Your Prayers Are Being Answered

This week our hospital schedule was great.  Tuesday we went to Alta View for Kevin's lab work.  Alta View Hospital is literally down the hill a couple of blocks, so that made the visit a quick one.  Kevin went in, they took 3 tubes of blood and we were out of there.  A record breaking 15 minute visit.  Kevin's lab results are now available to us on line the same time they are available to the doctors, so we come home and wait to check the results ourselves.  Can't complain about that visit.  Today we went to LDS Hospital for labs and a visit with the doctor.  On Thursday we saw the results on-line of the Chimerism test, which is the test that shows the percentage of cells that are the new donor cells and what is left of Kevin's cells.  We were shocked and didn't dare comment on them until we met with the doctor today to make sure we really saw what we thought we saw.  You may remember that we were hoping for a 50/50.  What we got was a 97/3.  Amazing!  97% donor cells and only 3% of Kevin's cells.  We can definitely say that Kevin is engrafting.  Today we first spoke with Rachel the nurse that actually gave Kevin the stem cells on transplant day.  When she saw the results of the test, her comment was, we need to find out who that donor is and get him to donate more.  Once again we think so much about the donor and what he gave and so desire to know him and express our gratitude.  We are discovering that what the doctors first tell us is worst case scenario so the 50/50 was a low estimate, but the doctor today told us that he has seen percentages in the 80's but 97 couldn't be better.  In addition to that news, Kevin's platelets were up today.  They had actually been dropping the past 3 times and there was starting to be some concern that maybe Kevin had a virus or something that was causing that, but today they went back up so that was a good sign.  Kevin has had a good week.  He spent quite a few hours on the phone and computer doing work.  He walked every evening and even increased his walk from two times around the park to three.  He's doing about 2 miles each night.  Way to go Kevin!  The walls of our home are starting to close in around him, and it's getting a little harder to remain in isolation.  That is going to be the challenge for the future.  It is hard to understand that with such good blood numbers and 97% engraftment that this challenge needs to go on for two more months, but actually the risk of GVH (Graft vs. Host disease) remains for up to 3 years and is more likely in the next few months than it was in the past month.  So it is important that Kevin continue to follow the outlined protocol. 

When Kevin called his parents and reported the good news of the test results they asked him how that happened and Kevin's comments was "that is easy, there are so many people praying for me".  Kevin absolutely knows why the transplant is working.  It is the prayers of each of you in his behalf and we want you to know that your prayers are being heard and they are being answered.  There is nothing greater that each of you can do for Kevin than to offer your faith and prayers.  I have expressed this to many, but I will express it again.  There have been many times that we have been given the opportunity to pray for the health and benefit of others around us.  We have done so, but often I felt that I wish there was something more that I could do to help.  It seemed like my prayers maybe weren't enough.  What I haven't felt before was the power of so many people praying for you.  It is an overwhelming feeling.  And I now, and will forever, know that prayers are enough.   Kevin was told he had cancer on a Tuesday evening.  We met with the Oncologist on Friday and didn't want to tell anyone about his diagnosis until we really knew what it meant.  So for four days Kevin and I carried this burden on our own.  Of course we prayed often for peace, understanding and an ability to overcome this challenge, but those four days were long and lonely.  After meeting with the oncologist we then began sharing our burden with others.  That was not easy to do, but I began to understand our baptismal covenant to "mourn with those that mourn".  I began to feel the heavy weight of the burden of cancer become a little lighter.  The love and support of others and there willingness to bear this burden with us made us stronger.  And of course immediately came the faith and prayers of everyone around us.  What a difference that has made.  Thank you for your prayers and know that Heavenly Father hears and answers them.  The ability to talk with our Heavenly Father and know that he hears us and answers us is one of the sweetest tender mercies we are given.