Day 1: Go Home?

Krista checked in to the City Of Hope late yesterday.  Monday is a busy day here, so there was a lot of waiting for appointments, followed by waiting for a room to open.  There were no rooms in the allogenic transplant (6th) floor of the new building, and there was a chance that we might have had to stay in the old building.  The Lord answered our prayer and made it possible to be in the new building in a floor very like the allogenic translant floor -- it's on the autologous transplant (5th) floor!  Why do they have separate floors for the two types?  I don't know, but there must be enough of each to demand it.  They do a lot of stem cell transplants here.  They will move her upstairs sometime before the transplant, but we don't know exactly when that will be.

The day was emotional for Krista, as she was actually feeling good and didn't want to give up her freedom.  Who wants to start a painful treatment when you're feeling good.  Plus, she didn't like that I was joining her in her medical prison so she told me that she was doing fine and I should go home.  If all went well the next day, I agreed that I would.

But I'm still here!  After a late evening dose of chemo, Krista didn't sleep well.  When I got up to do a early morning phone meeting for work, she looked like she was doing OK with the lack of sleep, but a couple of hours later when I got back she was in severe migraine pain.  It stuck with her all day, even though they gave her some strong pain meds, causing lots of grogginess.  There's another chemo dose happening right now, so we'll see how she does with it tonight.  Maybe tomorrow will be different.

The boys are at home with their grandparents, Glenn and Jannelle.  It was really nice that they could come out from Colorado for a while to stay with them.  They've had a lot of help also with getting the kids to and from school (thanks Nancy, Nora, and Bonnie!) and meals (thanks Melanie and Julie).  It's been a while since I wrote last, so I also need to thank Jessika, Marta, Willow, Jill, Betsy, Alyssa, Jill, Elaine, Mia, Jacqueline, April, Marsi, and Susan for the meals you brought.  All of you are so awesome and we're so grateful for the help!

I think we're all in need of some good rest, and I can't think of any better way to get it than to seek it in Christ.  Lord, take this hardship and turn it for Your Glory.

[Jesus speaking] “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” (Matthew 11:28-30)