Dear family & friends,
Please excuse the delay in posting this latest update. Much has happened since our last report. We are glad to report that not only was Ginny approved for a kyphoplasty but she had this procedure done. Seven spots on her spine were filled. This has already strengthened her. She has not had to walk with a walker or with a brace the last week or so. Her pain has also decreased. Needless to say this has been encouraging to Ginny.
Last week, Ginny was admitted to Cedars Sinai for chemo and blood harvesting. She entered the hospital with a fever and was very sick. She was placed in isolation due to her immune suppression condition. But with antibiotics and nausia medication she regained her health. They also were able to successfully harvest more than enough stemcells for her upcoming transplant. Before she was discharged from the hospital her blood count was sufficient enough that she didn’t have to be in isolation and eat the strictest diet. That too was a relief to us all. She, however, still needs to avoid any public gatherings, sick people and anything that would be risky to eat. Ginny is also slowly trying to adjust to her new hairstyle. She was given some nice head coverings and wraps which will give her a new look. All of these adjustments are very difficult but she has faced each of them with courage and a few tears.
When she returned home the conditions in our county were dark and smoky. We tried to keep everything closed up and clean as possible. Today the air seems cleaner and there is even a glimpse of blue in the sky. For the next week her job and ours is to get her and keep her as healthy and strong as possible. She will be readmitted to Cedar Sinai on Monday, November 5 for her stemcell transplant. This is the great and big event she has been preparing for. For three days she will undergo strong chemo treatment. This will place her in extreme immune suppression. On the third day they will infuse her captured stemcells back into her system to “rescue” her. Then she will be isolated off from the general public in a special wing of the hospital. She will again occupy an isolation room designed for this time. Only family and a few care-givers will be able to visit her during this time. The doctors are very encouraged not only at her progress but her prognosis.
As we await Ginny’s stemcell we look back with awe on the journey we have been on. On April 26th we learned of her cancer. A few days later she was very sick and hospitalized. Next came the months and months of chemo treatment and all that went with that. At the end of this phase the doctors pronounced her in remission, which was a major answer to prayer. She has gone through immune suppression. She has even had her stemcells successfully harvested ……and now we await the next essential phase…the transplant. Ginny will be hospitalized for at least 2 1/2 weeks in isolation. Depending on her condition she may be released as early as Thanksgiving or by December. She will then need to be in isolation at home for approximately another 6 weeks through Christmas. It will be another time of immune suppression and extreme healthcare conditions. After this she will await tests and her doctor’s assessment. The journey has been long and difficult but her destination of health is finally in sight.
As we look back over the last six months we can see the hand of God in our lives. We have seen His hand as the hand of wonderful doctors and nurses. We have felt His hand as the hand of the most gracious care-givers possible. They have dedicated themselves to caring for Ginny five days a week, sometimes eight hours a day. They have loved and cared for her with exceptional attention. They have driven her to doctor’s appointments and encouraged her with a lunch at a place of Ginny’s choice. She loves these women as true Christian sisters. We had one family let me use their condo near Cedar Sinai during Ginny’s stay. We have had people clean our house, wash our cloths, make our beds, prepare our meals and love us in so many ways. What a testimony to the love of Christ in and through His church. The elders, pastors, staff and beloved congregation have stepped up to help us in so many ways. Some have taken up the slack for my absence while others have lifted us up with their prayers. We have also experienced God’s loving hands through our family. Our girls, Christy, Carrie and Katie along with their spouses and children have lifted our spirits and provided whatever was needed to make this time possible. We are so grateful for their shopping, encouragement and help. They are the joy of our life!
It is hard to explain to someone what it is like to be covered in prayer unless you have been the target of massive prayer but it is an unusual peace and a definite comfort hard to describe. So to all of you who have sent cards, flower (by the way she can’t receive any more flowers at this stage of her treatment) and gifts we send to you again our deepest thanks.
Pray for our health and perseverence as we enter the next phase of Ginny’s life. With your prayers and the mighty hand of God we shall look back with gratitude and a renewed desire to serve you.
”We thank our God in all our remembrance of you, always in every prayer of ours for you all making our prayers with joy, because of your partnership with us in the gospel from the first day until now” (Phil. 1:3-5)
Clasped in God’s stron caring hands.
Don & Ginny
