John asked me to write a brief update to let you all know how he’s doing. He feels great and has been able to work lots of hours lately. The reason for that, however, is that his most recent blood test showed he did not have enough neutrophils to go ahead with his last chemo treatment on November 26.
The oncologist decided to give him a short break from chemo to allow his bone marrow time to make more neutrophils (bacteria-attacking white blood cells). This will also give his surgical wound more time to heal. John is going back to show it to the surgeon on Monday, then he sees the oncologist again on Wednesday. He has another chemo treatment scheduled for Thursday, December 10, but that will be dependent on the status of his wound and whether he has enough neutrophils. If not they might postpone treatment till January and he will likely need Grastofil injections again.
Thank you for continuing to pray for our family. I realize that we are all living with some degree of uncertainty right now and facing the prospect of a different kind of Christmas than usual, so I want to share something that encouraged me this week.
Our church had sent us an Advent box with activities to do at home with the kids. Last week the theme was Hope, and one of the activities was to have them draw a picture of themselves in a scary situation (e.g. alone in a dark bedroom with a monster’s eyes peeking under the closet door). Then we talked about how Jesus is always with us and how the name Emmanuel, which we sing in a familiar Christmas carol, actually means “God with us.” Finally, the kids were asked to add one more thing to their drawing: Jesus standing right there beside them. To me, that was such a comforting reminder! Whatever our future holds, Jesus will be right there with us. Emmanuel.
“So do not be afraid. I am with you. Do not be terrified. I am your God. I will make you strong and help you. I will hold you safe in my hands. I always do what is right.”
Isaiah 41:10 NIRV
