Thursday, August 30, 2007

The Results

"The work which His goodness began, the arm of His strength will complete;
His promise is Yea and Amen, and never was forfeited yet.
Things future, nor things that are now, nor all things below or above,
Can make Him His purpose forgo, or sever my soul from His love."
- A Debtor to Mercy Alone
Augustus Toplady

My biopsy resuilts came back clear today, allowing us to proceed with a second transplant! We are so greatful to God for what is nothing less than a miracle. The next step is insurance approval, and then they will begin testing Elizabeth (Lizzie) to make sure she can be my donor. (They do heart tests, chest x-ray, and lots of bloodwork.) She will also need to begin a four day round of Neupogen shots to stimulate her marrow to kick stem cells into the bood, where they can be obtained peripherally. I will remain in the hospital for now as my counts are still pretty much at zero. At sound point I will begin an 8 day regimen of chemo prior to the stem cell infusion.

In the meantime I'm still continuing with fevers off and on, and I feel like I have the flu as my marrow works double-time to produce new cells. Everything hurts and I have a Dilautid pain pump to use which helps, but usually just takes the edge off of things and leaves me in a state of semi-sleep all the time. I haven't had to deal wih daily pain like this at all throughout my illness, though I know other AML patients struggle with it, and I am finding it to be a new challenge.

Thanks, as always, for your prayers!

45 comments:

Lacey said...

That is wonderful news! :)

Praying for you in AL
-Lacey

Me said...

Amy,

I am rejoicing with you and your family. I praise God for allowing this second transplant. I will be praying for your fevers and for Lizzie.

I am just so grateful to God for sustaining you this far. I will continue to pray for complete healing.

Thank you for your continued witness to God's goodness and mercy.

God Bless you!

Ann Voskamp @Holy Experience said...

Praise God from whom all blessings flow!
Miracle!
Grace!
Today, now, this moment!

Rejoicing with you.
Rest easy.
Radically trust.

Grace and Peace,
Ann

Anonymous said...

Amy-
I praise Jesus for this and just rejoice you are being given another chance! I will now pray for the details to move quickly so this can get done! :-)
Also, praying your pain will minimize and that your fevers will subside.
Take care, honey!
Blessings,
Shari

Lisa M said...

So glad to hear the great news! I'll be praying for you and for your donor and her tests.

Anonymous said...

We are so thankful for the test results. We also continue in prayer depending in the direction and provision of our Lord.

Thank you for your witness to these things too.

Strength and peace to you all.
Don and Lilan

Colleen said...

We are grateful to God for His wondrous mercy to you! May He continue to hold you all as you proceed to transplant.

With love from the Moeller Family

Carrie said...

Praise the Lord for His kindness! We'll keep praying.

Anonymous said...

Praise our mighty, might God!

Jessica said...

Praise God! This is awesome news and I am so happy that you are getting to get the second transplant! Praying for you and Lizzie and your family!

Anonymous said...

Praise the mercifulness of God! Here's praying for the rest of the procedures (insurance, and Lizzie approvals, etc.) to go quickly. We are originally from the St. Louis metro area, now living temporarily in Monterey, CA.
Bob and Mary

Kim said...

Oh, Amy! I am so happy!!! I am happy for you and your family! I am thanking the Lord with you for this miracle and His faithfulness!

I will be praying for your brave younger sister, Lizzie, as she prepares for this! What a sweet help for you.

I will also be praying for your strength and physical comfort as you go through these days of fever and pain. I have no idea the suffering you experience. We can always know that God is with us every step of the way, through each amount of pain and difficulty, he promises to be faithful to His promises.

Somehow, we rest in that...through God's strength, not our own.

I will keep praying!

Boomeyers said...

God is great! :-)

Will be sending prayers down Hwy 70 for your comfort and that of your sisters! Hope all goes well!

Anonymous said...

Awesome update! So glad to hear that prayers are being answered and you can move toward another transplant.

I continue to pray for you for minimal effects from the chemo and your illness in general. Your body must get so tired of all the chaos!

You are an amazingly strong woman and even though I know you hurt and get scared and weep, I pray for these things too for you and ask God to give you grace, peace, mercy, and comfort throughout your stay in the hospital.

Hugs and prayers...

Sandy said...

THANK GOD!!!!!!!!!!

Will continue to pray!

Sandy

Barbie @ Mamaology said...

Amy I am praying for you! You have been through so much... I think of you often. So thankful that you can have the second transplant.

Lord please be merciful to Amy and heal her body. Take away the pain she is feeling now and give her body rest from it. Prepare her and her sister for the transplant and let it be successful. Give her strength for each day. Amen.

Kevin P. Larson said...

Great to hear! Still praying for you!

Anonymous said...

Great to hear that good news! We'll keep praying for you.

Anonymous said...

Hi Amy,
I don't even know you but I have been following your story from the beginning - I am not even sure I remember how I found your blog. My eyes are full of tears as I rejoice with you about the news of the plans for the transplant. I pray that Lizie's tests will go well and the transplant will be a success - you have been such an inspiration this past year -
Debbie

Anonymous said...

YAYAYAYAYA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Praise the Lord!

Anonymous said...

Oh Amy....I am so so so so overjoyed!! And I, too, am thanking God for this new chance at a new beginning!!!
Praying for complete healing here too!

~Debi

lightshines said...

Praise the Lord! What wonderful news! Amen. You are blessed and you are loved by so many.

Anonymous said...

Praise the Lord!!!
You and your family will continue to be in my prayers.
((hugs))

Wendy said...

Amy, this is wonderful news I will continue to keep you in my prayers for relief from pain, no fevers and that the insurance breezes right though.

Anonymous said...

What wonderful news! Praising God with you. Our God is an awesome God.

Emily (Laundry and Lullabies) said...

Amy, what wonderful news! I'm so, so, SO glad!

Pam said...

What wonderful news Amy!

I am praying that God will sustain you through the rest of this process so that you can finally be free of all this pain - and go home to clean your bathrooms:)

Especially Heather said...

Yay!!! Praise God.

I have been praying so very hard...
-H

Sis. Julie said...

All I know to say is AMEN!!! Praise the Lord!! What a blessing to hear this wonderful news. We will continue to pray for the insurance approval. God brought you this far...He's not about to leave you or stop working now. Thank you for the continued updates. Love you!!

Anonymous said...

I just want to cry --- so so happy and relieved for this news! Thank you, dear heavenly Father, for another chance for Amy. Please heal her, God! Amen

Anonymous said...

What a mighty God we serve!

Rejoicing with you.

Praise God.

Anonymous said...

Amy, I am so thankful that you are going to be able to have a second transplant, and thankful for Lizzie being willing to donate stem cells for you. I do a prayer guide for my Sunday School class once a month, and I'm doing one this weekend. We have been praying for you since the beginning, and I can now put a great big Praise in there for you. Still praying for complete healing and a long, blessed life with your sweet family. Thank you for keeping us informed of your progress. I will pray with you for an end to the fevers and pain. God bless you sweetie. Love you, Jackie Dennison

Rays Family said...

Amen! Our family continues to keep you and your family in our prayers.

From Michigan

PartyofFive said...

What wonderful news! I have been following your blog for awhile, but don't often post. Many prayers that the transplant happens as planned and is successful.

Me said...

I'm reading this from the library as I haven't had a decent connection at home... and I have tears in my eyes from happiness, ready to fall down my cheeks.

Do you KNOW how silly I look sitting at the public library crying with happiness? LOL.

Tammy said...

Praise the Lord for His answer to the many prayers being lifted on your behalf. May He continue to strengthen and heal your body! You remain in my prayers and I appreciate you sharing your difficult journey and His amazing grace through it with all of us!

Anonymous said...

Praise the Lord, Amy! He is so good to us and knows just what we need every moment. We are so thankful for the miracle and pray that all goes well with insurance and all the other things that follow this news. We continue to pray for you much throughout the day and love you dearly. Grandpa Ed and Grandma Linda

Mishel said...

This is wonderful news Amy! We continue to pray...

Tammy C said...

How exciting about the news.Will be praying for you and your sister as you enter another part of your journey.

Barb said...

Wonderful news, Amy. Hooray!

Amber D.M. said...

Hurray! Praising the Lord! As always, I'm continuing to pray for those miracles. =)

Love you all!
~ Amber

Anonymous said...

"I wait for the Lord, my soul waits and in His word I put my hope." Psalm 130:5
Thinking about you and sending prayers as you wait. Ivy

Anonymous said...

Praises to God for His goodness!! Praying for your fevers to subside and for you to feel better today!
Cindy

Anonymous said...

Praise the Lord! What a wonderful blessing you are, Amy - we are all learning about the real power of prayer through your journey. I thank God for answering our prayers. I pray that He would ocntinue to bless you and continue to keep you near. God is so good.

I pray your pain subsides. God bless you,

Anonymous said...

Praise the Father!
We rejoice with you in this good news. We will continue to pray for
you as you face your second transplant.

"The Lord is my stength and my shield. My heart trusts in Him, and I am helped; therefore, my heart exults, and with my song I shall praise and thank Him."
Ps. 28:7

Be assured of our continued prayers
for you and Lizzie.

Your friends in Maryland!