Grateful for our blessings!

Today is Saturday and I found out from so many of you responding that I guess the blog is still needed. HAHA! Eric laughed at the multiple responses I received from so many of you asking us to keep blogging and that you like to read it and keep updated so we will continue to post blogs- I hope that doesn't bore some of you out there!

We have had a good week so far, most of you remember from last weeks post that Eric's white cells had went down into the 2.6 's and we were prepared for more Nuepogen shots in his stomach for 5 days (same old routine) however his doctor here tried something- he said that Eric's absolute neutrophils were barely at the hang in there mark so he said lets have the home health nurses just monitor more each day when they come and we will play it by ear and see what happens. Guess what.. he continue for a few days to drop but Wednesday and Friday he went up on his own! YAYYYY!!

Eric's lab results yesterday show he rebounded on his own without the shots to 4.4 on his white cells!!! YESS!! That is what he was doing back in Texas right before we had to do that 4 weeks of chemotherapy we did before we came home, as I have mentioned before they thought that the white cells and platelets going down were a direct result from the chemo Rutuxian he had and that give it some time possibly a few months and it would rebound on its own. It looks like it has- I hope I am not getting to excited but I am so happy with these results right now! Eric's platelets also went up :) They are 77!! Can you believe that! We are so excited and we find ourselves always thanking the Lord for our blessings big and small that continue to get us through this journey of hope.

Eric's red cells are holding pretty good as well higher than they have been in a long time he currently is at 3.61, Hemoglobin 12.6 with his Hematocrit 35.2. All good .... his creatinine is good at 1.5 that is the one we also have been so concerned with. All in all good week and we feel very blessed to have things going OK right now. We have been anxiously awaiting more news on our friend Jodie Clark who had here biopsy last week. It's always a hurry up and wait game, sometimes I do not think the doctors remember how much you go through waiting a week for the results and the worry that happens but she is still waiting her results and we continue to pray for her and her sweet family- WE LOVE YOU GUYS!

A few of you might remember Eric and I have met some amazing new friends through this journey. One of them Eric has became quite close with his name is Patrick ( I had posted a picture with both of them the week they we came home on the blog) Patrick has the same exact rare cancer that Eric has, it was Lymphoma and turned into Myleodisplastia MDS. We were concerned about him, he had hit a few bumps in the road and was not able to go home and thought he had relapsed. I am so happy to report he is doing good alot better and he has been able to return home to Florida with his Mom and family.

We have been preparing already to fly back on March 1st-4th to Texas and meet with Eric's transplant doctors, do all the fun 3 month follow ups tests, bone marrow biopsies, CT scans, PET's. You always get a little anxious and nervous I mean every day when you sit and wait for lab results you hope and pray "Please let everything be OK, please don't let them come back bad" but these biopsies and going back to Texas is scary to us. You want to be positive but so many times you have endured waiting and praying things are OK and sometimes they are and sometimes they are not. I think I am a little more freaked out because his last one was showing to the pathologist that he had relapsed and rejected his donor, that his cancer was back only to find out a week agonizing later that the DNA results showed he has not and was fine. It is definitely a roller coaster and one that I wish we could get off of but we continue to be on it and must make the most of our journey.

I love to read the Ensign each month, it gives you a boost and sometimes seems to be driectly talking to you as the scriptures. In February's Ensign there is a few articles/ council I just love! The first one is from our Prophet Pres. Thomas S. Monson the Presidency message on " Being Spiritually Prepared" he talks about faith, hard times, remembering our patriarchal blessing as the Liahona it is meant to be to help guide us, and remembering that we do not walk alone and to come unto Christ. He stated " Remember that you do not walk alone...As you walk through life, always walk toward the light, and the shadows of life will fall behind you.." I like that, it is so true, I can testify on many occasions how much I have felt and experienced this.

The second one I loved and really there were two articles on this was The Sacrament. One was by Donald W. Parry and one was by Elder Paul K. Sybrowsky of the Seventy called "This I Do In Remembrance Of Me" Eric has had the honor and privilege from not only the youth and elders back in Texas but also here at home in our home ward youth and elders to come and bring him the sacrament each week in our home. I can not tell you what an awesome and spiritual blessing that is to him and us to experience and watch as these fine young men administer the sacrament with such respect, honor and spiritialness. It a great blessing to be able to have that done for Eric since he can not attend church right now, he is so grateful to everyone for administering that blessing to him. Thank you, I know it takes additional time out of these boys lives, time away from their family to come over- we are humbled and grateful to you for that. It is a great reminder as we do take the sacrament to listen to the words/scriptures, to remember of what he went through for our sins and us and that we take it in remembrance of him.

I am so grateful to the Lord for all my blessings, for Eric doing well as can be right now and accepting his transplant, for my kids and for the church and its gospel teachings that continually remind me of why I am here and what really matters. I am grateful to Eric's donor for saving his life, for Eric that I have not only my best friend but my eternal companion whom I love more than anything!