Tuesday

Well, we are at two weeks tonight, when we first received the fateful news that changed the course of our lives onto a new path which we now find ourselves walking on and experiencing the unknown around every corner. What we have found as we have traveled this two week path is that God is the same as he was three weeks ago. He is immutable (unchanging) and we know His love for us as His people is the same today as it was three weeks ago. We know that it is God who holds our very lives in his hand which is the same today as it was three weeks ago. We know that God doesn’t give us more than we are able to handle which is the same today as it was three weeks ago. We know that God is the giver and taker of life and it is His decision on the timing and He uses it for His glory, which is the same today as it was three weeks ago. We know that God answers prayer and He tells us in His word to let our requests be known to Him, which is the same today as it was three weeks ago. So, while we are experiencing a very new path in our life, there sure are a lot of familiar things about this path compared to the last one we were on which is very comforting and the source of our peace.

This morning Bonnie was put through another bone marrow biopsy to determine whether or not the marrow (where the cell production originates) is clear of the blast (leukemia) cells. At this point we are still waiting for the initial results, so most likely we will not hear anything until tomorrow (Wednesday).
Physically, Bonnie is up and down, but her emotional strength is incredibly strong. Other than some anxiousness prior to the biopsy procedure this morning (that is until the doctors gave her the “good” stuff to help her relax), Bonnie has been a rock and I think that is most likely apparent to those of you reading her blog posts. There is only one explanation for this and that would be God’s response to the hundreds of people praying for our situation. The peace and contentment we both have and are experiencing “surpasses all comprehension” of our finite minds. Many times in the past I have made references to God’s abundant peace, but in the middle of the storm is the eye, and it is so challenging to describe what it really is like unless you have been there.

This morning (prior to the drugs) we discussed the Apostle Paul’s afflictions and suffering that Bonnie mentioned in her blog post and how God used him in multiple ways to advance the kingdom of Christ. We have already seen several ways that God might put to use our circumstances in a similar way (although I feel extremely uncomfortable putting our situation in the same paragraph as the Apostle Paul….it doesn’t even come close to his afflictions and suffering). God might use our situation to spiritually impact the nursing staff here at Sparrow, possibly someone reading this blog, or someone viewing the graduation commencement streaming video are a few examples. We have no clue on all the ways that God could use this to draw someone to a saving relationship with Christ, but we know He many times works in mysterious ways.

From a physical perspective, Bonnie has not been able to do her laps around the floor for the past four days due to fatigue. Her lips are severely chapped and she has developed a sore in her mouth under her tongue that the doctors are watching. No food tastes or sounds good to her. For breakfast she had a few graham crackers with milk and for lunch and dinner she had a half bowl of chicken broth and about four spoonfuls of cottage cheese. Please pray that she will find the energy and desire to eat more, particularly protein. She continues to spike fevers that range from the low 99s to a high of 102. It seems to be controllable by Tylenol, although each day that it spikes above 100 degrees brings additional blood cultures and chest xrays. Her hair is starting to come out at an accelerated pace. I have been washing it every other morning and this morning there was quite an amount in the sink as well as on the floor where she was sitting to blow dry it…..so it’s only a matter of time and we’ll most likely cut it shorter in the interim.

One positive note is that just tonight they disconnected the one main IV drip, as this one constant drip is not needed right now due to the completion of the chemo and all the other drips like calcium and antibiotics are usually only an hour or two during the day. So Bonnie can sleep tonight with a little freedom and maneuver through the room to use the bathroom in the middle of the night without having to wheel the contraption with her everywhere she goes.

So as I conclude, we look forward to the next corner we will turn tomorrow on this new journey God is taking us on. We will turn the corner boldly, no matter what is on or along the path we must face. Thank you for your interest in Bonnie’s status and in this blog. I can’t sign off without once again thanking you for all your prayers, cards, meals, help with Cassandra’s upcoming openhouse, etc.. From the bottom of our hearts, thank you.