08-10-10 update

As summer is winding down, I thought it might be a good time to update everyone again…
This summer has been pretty fantastic, with very few bumps in Mike’s treatments and recovery. We were able to take a two week vacation up to MD to visit with our close friends and family. The kids had a blast with everyone and can’t wait to come up again. It truly was a very relaxing time for all of us. We want to say a special “thank you” to Mike’s parents for making it possible for us to fly up instead of drive. I don’t know how Mike’s body would have been able to handle 15 hours each way in the car! And “thank you” to everyone who gave us a place to stay, a car to get around or bought us meals, etc…!! You know who you are and so does God! We pray for blessings on each of you and your families!
In July we received some news that Mike’s most recent bone marrow results were less than favorable, so he had to go in this past Friday for another biopsy. We are praying that there is nothing to be concerned about and the report is going to come back that Mike is still in remission. We have decided that a bone marrow transplant would not be in his best interest at this point and feel confident that we have made the right choice. He is going to continue with his treatment protocol as planned which is: once a week he has to take 19 pills (usually on Thursday night or Friday) and once a month he has to go into the clinic for an infusion. This will continue for 2-3 years as he is in this “Maintenance Phase”. As long as his results are good, he will be able to completely finish the protocol and hopefully never have to deal with leukemia again.
I will be honest…there are hard days. Sometimes Mike has a negative reaction to the pills or infusions and gets very sick. I think there are times when he literally feels like he is dying. He will make a comment like, “hey, let’s go watch the sunset this week”, which is something I love to do, but never make time for. Unfortunately, I have not matured much in my ability to handle pain and suffering. My first inclination is to shut down, numb myself and just go through the motions to get by. Just the thought of not having Mike by my side is more grief than I can even begin to bear. I guess there are cycles through each of these stages. Sometimes I feel so strong and full of faith…other times, I am exhausted and afraid. I dare not mention the other drama going on in my family that is taking its toll on me. These situations are definitely taking us to the extent of what a person is made of – and beyond. I try to look at others who have a worse situation and thank God for all of my many, many blessings. I know that in Christ, we are more than conquerors and He has given us everything we need to overcome these trials. And when we get to the bottom of finding what we are made of, I’m sure we will find strength, compassion, hope, unity, love, patience, perseverance, and a victorious spirit.
On a lighter note…Mike is having more “good” days. He is able to get up and do more and he has gotten most of his hair back! :) We have decided to join the YMCA for all of the fitness programs they offer, so we are looking forward to getting into better shape in the coming months. We were blessed by the discounts they extend to families with medical disabilities. With Mike’s insurance premiums at $1200 and co-pays over $300/mo, every little bit helps! The kids are super excited to start a new dance year. They have been chosen for the competition team, so we will have a very full year of practices and competition performances. We have also decided to home-school them this year. I know, everyone thinks we are crazy…but we feel that this is in their best interest and if we feel overwhelmed at any time we can always put them back into public school. We are going to take one day at a time and see how it goes. My job is still fantastic and I am blessed with extremely wonderful bosses and co-workers. We are hard at work to kick off a fantastic fall for Legacies & Lifelines!
So, I guess that is all for now… we hope that you are all in good health and doing well! As always, thank you for all of your prayers and support. If gives us so much encouragement to know that our family is covered across the nation by people praying and believing that the best is yet to come and better days are just around the corner!!
Much love to all!! <3