Today was another good day. :) Joe had another blood draw at the hospital today. The results showed that all of his counts were either stable, or higher. That meant today was another transfusion-free day. YAY!!!!

He does continue to have a low-grade fever throughout the day...and the bone pain was worse today. But he appetite was GOOD, and for the most part his spirit was high. Joe's parents came to visit in the evening, and they were SO cute. Joe's dad has discovered Sudoku, so Joe and his dad were concentrating hard on separate puzzles while Joe's mom and I teased them. hehehe.

Saturday night my parents came to visit and spend the night. Mom made us dinner and lunch on Sunday. My dad fixed various things around the house...then threatened us with a bill of $2062. :) Silly dad. They also kept Joe company on Sunday morning, which allowed me to go to church. It's been over a month since Joe and I have been to church. And though I've gone alone many times due to Joe's call schedule, this time was very different for obvious reasons. Still, I wasn't prepared for the rush of emotions that hit me as soon as I stepped into the sanctuary. I cried like a baby all through praise and singing. Rachel came to my rescue with a handful of napkins. :) It was so wonderful though to see everyone again and to really feel the love and the support. Everyone displayed such concern for Joe, and it was so touching. This may be random, but I also felt this indescribable bond with the wives of the congregation. I got the greatest hugs, and without any words, just knew that I was in a safe place and I was understood. So thank you for that!

Thank you to Rachel for sending the VBS slide show created by Lake and Mandy. It was great fun! Thanks to Nancy, Bill, and Evan for the card and beautiful pictures! Also, Joe had the opportunity to talk to some great people this week, who were able to give encouragement, either through their own stories of survival, or just because they are great friends. So thank you to Alan, Tim, Kenny, Albert, Mike, Pastor Jim, Shelley and Vince! Love to everyone who helped to make the weekend great...that's pretty much everyone!

And as a reminder, BONE MARROW DRIVE on AUGUST 20, 2006.
There is more info here: http://www.pghchinesechurch.org/bulletin/pc.doc
(scroll to the right, it's in chinese!)

and here: (this is in English!)
http://www.pghchinesechurch.org/en/pcc_ann.htm Thanks Louison!

Also, this is a good page to read: http://www.marrow.org/DONOR/donor_faqs.html

Just to clarify. The bone marrow drive at PCC is a minority based drive, and at the time, you will only need to give a tissue sample in the form of a cheek swab. If you are found to be a potential match for a person in need, you will then be contacted to get an additional blood test to see if you are an ideal match.

Joe's match would be a PBSC donor. However, if you are a match for someone else, they may require a marrow donation OR a PBSC donation. Either way, I think it's a small price to pay to save a life, don't you? Besides that, my husband is one of the most needle shy and scared-of-pain people I know...and if he can endure all the many pricks and pokes he has received (and will continue to receive) then we can all handle a bit of discomfort as well!!!!! WOOOOOOHOOOOOOOOOOOO, let's DO IT!!!!!!!!!! (Yes, I'm gonna be there too!)