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
Thanks for sharing Leanne. We are continuing to pray for John, you and your family and the new baby to come .
Your strong faith is a testimony to us all.
Marty and Janet
Leanne I will be praying for John and your family. By accident I met Mr. Knopf this evening who shared with me many important ways. May God’s love bless you and John and your beautiful family and bring strength and health to you all. I’m not sure if I was meant to share this but if Jon is able to read he may be interested in some adjunctive therapies which I have found useful. The Wim Hof Method is anecdotally helpful for general and vascular health and has helped others. You can find it on Audible and Amazon as an ereader. That said I’m also praying that John’s doctors and therapists bring their good hearts and best skills to help John and your family. In the meantime, wishing you all God’s blessings and Merry Christmas David M.