More Chemo...4 weeks!

Well we had a few things change and come up...Eric is needing 4 weeks of chemo called Rituxan. He has to get it starting today once a week, 8 hours each time for 4 weeks! We were extremely worried that this is a huge set back and his doctors assured us it is not. Eric's test results showed he has a virus called EBV in his B cells. I guess we all have this in us and can activate in our bodies at anytime. Due to Eric's immune system being baby cells and not strong yet, still weak with immune suppressed his body reactivated this and created the virus in his B cells. The only way to get to this virus before it gets worse and turns into more of a problem like another infection the only way is to use this chemo that will directly get to the B cells only. This chemo is usually used for Lymphoma Cancer but they assured us he does not now have this cancer as well it's just a virus they need to be aggressive with and take care of before it turns worse.

So that makes really long days for us! He already would be here from 6am until around 3pm but now we have to add to that once a week additional 8 hours on top of that since they can not run this chemo during his regular treatments and IV fluids. I was worried that this would be a set back and make us be here longer they said that if he responds well and continues to have no other issues then we are still on track to go home in December by Christmas! THANK GOODNESS! Eric was worried he would have the shakes/riggers again, vomiting/nausea, fevers like last time when he had this before last Christmas but he so far has done well on the first day of chemo today and we are about half way through it!

We continue to pray for his recovery and health, bless that the doctors will continue to be guided and directed by the Lord. We are so grateful to the Lord for so many blessings and know he is so aware of us and our journey. We are very thankful for his donor and continue to pray for him and his family and can not wait to meet him in person and share our gratitude. The Lord and his powerful teachings are what continues to get us through this and we know with faith all things are possible. Only a few weeks longer and the kids will be flying down for the week for Thanksgiving week/holiday- we are so excited! It will definitely be a very different Thanksgiving Holiday, one we have not experienced before so far away from home and away from everyone but we have so much to be thankful for and our hearts are full of love and gratitude.

We have meet so many friends down here, so many that are going through the same struggles and trials as we are. It is amazing to see all of us connect on a level that I have never seen before. All of us come from so many different faiths/ religion/ beliefs but yet all of us recognize and know the Lord is protecting us, providing us all strength and guiding all of our paths. Thy will, not our will. We rejoice in the days when we get to hear all the doctors and nurses come in and sing "Your Going Home" song to the patients when they are leaving to go home finally from their last appointments here. We all get tears in our eyes and cry along with the ones who are getting their song for them, with a little prayer in our hearts that they will continue to do well and that hopefully we will get to hear those words sung to us "Your Going Home". I don't think I have ever heard those words sound more sweeter and sung more beautiful than when you know it means the end of the hard journey that has brought all of us here, to fight for our lives back. I can not wait to hear those words, to hear that beautiful song and know it's the end of this journey and the start of our new transplant life as a family!