Fri 6/13

Good afternoon prayer warriors, Thank you for your perseverance! Erin is feeling good today, just a little hot now and then as she is still fighting the infection. We just try to take it one day at a time. We appreciate the Lord's blessings every day, in every detail. We think Erin's numbers should be up by now and she is looking forward to getting to go to church on Sunday. She is excited to have a break even if it is only 4 days. Hopefully we will have only 4 more weeks before she can have a normal life again. We pray that you have a wonderful Father's Day weekend. Blessings, janet

"It is my pleasure to tell you about the miraculous signs and wonders that the Most High God has performed for me. How great are his signs, how mighty his wonders! His kingdom is an eternal kingdom; his dominion endures from generation to generation." Daniel 4:2-3

Thurs 6/12

Good Morning. I mean it, it's a GOOD morning. We are so happy to be home. Erin is feeling so much better. She still has to face the bucket-o-pills but her stomach is getting better and she has more energy now that she is eating. God is so good. Wow, we just have these major downturns and upswings in short amounts of time. It is like a rollercoaster. You get scared and sick feeling and then when it is over you can look back and say, wow, look what God just brought us through again. It is a very physically and emotionally challenging experience. We are exhausted. Thank you for the prayers that have kept Erin's name before our Lord. He has been faithful to answer us with His precious grace. Please pray that we get in on wed for our final round. We don't want to get delayed because of the stress of waiting and the timing of her recovery. After all, she wants to get to campmeeting and have time to get some strength back before school starts again. I am starting to see the light at the end of the tunnel but I am not sure Erin sees it yet, she is still facing some tough days ahead. We love you all! janet

"All this is for your benefit, so that the grace that is reaching more and more people may cause thanksgiving to overflow to the glory of God. Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal." 2Cor:15-18 AMEN

6/11 update HOME SWEET HOME

Hallelujah, We are home. Erin was able to keep down a baked potato for lunch so they let us go. We did do a little begging I must confess. But home is good medicine. Thank you so much for your continued prayers. God has truly blessed us with magnificent friends. Please pray she can continue to eat and drink without upset. We go back Monday for labs and are scheduled to go back for round 5 on wed. That round will be 2 days in, 5 days home and 2 more days in. Then she will need 3 weeks of recovery. Then we will plan a big celebration! We love you all, thanks for hanging with us through this long long process. We are blessed to have you on our team! God is good!! Hallelujah!! hugs, janet

Wed 6/11

One Day at a time Sweet Jesus! That's all we're asking from you! I love that song, like all the oldies but goodies. Erin had an uneventful night, no fever or puking. However she still hasn't kept any food down for 4+ days. She is now attempting to eat a little breakfast and we pray it stays put. The Dr came by last night and said he wouldn't want her to go home if she isn't holding down her food, so we are praying that she will be able to eat today and hold it down so we can go home after all. She is so hungry and bummed that she can't eat or drink like normal. But we are grateful that her head and stomach are not hurting like before. It is all such a balancing act! We still don't know the blood culture results but God is in control, that we do know. It is so comforting to know that through all this, His peace and mercy are holding us up. Can you imagine facing this or anything without Jesus? We are thankful for all of you as well, keeping the prayers going nonstop. A special thanks to whoever mowed our lawn, that was a sweet treat! It can all get a little overwhelming when we are stuck in the hospital.

"It is the spirit in a man, the breath of the Almighty, that gives him understanding. It is not only the old who are wise, not only the aged who understand what is right. For God does speak-now one way, now another-though man may not perceive it." Job 33:8-9,14

We don't pretend to understand why all this has happened, but we trust a Mighty God who formed the world and put us in it for a reason! Loving you! janet

Answered Prayers

Hello Friends....Bill here,

Prayer is a powerful weapon and you have proved it once again. Erin made it through the night without fever or nausea! The PA just came by to tell us that the Zyvox antibiotic that Erin has been taking is effective against the bacterial infection that Erin has and that it comes in pill form, as well....SOOOOO....if she continues without a fever she should be able to go back home tomorrow and continue the antibiotic treatment in pill form!! Praise the Lord!!! Can I get an AMEN?!?!?!

They took another blood culture last night to re-assess the presence of the bacteria in her system. They said if it came back positive that they might have to remove her central line as it is possible for the bacteria to latch onto the foreign object (central line) and it is hard for the antibiotic to get rid of it. Erin was concerned that they might have to put in another one and she really did not want to go through that again when we are so close to being finished with the chemo. The PA said if they had to remove the central line it is a very simple 10 second process that can be done in the hospital room AND it is possible that they could do the last round of chemo via a regular IV. He is checking to verify the last part...but our prayer is that bacterial infection is gone and her line can stay in. Our second prayer request is that Erin can get back in to the hospital next Wednesday (6/18) to start the last round of chemo. The doctors are working on getting it scheduled but there is always a waiting list to get in so it is not a sure thing yet.

Another praise is that there has been a small uptick in Erin's WBC (up from <0.3 to 0.5) and her platelets are up to 60 from 44. Hopefully that is a sign that her counts are starting to recover.

All in all, we are encouraged with today's news and so grateful for your faithful prayers and God's continued faithful presence and perfect timing!

Thanks and blessings - Bill

"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 32:4

Monday 6/9

Dear Prayer Warriors, Thank you for your prayers. Please keep them coming. We are in need of some Divine intervention. Erin has developed a bacterial infection in her blood and urine. They have a partial indentification but are waiting on specifics. We hope to know later today. At the least it will require 2 weeks of IV antibiotics, maybe more. They don't know where she got it, although the hospital is the likely place. Please pray that it is not a superbug and that she will get well soon so she can stay on schedule for her last chemo round. God is so much bigger than some creepy bacteria and I know He is watching over his little angel! Please pray that Erin will have the strength to fight everything. Her fever goes up and down but doesn't really go away. Her stomach is cramping so bad and her head is pounding, so she stays on pain medicine around the clock. She tries to eat but usually throws it all up afterward. She has been a real trouper with the bucket-o-pills they constantly bring in, but she is over it. Thank you for your prayers. We couldn't do it without you all! love, Janet

"Preserve my life according to your love, and I will obey the statutes of your mouth. Your word O Lord, is eternal; it stands firm in the heavens. Your faithfulness continues through all generations; you established the earth, and it endures. I will never forget your precepts, for by them you have preserved my life. Save me, for I am yours." Psalm 119:88-90, 93-94

Sunday - Fever and Chills

Hello Prayer Warriors....Bill here,

Please keep those prayers going. Erin's fever continued to spike periodically (103 this morning)and she experiences bouts of stomach pain and nausea. She hasn't been able to eat or keep down fluids very well. She's been on antibiotics for 30 hours and they are telling us it takes about 48 hours for them to really kick in. Still no word on any cause for the temp from the lab results. Erin received 2 units of blood last night and the benadryl that they gave her to help keep the hives down allowed her to sleep fairly well through all the continuous activity. When they give blood they have to check her vital signs every 15 minutes to be sure she is not having any reactions.

Yesterday I thought I was getting a fever....it turns out the air conditioning in the room quit working and was out all afternoon until 9:00 pm. Then after they came and reset the unit in the ceiling, it would not shut off. So while it was pretty toasty in the room yesterday, it is like a refrigerator this morning. Hopefully we can get both Erin's thermostat and the room's thermostat fixed today.

The sooner we can get the fever knocked down the sooner we can go home but her temp has to be in the normal range for 24 hours before they will let her go. Thanks for the continued prayers....we know God hears them and we feel such a sense of comfort knowing you are out there lifting Erin up!!


Blessings.... Bill


"We are glad whenever we are weak but you are strong; and our prayer is for your perfection. " - 2 Corinthians 13:9