Christmas Lights

 

Ready to see some lights!

 

We started out with a bang! A choreographed light show benefiting habitat for humanity. They like the rockin' songs the best. We made our usual stops on Wagon Wheel, Starflower, Woodward Governor, Longs Peak Drive, Middlesbourough, and Southridge Greens. The van smells like popcorn and good memories. Anthony made a map a few years ago and we still go off it's general route, you can find it here.

Zinnia took a nap this afternoon, she made it though the whole tour. "Cousin It" did not join our fun, Lydia just did that whole turn into gumby thing that kids do when they fall asleep in the car.

 

Esther said her hot chocolate was "delicious." I have to agree. It was a treat to get Panera Hot Chocolate, it's perfect. Not too sweet or thick. Just right.

Frannie agrees. She drank two cups of hot chocolate and as you can see, she made it all the way home.

 

We have been trying to enjoy each minute at home. We had two small Christmas gatherings which were a treat to see family and give Esther a chance to get to open some gifts outside her hospital room. She is very sad she can't "go to Christmas," but I think this helped. The other four are certainly ready after watching Esther recieve sweet gifts.

Thank you for praying for Esther's tests and our family over the last week. We are so blessed. Aside from Esther's hearing, everything else looks wonderful. Her kidneys and heart are great, infact her kidneys are performing beyond normal range, exceptionally well. We will watch her diaphragm, but her doctor wasn't too concerned and one of our other doctors sent me a reassuring email.

Overall, we are very encouraged with Esther's progress and last couple of weeks. Her transplant doctor said he wished all of his patients could enter into this process as healthy as Esther. There was a fungus in her nose, common, but she'll probably have to have an additional med in the hospital to just keep that fungus at bay. We are hoping for only three weeks. Originally we thought it would be closer to a month, but over and over we heard three weeks.

A few things to be praying for:

• My heart is anxious and I am incredibly emotional, pray for peace.
• For Esther to be admitted to the BMT unit. There was a water leak on the floor above and they are having to deal with some of the issues that come with water damage, so they've had to surrender a couple beds. This work is supposed to finish Tuesday or Wednesday, but that could mean Esther has to start a couple days on the normal oncology floor. This is mostly just a hassle, but would be nice to avoide.
• Pray that Esther gets a room on the side of the hospital with the Christmas lights. It would be so nice for her to be able to enjoy them.
• For us to prepare everything as needed. I am honestly utterly spent. I can not really keep much straight between exhaustion,1 and the reality that my mind is dull. I can't remember anything. Pregnancy brain was nothing compaired to this. Not even two sets of twins. Thankfully I have children who remember everytihng I say (even if I don't want them to remember) and notepads and pens.
• For health. Because Esther's transplant is with her own stem cells, she will avoid many of the very dangerous side effects. While there will be lots for her to deal with, and it will be tremendously scary and difficult, her risk of death is fairly low, about 3%. The doctor said those kids generally die from a secondary infection, like a cold or flu virus. The worst thing that could happen is for her to start chemo that will eliminate any ability to fight the tiniest virus, when she has a virus in the incubation stage before any symptoms begin. I am so paranoid and have been a total control free. Being a germ-a-phobe is not fun and a lot of work.

After a bit of a scare that maybe she was exposed to a stomach bug (it was just a food issue), I was thinking about how God has protected her kidneys and heart from drugs known to harm them. He can protect her from the big things and the little things. God's sovereignty brings peace. He is good, His plans are loving. I can trust Him, no matter what.

 

 

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