Hardin is still in a holding pattern. His white blood count is at 0.1 for the 17th day, which is a start. We are just waiting for the white count to start the upward climb when those baby cells take hold and decide to stay!
The rash bioscopy came back and it is pre-host vs. graft . . . which means that his body is aware that someone new is there trying to be part of him. It requires him to cover his body from head to toes in steroid cream, wait 30 minutes and then repeat the coverage with a very heavy vaseline to leave on. I think Hardin now understands the term, "Slippery and slimmy"!!!
There is no way to tell you what a day will hold: swelling of legs, face & body, rash, sleeping, awake, hungry, not eating, high blood pressure . . . but the constants through out is:
1. God's unending guidance and Grace;
2. Hardin's attitude of "I can do this!";
3. The quality of care and concern from the staff of MD Anderson.
4. The devotion of each of you in constant and continuing prayer.
We take this moment as a gift and opportunity . . . a fast, hard lesson in 'living in this moment'.
I'm sending this as an email and will post it on the blog. Some of you have said you won't be able to do the blog and others have said, yea! So . . .
I'll continue to send emails with updates and then post all my too many words to the blog.
The one person I want to say a special "Thank You" to is a Renaissance man for all times . . . Johnny Bale.
He has made it possible for me to be with Hardin as needed. He has provided us with a great apt or Houston home. He continues to fly between LR & Houston without complaining. When he's here in Houston he is washing clothes, preparing home cooked meals from pot roast with fabulous veggies - to chicken and dumplings, running errands, bringing breakfast or anything else we need/want. He listens to Hardin and me with the diplomacy of an ambassador. He is on the phone trying to help Hunter with an every changing business. He is simply and forever the purest example of a man of God, a Godly husband, daddy and friend I have ever known. He doesn't have to preach a sermon . . . he just lives his life as one.
When Nancy Tillman wrote, On the Night You Were Born she had each of us in mind, but especially Johnny Bale for the last two pages:
"For never before in story of rhythm. Not even "once upon a time" . . . has there ever been a you my friend, and never will be again.
Heaven blew every trumpet and played every horn . . . on the wonderful, marvelous night you were born."!!!
. . . Happy Birthday Sunday, March 27 to you Johnny Bale. Happy day to the world . . . YOU were born!!!
Happy Birthday also to the daughter-of-our-heart, Brooke Bale. She and Johnny share the 27th and it's her first birthday as Evans' mother!
With gratitude for each of you and the days you were born!!!
Sharon
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