The Latest

All the test went smoothly yesterday, and that's according to Joe. The day started off with a pulmonary function test. Joe had the privilege of sitting in a phone booth like contraption with a nose-clip. I was kind and didn't post the nose-clip photo! All went smoothly, and I was greatly entertained by the gentleman running the test.

Next we had a bit of a break to catch up on some emails and news (The oldest person in the world is 115, and male.) We then headed off to the nuclear medicine department. Joe had an IV put in, and lots of blood drawn. Then an EKG and MUGA scan. This was the longest part of the day. Joe had to stay in certain positions for what felt like an eternity. He's really good at staying still though. Sometimes, I call him Mr. Tin Man. I suspect Joe took the opportunity to nap for a bit.

The final part of the day was a history and physical. Joe has gone over his history so many times, that this took very little time. Then we were done! We were able to enjoy lunch at around 3pm.

In the evening, we discovered that Joe's counts are not behaving very well. The Vidaza seems to be losing its powers. Joe's Hemoglobin is the only thing that seems to be staying in the normal range. Helps him keep a rosy glow!

Joe's Counts
WBC - 2.4 k/mcL
Hemoglobin - 15.6 g/dL
Platelet Count - 61 g/dL
Neutrophils - 28%
Neutrophils-absolute - 0.67 k/mcL

We'll have to be more cautious than ever. Our goal is to keep Joe out of the hospital until he is admitted for transplant. We're just going to take one day at a time though. That's all we can do.

Speaking of transplant, here is the latest news. The 21 year old female was CLEARED yesterday. This means that she is okay to be Joe's donor. Because of her size and Joe's size, she will probably have to give cells two days in a row. Joe will have the transplant on the second day when everything is shipped from wherever she is in the United States. The 37 year old male donor should be having his physical tomorrow. One thing that we learned about him, is that for whatever reason, he would only be able to do a bone marrow donation, as opposed to a PBSC donation. This changes the process for the donor, but shouldn't affect Joe too much. If the male is also cleared, then a final decision will be made as to who Joe's donor will be.

As far as dates are concerned, Joe will probably be admitted January 2nd or 3rd. The transplant will likely be on the 8th or 9th. This is only two weeks away!!!!! We are feeling so many different emotions. I'm not sure there are any words to perfectly describe what we are feeling. We are more than hopeful that all will go as smoothly as possible...or smoother than possible. We are glad that things are moving forward, but there is some anxiety mixed in there. Excited doesn't really fit the bill, since there are still risks and unknowns involved. I don't know. But I feel sure that everything will be okay. Thus far, everything has gone as well as can be, except for those silly counts suddenly deciding to go crazy. God is control, right? Yupyup. For sure.

A very happy happy belated birthday to dear Colm. Praying for you, your daddy, grandpa, and the whole family.

Happy belated birthday to Sabrina! I didn't realized you had the same birthday as Richard. How sweet!

Happy happy birthday to Alivia's mommy Emily. We are constantly praying for you.

"How will this be," Mary asked the angel, "since I am a virgin?"
The angel answered, "The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. SO the holy one to be born will be called the Son of God. Even Elizabeth your relative is going to have a child in her old age, and she who was said to be barren is in her sixth month. For nothing is impossible with God."
~Luke 1:34-37