Calling All Prayer Warriors

The FISH results are in... Jenson's numbers are down again. :-(

The engraftment percentage is now at 89%. From 97% to 95% to 89% - definitely not the right direction.

Dr Tiffany told us our first step at this stage is to stop his immuno-suppressive medications. These medicines suppress Sydney's cells. The reason they use them is to prevent a transplant related disease called graft vs host disease (GvHD). It is a common complication after a bone marrow transplant from another person where immune cells (white blood cells) in the donated marrow (the graft) recognize the recipient (the host) as "foreign". The transplanted immune cells then attack the host's body cells. GvHD can be serious and lifelong. The last thing we want to do is trade one disease for another.

But with declining engraftment numbers, this is a risk we must take. We are calling all prayer warriors to please pray Sydney's cells will completely take over Jenson's body and help us win the battle that rages. Please pray for no graft vs host disease. Please pray for strength.

Our worst fears are once again rearing their ugly head...fear the transplant won't work, fears histio will never go away, fears Jenson will have to suffer more, fears we will have to do a second transplant. Really, how many times are we going to be asked to "not worry" and "have faith" only to have our worst fears come true? Three years is enough. I am so sick of this... sick of the emotional rollercoaster, sick of histio, sick of sweet little Jenson suffering because of this awful disease. I hate it so much.

I know God is in control (even when it doesn't feel like it at all). I beg that the healing that started in Jenson's little body will continue.

Kristin