Miracle #3: "Increasing numbers!"

This entire transplant trip has been a very long, exhausting experience...much longer than any of us had anticipated.  Had everything gone perfectly, Rowan and I would have been returning home to Texas in about a week.  Instead, we just started the whole process over again.  The numbers are getting even crazier...


Rowan and I have been away from home for 127 days now.

We have been in the hospital for 105 days straight.

Since the first transplant failed, Rowan has had a zero ANC for 8 weeks...55 days!

Today would have been Day +92 from the first transplant, if that still counted.

Instead, it is just Day +17 from transplant #2.


It is so dangerous to have a ANC of zero.  It means that he has had no immune system to fight off bacteria or viruses on his own.  His wounds have not been able to heal properly without counts either.  They have had to cover him so broadly with IV antibiotics and antifungals, that the bacteria are growing resistant.  He has had 3 different blood infections, and had to have one central line pulled as a result. He has also battled the virus in his brain.  Without counts, the doctors have had to support and save him, many times over the past few months.  To say we have been scared is an understatement.  Each fever, stopped us in our tracks.  Each cough, made us hold our own breath.  Waiting for each call from the lab after cultures were drawn, made us nauseous. But, we trudged on.  We prayed.  We believed. We waited for counts, but we waited with hope in our hearts.


MIRACLE #3

Deuteronomy 7:13

He will love you and bless you and increase your numbers.

This morning, Friday, November 4th at 5:15 am, I was helping the ICU nurse move Rowan up in bed, so he would be more comfortable. She suddenly said, "Oh, Mom, guess what his ANC is?"  I said "Shut up!".  She laughed and said, "Yep, his ANC is 207, he's got counts!" I had been asleep for a little bit, and the lab had called her to tell her, but she didn't want to wake me up until she actually saw the lab results in the computer.  She wanted to actually see the numbers in writing.

I jumped up and down, and tried to run around Rowan's bed to hug her.  It was hilarious though, because the floors were slippery and I only had socks on my feet, so I couldn't really go anywhere.  It looked like I was running in place.  I finally made it to her, hugged her tight, thanked her for the good news, and started jumping up and down yelling "Thank you Jesus! Rowan, you have counts! You finally have an ANC!"  Rowan just stared at me like I was crazy.  Then I realized, he probably didn't hear me very well.  So, I got the white board, and showed him the good news. 

 

Next, I called Brian to wake him up at the Ronald McDonald House. Then, I texted Zoe and Ian to share this amazing news, the news we have all been waiting for, for so long.

Thank you God for increasing Rowan's numbers!

Thank you God for satisfying our souls as with marrow and fatness!

 We are calling this Miracle #3!


(to be continued...)