Oh what a beautiful day God has given us!! This will be "new" birthday that Rand and our whole family will never forget. Heidi, Tami, Kynzie and myself were all in the room when they began the procedure and all of us were praying for Cindy's "bright pretty pink" stem cells as well as the compatibility of Rand's body to receiving the stem cells. It was a very peaceful and emotional time for us all!! The procedure only took about 1 hour and was uneventful as far as any allergic reactions were concerned....all went well. We decorated Rand's room with Valentines from all the grand kids and had balloons saying "Happy New Birthday!" We even had carrot cake to celebrate with after the procedure was complete. We did alot of crying, laughing and just taking deep breaths of joy after the procedure was complete. Gods presence and peace were truly felt by us all. Rand took a nice long nap after the procedure and the girl's and I took a break. Rand's room now smells like tomato soup!! They said that would be that way for a few days. Isn't that just the funniest thing....at least it wasn't cabbage!!
Rand's blood counts are dropping really fast as expected but he is still eating well and keeping the nausea at bay...which is such a blessing. He will not be able to have visitors from this day forward for a pretty long period of time...unless God has different plans. He loves your cards and phone calls sooo much!! We are praying and believing for no infections, no fevers, compatibility of stem cells, and the complete manifestation of God's healing upon Rand. Psalm 107:20 has been a mainstay for us both during this time..."God's Word is healing. He sent His word and Healed them, and delivered them from their destructions." It is so important for us to know the Word and use it for our health and healing. We need to know the word, know God's works, know that He never lies and He keeps His promises....what an assurance that is for us all. The most difficult part of the day was again seeing our family go home..so heart wrenching. We love them so much and treasure each moment we have with them!! And seeing them drive away once again just rips a hole in our hearts. But, then God just surrounds us and assures us that His love will be sufficient for us and He will fill those voids for now!! I know that many of you are praying for us and we so covet and treasure those prayers. The next few weeks are very critical, but we have such amazing peace that God has this all completely in His care and we are believing that all will divinely fall into place according to His word and prommises.
Hugs and love to you all,
Rand and Joanie
Great news about the transplant! Sounds like things are coming along and everyone is keeping such a positive attitude ... a must for good things to come. We have heard a lot about you, Rand and have been keeping you in our thoughts and prayers. Thanks for filling us in on the latest news. And those pictures are fantastic! All those blonde cuties running around must keep you busy ... get well soon - they need you! Looking forward to reading more about your progress. Good luck in the coming weeks for a full and speedy recovery!
ReplyDeleteSue V
(I am a friend of Beth's from Birch Elementary School in Broomfield, CO :)