If you had a Choice….
Hello from St. Jude’s,
Catie’s weight and counts continue to climb. I, personally, am elated. I never wanted to be a cheerleader, but find myself the Captain of Catie’s Team. In the next few days a few things will be scheduled that will blow my mind from a scheduling point of view. Catie will need to have the remaining stem cells that she needs for her next rounds of chemo collected. This is a process called pheresis. It will take anywhere from 6 hours to 2 days. The only notice that you are given is that it will begin on the next day. Catie may also need transfusions before, during or after depending on how she does. This may take anywhere from an additional 4 hours at any point in the process. How does one plan for this???
As I opened my mouth to speak and ask the good doctor how I was supposed to feed my child during this time, something stopped me. The doctor looked into my eyes and offered this. If you had your choice between a crazy and unpredictable schedule which changes without warning and is admittedly very frustrating or Catie’s response to the treatment as it is, which would you choose? The doctor went on to say that Catie has not run a fever or picked up an infection, she is eating and gaining weight, she is happy and outgoing, she is doing her homework and enjoying life as best she can and today her counts have begun to rise steadily for the second day in a row. Which would you choose a good schedule or a good response?
So even me with my “more/better” attitude for life, I had to admit that God is visibly with Catie and that He has provided for us with Catie’s response to the treatment. When it comes to more better – always think of God. He is the King of more and better. His generosity will never be out done – if that is not more better – what is?
Halloween has begun at St. Jude’s. It is taken to the extreme of childhood delights. Tonight Catie dressed up and went Trick or Treating throughout Target House. She won’t eat any of the candy so she was thrilled that she received some other things to play with as well. Tomorrow there is a party at the Pavilion and we will see if we can make that in between appointments. In the course of the next week I understand that the entire hospital will be transformed into something amazing. We will keep you posted.
As we offer our prayers of thanksgiving to God each night, please know that we include all of you in our prayers. There are many other children here who also need your prayers. Please keep all the children of St. Jude’s in your prayers.
God Bless and good night,
Christine, Catie and Maggie from St. Jude’s and Kevin, Max, Mia, Molly and M.E. in Mechanicsburg
