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Rallying – Thursday, January 7, 2016

On January 8, 2016 by Michelle Love

Thursday, January 7, 2016…49 days in the hospital

We received some news this week that we weren’t expecting, but that’s how cancer does things. It tries to rip you out of your frame and devastate you, ruin you, tear down your spirit. We are not allowing this evil to tear anything down. So, I’ll tell you what the medical staff says, and then I’ll tell you what is really happening here.

On Tuesday, BJ’s white count was 0.4. We weren’t expecting to hear that there were 41% leukemia blast cells. With these lab results, the doctors said that his bone marrow was still packed with leukemia for it to already be in his peripheral blood. His CT scan revealed a much larger pleural effusion in his right lung from the prior CT, which the doctors said was most likely leukemia, and his thymus gland was also enlarged, likely leukemia.The plan is to put him on Decadron again, to knock down the leukemia cells.

BJ asked if I thought that some people could come pray with him all at once. I told him I’d make that happen. Tuesday afternoon, BJ decided he wanted to try to stand up again. He stood with the tool that the physical therapist left for him. His hamstrings are so tight that it hurt to stand. We did some leg, ankle and foot stretches, and he stood back up a second time. This time he stood all the way up. Knees locked, opened his shoulders, and was so much taller than I remembered! Standing and opening his shoulders helped his oxygen saturation greatly. He stood much longer than the first time and then sat back down. He also sat up in the bed most of the day, and worked with his incentive spirometer to help force deeper breathing.

Yesterday, he rallied. He was even more determined to get up and get outside, and if you saw the pictures, he did it. Also a first, he put his shoes on. His feet still hurt a little, but are much better than they were. We spent about 15 minutes outside, and when we came back in, he stood up on the scales, pulling himself up from the wheelchair with a little help. After getting his weight, he turned and walked (with balance assistance) back to his bed – at least a 6 foot distance.

Last night, a group of serious prayer warriors answered BJ’s call out, and prayed over him, laying hands on him, joined together. It was a powerful experience. We are standing firm in our faith, and believe that God is already healing BJ. Miracles happen everyday. He WILL walk out of this hospital.

BJ slept all night, and for the first night in quite a while, did not require any additional oxygen. He slept most of today (Thursday) as well. He was very tired today, so he didn’t get up, but sat upright for several hours. It was the first day in at least a week, that BJ did not require a platelet transfusion. His platelet count was 11k. He did not need a blood transfusion either, as his hemoglobin was 11.2k, the highest it’s been in a long time. If the recent pattern was going to repeat itself, today would have been the day he needed blood. All of his electrolytes were normal today. He hasn’t needed additional oxygen since Wednesday morning.

We are waiting on God’s timing, as His plan for BJ’s life unfolds, and are already celebrating his complete healing. There is no room for doubt, no room for fear or worry. There is only faith and believing. BJ has had this complete resolute faith all along.