January 5th, 2022

Lucy was so brave during her port access on Tuesday! She was really scared, partly I think because it had been awhile since she had had it done. But she was able to fight through her fear and get it done. I'm so proud of her! Thank you so much for all of your prayers for today. Lucy started chemo yesterday. She is only getting two chemo drugs this time. Both are relatively low doses so side effects should be minimal. She gets one dose before bed and one in the morning. The rest of the time we just get to hang out. She is even able to be detached from her IV so she doesn't have to drag a pole around. That is really nice. Unfortunately, COVID policies have made things more difficult for everyone. If everything goes well Lucy is supposed to get her port out as soon as she gets a few more tests after her treatment ends. But elective surgeries are currently on hold because of the rise in cases. This could delay her getting her port out a month or more, depending on when they change the policy. This isn't too bad, but with a central line to her heart, any fever causes a fear of infection in her heart and results in an immediate ER trip. Plus it hurts whenever she gets bumped in the chest. So it would be nice to have the port out as soon as possible. In light of everything else, it isn't too much to complain about though. There are several new diagnosis patients on the floor right now which has the doctors and nurses pretty busy. In the midst of our celebrating Lucy being done, it is sobering to remember that so many families are just starting on this difficult journey. And many of them will have a much rougher journey than we had. We were so blessed to have the chemo be very effective and to have such amazing support from our community. I feel so incredibly blessed. Our doctor is really on our hearts. He and the other doctors carry a heavy load with lives of all these precious children in their hands. Please join us in praying for them, for strength and wisdom and for good support systems in their own lives. Our main doctor is a believer with a strong faith, so we are praying for his witness to his patients and coworkers. Thank you again to all of you for your support in so many ways! Your prayers have carried us through this. And thank you for your prayers as we begin the recovery process this spring. We have had to put so much on hold, everyone in our family is in need to emotional, spiritual and physical recovery. Prayer needs: - For the endurance to finish well in this last week of chemo and the following appointments - For us to be a witness and a help in some way to the medical staff and the other patients and their families. - For restoration and healing for all of us