February 20, 2006

Everybody brace themselves, you are reading a post by a new author. Tina's cold is so bad, she has asked me to post tonight. Though it is her project and therapy, I am not scared to step up to the plate. Though there is so much to say, I will keep it brief.

First, this gives me an opportunity to thank everyone for their support. You are all carrying us through this journey. We could not do this alone and will not be able to finish it off alone. It has been a tough journey thus far and will continue to be. As Dora says in every episode, "We need your help!" Your support, prayers, and positive attitudes will help Leah and our family get to where we need to be - healthy! We are truly blessed to be surrounded by so many wonderful people and will never forget.

Second, I do hope that this situation has raised an awareness that that the fight against childhood cancer is a worthy cause. 50,000 families in North America will be on this same journey with a child afflicted with some form of cancer in the next five years. Please support the Ronald McDonald House, American Cancer Society, Dance Marathon, Children's Miracle Network, St. Jude's, etc. I pray everyday that our future is one that holds a cure for all forms of childhood cancer.

One of my ongoing lines over the past few months has been, "Every family should have to spend a weekend on our pediatric oncology/hematology unit in Iowa City." It is a very eye opening experience and we see children that could move mountains by themselves. It also reitierates the fact that we have all been given many gifts and that most problems in our lives should be taken with a grain of salt. Everyday is a day to utilize our gifts to the utmost! God has laid many opportunities right before our eyes. Though some may not seem so good, through His and our positive spirits, we to can move mountains, just like the children on 7 JCE!

Relatively speaking, Leah had a great day. She remains very active and in good spirits. Her blood draw at Covenant went very well. She did not even shed a tear when her port was accessed. That fact alone, brought a tear to my eye. She was so tough and the staff at Covenant hit a home run by making her feel very comfortable. Her electrolytes are where they need to be. This is good news because it means her meds for her kidneys are right on track. Leah's white blood cells were low, so we did start her GCSF shots (which reduce the severity of low counts due to chemo, thus lowering the chance of infection). Nobody likes a shot, but Leah didn't dwell on it too much. Thursday will be a HUGE day! Not only are we expecting better scan results, we are also expecting her to have a blood transfusion due to a borderline Hemoglobin count today. Pray that all goes well!

Congratulations to the Wartburg Wrestling team for conquering their 14th consecutive Iowa Conference Tournament. I was able to watch it re-broadcast on T.V. It is very motivating to be a has been of a program that possesses such postive vibes, not only for their current athletes but the has beens as well. Good luck at DIII Nationals! I also need to put a plug in for the W-SR team and the two Denver-Tripoli grapplers who will be competing this week. Best of luck. Sorry to all you basketball fans, I just couldn't resist talking a little wrestling.

Blessings,

Chris