears from! It is a humbling experience but also lets us know how wide and long and deep and high is the love of Christ! Amen! blessings on you all, janet

"And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge - that you may be filled to the measure of all the faithfulness of God." Ephesians 3:17-19

Sunday

Dear Prayer Warriors,
We are still in need of prayers. Erin is in her third day of misery. Grandmommy thinks we should get home health to give the bucket of pills IV. Great idea. We will ask at the clinic tomorrow. In the meantime, Erin is really hurting. Please pray!
Love, janet

Psalm 43:5 "Oh my soul, why be so gloomy and discouraged? Trust in God! I shall again praise him for his wondrous help; He will make me smile again, for He is my God!"

Saturday

Blessings all,
Wishing I had better news, but no. Erin has been feeling really crummy. She has been using her bucket of opportunity too often and has stayed in the bed for most of two days now. What a bummer. I think her body is staging a protest over my imminent return to work. I am really struggling with that decision. Please pray for guidance as well as the usual decreased nausea and increased energy.
When I start to get upset about Erin's pain, I get this nudge from the Lord reminding me that she is alive and I should be thankful! We knew this would be a long haul but in our "instant gratification" mentality, it is so hard to wait it out. It's tough to be human. Thank God He is God! As always we love you for praying!
Hugs, janet

"Acknowledge and take to heart this day that the Lord is God in heaven above and on the earth below. There is no other." Deut. 4:39

Friday

Hello Prayer Warriors, Thanks for your prayers. Erin is not having a very good morning. She is still facing her morning bucket of pills. We try not to get discouraged but it seems as if every good day is followed by a not-so-good day. We went out to dinner with Laura last evening. It did not turn out to be a picnic but we did sit outside at the restaurant. Erin always enjoys seeing her sister.
Please continue your prayers for less nausea and increased energy.
Blessings, janet

"Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go." Joshua 1:9

Thursday

Hello Prayer Warriors, thanks for checking in. Erin is having a good day.
Right now she is baking cookies. We are going to picnic in the park for dinner. We are so grateful for a good day. We know you are part of the team and we are grateful for your prayers as well. Please continue to pray for increased energy and decreased nausea. Blessing, Janet

"Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up." Galatians 6:9

Wednesday - Late Post

Hi Friends....it's Bill here,

All is well! I have BLOG duty today and tomorrow and must apologize for the late update, but it was just one of those kind of days!! Erin had a quiet day yesterday. The anti-viral med still makes her tired and she slept a good bit but then did her walking yesterday evening. So that is a praise! She felt good enough to play some games and watch Denzel in "Inside Man" last night. Today, she had some stomach pain and increased her pain meds which caused her to be drowzy again today. She told me that she had a busy day "lounging around". The family is currently attempting to take advantage of her sedated state in a game of cards. We counted up the number of pills she is taking each day in the infamous bucket o'pills and it is a whopping 30! I must say she has come a long way with respect to taking pills since the early days when we had to hide them in the applesauce.

Anyway, not much else to report which is actually good news in itself. Hope you all had a blessed day! Thanks for checking in with us and most of all for the continued prayers!


"Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade--kept in heaven for you, who through faith are shielded by God's power until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time. In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. These have come so that your faith--of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire--may be proved genuine and may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed. Though you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy, for you are receiving the goal of your faith, the salvation of your souls. " - 1 Peter 1: 3-9

Blessings - Bill

Tues

Good Morning Prayer Warriors,
Not much news today. Erin didn't have any energy left after her clinic visit yesterday. She came home and slept all afternoon and had a headache all evening. Not the progress we were hoping for at this point. I guess it is the new medicine. The Dr said she would be on it for 3-4 weeks. She is not looking forward to feeling this tired for the next month. She hasn't been getting her walking done and I will definitely be in trouble for squealing on her when she reads this. It is just so hard to push her when she feels so tired. Please pray for energy and continue to pray for decreased nausea and pain. She is doing well weaning off the pain meds, it is just a slow process. I am still hoping to get her totally off of them in the next week. It will be easier to go back to work if I know she is not too loopy. Thanks for your love and encouragement. It really means a lot to all of us. We are so blessed to have you all praying for Erin. God is good!! hugs, janet

Like newborn babies, crave pure spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow up in your salvation, now that you have tasted that the Lord is good." 1Peter 2:2-3

Monday +51

Hello Prayer Warriors,
Today we went to the clinic and everything is on track. They said the new medicine may be causing extra fatigue and nausea. Just what she needs! Let's just say she didn't dance yesterday. She was on the couch all day with a headache and feeling generally lousy. But today is a new day. After her Dr visit, Erin went to visit all the nurses on 6E and 8E that took care of her. They are always glad to see their former patients doing well. We praise God she is feeling well enough to visit. We just take it one day at a time. Dancing or not, we feel God's grace each day as we see Erin's smile. She takes delight in the little things as she waits on the Lord for the bigger things she wants in the future. Who knows what He has planned for each of us. Hope you have a great day, janet

"For I know the plans I have for you" declares the Lord, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." Jeremiah 29:11

Day 50

Hello Prayer Warriors,
Thanks for the prayers! We are on day +50!! Woo Hoo! That's half way to our first 100 days which will be a milestone! Erin is doing well. She has figured out that her strength is significantly decreased. She was cleaning up her closet and bent down to do something and realized her muscles aren't quite what they used to be. So she is on board with a little more walking etc. She asked the Dr if she could go to the gym and they said a big NO. Too many germy people. She likes the dance classes they offer. I told her we could break out some videos and dance in the living room. She gave me one of "those" looks. I am just praising God she feels like dancing!! That makes me feel like dancing too. Kurt gave her a dance video a while back, I think we will learn some salsa today!!
Hope you all feel a little like dancing too. blessings, janet

"You turned my wailing into dancing; you removed my sackcloth and clothed me with joy, that my heart may sing to you and not be silent. O Lord my God, I will give you thanks forever." Psalm 30:11-12

Sat day 49 GO DAWGS

Hello Prayer Warriors. Praise God for a lovely Saturday!! Erin is feeling better today. We are so grateful she is feeling well enough to enjoy her Bulldawgs. Not much else to say but GO DAWGS!! Thanks for checking in. We are so blessed by your continued prayers. Hugs, janet

"I can do everything through Him who gives me strength." Phil 4:13

FRI day +48

Happy Friday Prayer Warriors,
Thanks for checking in. As it seems to go, we can't get 2 days in a row of "feel good" days. Erin has a stomach ache today. We were hoping to go see Julie/ Julia today but I guess we will have to wait for the DVD. She hopes to feel well tomorrow so she can watch the game. The clinic called today and changed one of her meds. She is apparently having a flair up of CMV. Well, just what we need, something else to worry about. But we are praising God that they have medicine for it. It is one of those viruses most people have and never know it. It goes dormant and flairs up in immune compromised people and pregnant women. It's always something. We are enjoying the fall weather and the time together at home. God reminded me this morning how blessed we are to have such wonderful family and friends. How blessed we are that Bill has a good job so I can stay home with Erin for a while. And how blessed we are to have a merciful God to watch over all the details. Fall always reminds me of all our blessings, it's something about the energy in the air and the crisp cool mornings. We are thankful. blessings, janet

"Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord, the people he chose for his inheritance. From heaven the Lord looks down and sees all mankind; from his dwelling place he watches all who live on earth - he who forms the hearts of all, who considers everything they do...We wait in hope for the Lord; he is our help and our shield. In him our hearts rejoice, for we trust in his holy name. May your unfailing love rest upon us, O Lord, even as we put our hope in you." Psalm 33:12-15,20-22

Oct 1st

Hello Prayer Warriors,
Thanks for checking in. Erin is having a good day. She actually went shopping after her clinic visit. She needed jeans that didn't fall off. Not the weight loss program I would recommend, but it did provide an excuse to shop. Erin really doesn't need an excuse though. She LOVES to shop. "No coupon unused" is her shopper's motto. I think she got that from my Dad. He also loves to shop and uses any coupon whether he needs the item or not. Gotta love having shoppers in the family. We are still trying to regulate her prograf and are waiting on the clinic to call us with the update. We are just praising God for good days and new blue jeans. Can I get an AMEN?? Have a blessed day. janet

"Praise our God, O peoples, let the sound of his praise be heard; he has preserved our lives and kept our feet from slipping. For you, O God, tested us; you refined us like silver. You brought us into prison and laid burdens on our backs. You let men ride over our heads; we went through fire and water, but you brought us to a place of abundance." Psalms 66:8-12

Sept 30

Hello Prayer Warriors,
Thanks for the prayers. We had a God moment yesterday. Erin has been so worried about the prograf level being so high and that it might be a liver problem. Then the mother of one of her former cheerleaders came by to visit and told us her mother had the same problem with prograf. She said it was totally normal for it to take time to level off. It was such an encouragement to hear that, just when we needed to be comforted. God is in the details, never doubt it!
Erin is feeling o.k. today but had some upset stomach last night. She was supposed to meet some friends but had to cancel and was so sad. These stomach issues will come and go I guess. Overall I think she is still doing great. We are thankful to have a day off of the clinic. We just have to be careful not to let Erin overdo when she has a good day. Blessings, janet

"You turned my wailing into dancing; you removed my sackcloth and clothed me with joy, that my heart may sing to you and not be silent. O Lord my God, I will give you thanks forever." Psalm 30:11-12

Day +45

Happy Tuesday Prayer Warriors,
What beautiful weather, crisp fall morning, breezy blustery day. Love it. Erin is feeling well, we had another quick trip to the clinic for labs. Her prograf is still very high and they said it might be from interference with one of the other meds she takes. So we will work on balancing it all out for the greatest benefit. Other than that, I don't have much to report and I am thrilled to say that! No news is good news right? Thank you all so much for your prayers and encouragement. We know how blessed we are and are constantly praising God for every normal detail in our lives. Hope you enjoy your blustery day too. love, janet

" 'I will have mercy on whom I have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion." It does not, therefore, depend on man's desire or effort, but on God's mercy. For the Scripture says to Pharoah: 'I raised you up for this very purpose, that I might display my power in you and that my name might be proclaimed in all the earth.' " Romans 9:14-17

Praising God for His power and His mercy!!

Monday Day +44

Hello Prayer Warriors,
Thanks for the prayers. Erin is feeling pretty good. She still has moments of worry. There is still a long way to go for potential side effects from the transplant. We had a quick visit to the clinic today, but unfortunately have to go back tomorrow. Her prograf level came back very high and they need to recheck it again. As the verse goes; "Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own." Matthew 6:34
Erin has spent the day putting a recipe book together. She is looking for good recipes if anyone wants to send her some. I wanted her to ask for vegetarian recipes but she informed me she will not be a vegetarian forever. Well...
Be Blessed! love, janet

Sunday

Happy Sabbath Everyone,
Thanks for the prayers. Erin is doing well today. She got to watch the game with friends last night. This morning she made her Grandparents a cake. It was their 65th Anniversary yesterday and we celebrated today with the family. So fun. So nice to have us all together at home. God has blessed us beyond measure and we are so thankful. Hope you all had a blessed day too. We have a clinic day tomorrow so we will let you know the latest scoop. hugs, janet

"Children's children are a crown to the aged, and parents are the pride of their children." Proverbs 17:6

AMEN!!

Sat - A Star is Born

Happy Rainy Saturday.
Erin is having a pretty good day. She spent the morning being a movie star for Emory. They needed a volunteer to do a video on Central Line Dressing Changes and Line Care. She was a beautiful model I am sure. If only you could see her smile under the mask. Her nurse friends from 8E got a grant to do a video for Emory and to be produced as a handout DVD for patients. Anyway, Erin is a movie star now. Autographs available.
She is looking forward to the UGA game this evening and is hoping she can stay awake for it. She actually went to a movie yesterday at noon. We saw Fame. She still has to avoid crowds, but there were only 6 people in the theater. It was fun to get out of the house. She slept through a little of it, but was happy to have been able to go. We germ-x the arms of the seat and cover the whole thing with a beach towel. You can't keep a movie buff down for long.
She wishes she could come to church or visit her friends at school or go to restaurants, but the Dr told her to be a hermit through flu season. Unfortunately that is a long season now. Thanks for understanding. She can have visitors now though. As long as you have not been sick or near anyone sick, you are welcome to come over.
Praising God for encouraging friends like you all. Thanks for the prayers! blessings, janet

"Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful. And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds. Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another - and all the more as you see the Day approaching." Hebrews 10:23-25

Friday day +41

Good Morning Prayer Warriors,
Thanks for the prayers. We continue to be blessed by God's grace. Erin is doing well today. We just got back from the clinic. Apparently her prograf level was way too high yesterday and they called last evening to say we needed to go in this morning for another set of labs. So a short visit. We saw almost everyone from our hall on 8E. It was like a reunion. Everyone looks great and they are all about where Erin is on the "getting well" spectrum. We thank God for their healing! Erin is looking forward to a quiet weekend. Blessings on you all for the prayers. love, janet

"This is the covenant I will make with the house of Israel after that time, " declares the Lord. "I will put my law in their minds and write it on their hearts. I will be their God, and they will be my people." Jeremiah 31:33

There is so much comfort in that.

Day +40/ updated with photo

Hello Prayer Warriors,
Thanks as always for your love in the form of prayers! We just got back from the clinic and Erin got a good report. Her platelets have come up to 68! WooHoo! God is Awesome! So we had a fast visit, no infusions necessary. We got to see Megan there today, what a treat. And she has hair!! Such an inspiration. Megan's transplant was 6 months before Erin's and she looks great. I took a picture but it will take Erin's expertise to put it on the blog. We follow Megan's progress closely because we figure Erin will be going through similar things.
Erin's night went a lot better last night but when I went up to give her the 3 a.m. pills, she wasn't in her bed but had set herself up in the bonus room. I asked her why she was in there and she couldn't remember. But she had the food network on and her phone, bucket and water nearby so it was definitely a planned thing. She says the chemo makes her crazy.... who knows??
Crazy or not, we are thankful for her progress and praying for continued strength and energy. Bless you all for your prayers. janet

"But for you who revere my name, the sun of righteousness will rise with healing in its wings. And you will go out and leap like calves released from the stall." Malachi 4:2

Is that sort of like Bulldawgs released from the scrimmage line?