Janessa's Journey

This is the latest Janessa update....

It's been two months since Janessa's last chemo treatment and the docs were starting to get a little nervous. They don't normally like to wait so long between treatments, but she's been so healthy and everything looks good, she just takes her own sweet time getting the numbers back to where they need to be.

Last week was an anxious time for us. Her ANC usually goes up pretty slowly, but it always go up. Last week was NOT the case. She actually dropped 100 points. The decision was made that if she didn't reach 1,000 by today, her doctor was going to take a bone marrow sample and see what's going on inside. Thank God for prayer and so many people asking for His hand to work.....her ANC is at 1300 so we don't need to have the bone marrow sample taken. It is such a relief for us because it's not a fun process at all....but she is spared.

We will however admit her on Tuesday, the 7th so she can start her 4th round of chemo. It is the same as the 1st and 3rd rounds where she will receive two medicines for 96 hours straight through IV. She will also get an oral chemo every 12 hours. By Saturday around 9:30 PM, this round will be over.

Janessa will be two years old on Monday, the 13th. We were hoping to be home for her birthday, but with being just off of chemo, we'll wait the few weeks until she can be home and we'll have a big celebration then.

As we were talking and praying with our other four kids tonight before bed, they were talking about all the things we haven't been able to do as a family this year and they long for this to be over. One of them wanted to know why we are the ones going through it and we asked "Who do you know that you would rather go through it?" "No one should have to go through this", was the reply.....but through it we are going. And our kids are becoming stronger. And we are becoming stronger. And our God is becoming dearer and more real with each treatment.

Well, I still have to pack and it will be an early morning and a long day, so I need to try and get some kind of sleep tonight. I know I'll lie awake and think of all the things I forgot to pack....but I'll try anyway. And I'll update from the hospital as time allows.

May the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, keep our hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.

Please keep praying. She will definitely be spending her 2nd birthday in the hospital BUT the Lord has been so good to allow her counts to go up and spare her the bone marrow sample! Praise the Lord, for his mercy endures forever!!

Please remember to send her a birthday card if you haven't already and maybe even a card for her siblings/parents. I know it will mean the world to her family. It will certainly mean the world to me.

Thank you for following this journey with Janessa and praying for her and her family each step of the way. You are a blessing to them even though you may not know it!

Love and hugs,