Thank You!

I've been so wanting to get a new post written up for our "Jonathan's Journey" blog. ...Life. ...I've been posting a little on face book. Wish I could just get to typing every day. Right now I have my Jonathan and my Patience napping in Jonathan's hospital room and Xav has the older two walking to Great Clips. Xav and Xavi are due for hair cuts. 

Jonathan has had a lot of outpatient time over the past few weeks. He was discharged on August 4th, after his second round count recovery. He had a whole week of freedom, although still tied up with the NG tube and needing IV antibiotics. We made it to the aquarium during that time. He made it to church two weeks in a row as he had gotten a four hour pass the weekend before. 

He was readmitted for his third round of chemotherapy on Monday, August 11, and had chemo administered every 12 hours for five days. We've gotten used to being inpatient for whole rounds so we were kind of surprised and a bit uneasy when we learned that Jonathan would be released after the five days were done. So we, once again, were all together at the Ronald McDonald House on Saturday evening, August 16. We prayed that Jonathan wouldn't get any infections and watched for signs of them. He had to stay in the room (in isolation) during this count dropping time, except for going to the hospital twice a week for labs to keep track of what was happening in his blood.

After nearly a week of being "free" the fever did strike.

Patience actually got a fever first, on Friday morning. On Friday evening, August 22,  Jonathan was restless at bed time and sometime just past midnight he started throwing up in his bed. We took his temp. Yes, fever of 102 point something. He was getting the shakes. Xav tried to get a hold of the on call Hem/Onc doctor, but that was not seeming to go fast enough so I kissed my husband and son as they left our room and headed for the ER. 

We knew that Jonathan would be readmitted upon becoming febrile and would be inpatient until count recovery. So that is where we are at now. They started up antibiotics to get the infection/fever under control. They also changed some of his meds that he has been on for a while as he has developed a sensitivity to one, causing his skin which was already red from sunburn to become more red and swollen. 

Jonathan's ANC is 0. Every morning, as the doctors make their rounds and gather in Jonathan's room to go over his situation and plan for the day, our ears perk up to hear those blood count numbers. Are they going up yet? Will he need another transfusion? He's had a couple platelet transfusions this round already. Looks like he will need a blood transfusion tomorrow. ...Thank you, blood donors, for making this treatment possible for our little Jonathan

Thank you, Lord, for carrying us through all of this, for having good plans, for the love that's been showered on us from family and friends and even strangers! Thank You for the sweet nurses and doctors and CNA's and maintenance people at the hospital. Thank You for allowing us to stay at the Ronald McDonald House and be a part of people's lives there and for the meals from volunteers there.  You have given us so much to be thankful for. 

Thank you all for praying for Jonathan and us. Thank you for being a part of our lives and for loving us! Jesus bless you!