Anticipation

The big email with news about his health did not end up coming after all. Just when I get all excited to share hopefully wonderful news. Consider it a movie trailer. We can all sit on the edge of our seats waiting with anticipation for the actual release. George’s labs did come back from Thursday’s appointment and they were great. Hemoglobin still holding strong at 10.6. Platelets at an acceptable 267 and his ANC at an impressive high. It was even flagged as “high” on the results page. This was particularly great news because I decided to take him off of his weekly Neupegen shots a few weeks ago to see if his body could bump them up on his own. Well they sure did. They are showing off. I know I have said this before but it always is so exciting to me when his Neutrophil count is high since this was why we started this process in the first place. A body that did not produce any on its own is now registering “high” on the standards chart. Without medication. It really blows my mind. I had a conversation with George’s original hematologist on Thursday and asked her what his next few months/year would look like. We will look at some tests in a few weeks to determine if he would be able to start to wean off of his daily chemo. He is still on this because of the hemolytic anemia. Although his hemoglobin is holding each week, we don’t know if it is from the chemo keeping his antibodies under control or if his body is finally accepting his new blood. Once this is determined then he can slowly start coming down on the dose. When he is totally off of this he can also stop taking four other medications that he is on. These are all preventative medicines since his immune system is being suppressed from the chemo. When he comes off of those he will be medication free. Wait, what? No more medicine? How could this be? For the past three years George has been on daily medication. Daily hard core medication. This is a day that I have been praying for and dreaming about for the past three years. What a day of celebration this will be. I don’t want to get ahead of myself because even though the conversation about it happened, I’m sure it will still be awhile before it is a reality. It still is worth having joy and thanksgiving over though. Just the thought of it. His dr said that pretty soon his now bi-weekly labs will turn into once a month labs. When that happens it should be safe to have his port removed. My goal for him is to have his port taken out at his one year anniversary of his transplant which is on August 6th. This will be another surgery so maybe I can convince his team of drs to do the bone marrow aspiration, the MRI scans of his organs and the removal of his port all at once. I am praying that this will all be possible for more then just anesthesia purposes. It would also mean that the journey of George and his new life will be starting a new chapter. The chapter of health and normalcy. I want it so badly for him. That will be what my prayers are focusing on. That he gets to port removal soon. That he can get off of this chemo. That his hemolytic anemia is gone forever. That this disease and transplant were just a small road bump in the full and wonderful life that George will live. May God continue to move mountains for George. Although this journey will be a lifetime, we are just praising the Lord for where we are today. For how far we have come. Praying for continued healing. Praying for no more medicine. Praying for complete health. Every cell, every organ every inch of George.
"Worship the LORD your God, and his blessing will be on your food and water. I will take away sickness from among you…" Exodus 23:25