Thursday, June 19, 2008

Calling Dana-Farber

Today I left work early for two reasons:
1. Calling Dana Farber in Boston to set-up the initial face-to-face meeting with the bone marrow transplant team.
2. Sarah and Susan returned home from the hospital after Sarah's 5 day block of chemo treatment.

The doctor at Dana Farber is on vacation this week so we couldn't set up the meeting. They are going to be calling us back early next week to set up the meeting. We're ready for the meeting, but at the same time, we're not ready for it. Please pray that Susan and I will be able to incorporate what's happening into our lives per God will.

Sarah started her most recent block of chemo treatment on Saturday afternoon. I stayed with Sarah at the hospital over the weekend since Susan had a one day (thankfully) bout with food poisoning. Susan and Sandra (Susan's sister) came back to the hospital Sunday afternoon to relieve me. Susan stayed with Sarah until she came home today. Sarah had a fever for days ending Monday night. The folks at the hospital changed Sarah's PICC line (IV that runs from your arm straight to your heart) dressing yesterday. The dressing is the part that hangs outside your arm. This was really unnerving for Sarah and hard for Susan to be a part of (but she did). When I came home from work, Sarah walked up to me smiling and hugged my legs. It felt good to see her and Susan.

We'll be watching for fevers again and doing what we can to keep them at bay. Please pray that Sarah will be able to stay home until the bone marrow transplant check-in. We think the transplant check-in will be near the end of July.

I've been painting the basement after work with Jacob (my oldest son) and some of my other boys. We plan to move the boys into the basement so I can set Sarah and the new baby up in a separate room after she comes home from the BMT.

I'll try to do a better job of keeping the updates more frequent, but frankly it's been a very tiring week.

Our family has recieved a lot of cards, emails, meals, phone calls, taxi service, monetary donations, gifts, help with our children, offers to help..., blessings. I know for certain we have not directly thanked everyone, but Susan and I often talk about the things that you've done and we feel God's hand lifting us up. Thank you...
-Mark 1:30-33

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

Ben, Susan, and all of the Jones kids, Know that whatever any of us can possibly do for Sarah and all of you we understand you greatly appreciate it and we know that you understand what each of us does is out of love for you and your family. If you have even a minute, which I imagine is hard to find, please use that time to be with Sarah, the other kids, a moment for you and Susan or a minutes rest for each of you. Knowing we are able to do anything much less something that brings a smile to Sarah's or any of your faces is the only thanks we need. I am mailing a box of surprises for all of the kids Saturday, June21st. Glad to hear Sarah is home. We lift up Sarah and all of your family in prayer daily. In God's love, Ruth and Ella