Prayer Report: Lord's Day 24 and 25

The past two weeks have been full of milestones and big events. Andrew passed Day 50 of 100 Days of transplant September 13. He received his results from the bone marrow test from the week before. He is doing well and he received a good report. His new bone marrow has engrafted significantly and is functioning well so far. His engraftment has reached 97% and no signs at this point of not reaching the 100% mark in the future. However,  this is a matter of ongoing prayer because a BMT is not a game of horseshoes so 99% isn't good enough. He was at 96% when he left the hospital so he is moving up! He is beginning to work daily on his school work. His stamina is his greatest challenge these days. He feels well most of the time but the smallest amount of activity is exhausting for him. He received the good news that on November 2 he will be able to get out again. Lord willing we will be able to go eat lunch at Waffle House and go watch the Leake Rebels play in the second round of the playoffs.

The past two weeks have had many bright spots. Andrew was able to talk his sappy nurses and doctors into letting him escort Mabry Mayfield for the Leake Academy homecoming Rally. He was excited to be able to participate somewhat in a normal school event. He had to wait in the car till everyone was in the gym so that we could walk him in without being around everyone. He was exhausted after it was all over but loved every minute of it. We made most of the last home game for the Jr. High football game. He was able to see some of his best buddies through the fence.

The Lord has been very good to us throughout this entire trial. Robin and I look at each other sometimes and really have no idea how we have all made it through another week. Nothing is normal. We can not do a single routine weekly activity without having to make adjustments or accommodations that we never even considered would become an issue. Yet,  we remind ourselves that these "sufferings and head aches" are genuinely the blessing of Andrew still being alive and our family still being together. We press on by grace in the name of Christ striving to persevere to the glory of His name.

Prayer Report: Lord's Day 22 and 23

I apologize for missing our prayer report last week. I know that many who follow Andrew have access to the reports from other social media outlets but not all of his prayer warriors are connected to social media so I deeply regret missing the report. Andrew is doing well. Andrew was released from the hospital on Friday August 24. The original plan was for Andrew and Robin to stay in Jackson at a hotel suite arranged by the cancer clinic. That lasted about 24 hours before they were ready to just come on home. Sunday afternoon the 26th they came on home. His blood tests have been good and the doctors are pleased with his progress. He is exhausted and weak most of the time but he feels well otherwise. He has been back to the Cancer Clinic four times so far. He is no longer taking treatments but he does have to receive various medicines or supplements as a regular part of the process. He takes so many different types of medicines at this stage that you can easily imagine all of the side effects and interactions they are monitoring. The clinic trips have most often taken the whole day and because of his condition at this point they have to stay separated off from everyone in a clinic room. This past Thursday he had procedures for a bone marrow test and a skin biopsy to test for graft host disease. We will be waiting for the results of these tests over the next week. He is approaching the 50 day mark of transplant so he is about half way through his 100 days. We ask for your perseverance in prayer for Andrew and the family. He is not out of the woods yet. Although he is doing well and we are able to legitimately breathe a little easier than we were the first 30 days,  he could still face many complications and some of them could potentially be very critical. His spirits are ok. They are not as up and bright as we are use to seeing from Andrew. He knows and feels how much of life he is missing right now. In our little world of Madden, MS and Leake Academy the 7th grade is a major life transition and a right of passage. Missing out stings this time.  He has been able to watch some of his friends play football from afar. He has his first real jersey. But he is truly isolated. He and Robin both.

We are so thankful for the prayers and support. Our churches (Carolina and Carthage Presbyterian) have been so understanding. Leake Academy from the staff, students, and parents have been so patient and supportive of each of us with our own set of challenges from me as a parent and teacher as well as the girls as students and sisters. Pray that we will be able to finish strong. That our faith will not whither in the heat of the storm.   That our weariness will not turn into slack or apathy. That we will all be sources of daily gospel light for the grace and mercy of Christ within us. That we will not waste the opportunities of service that God has given to us during this season for Andrew.

We do hope to return to our regular Reports, Letters to Andrew,  Dispatches from Andrew, and Robin's Journal this week. We have been swamped with the burdens and pressures of trying to readjust into life at home with all of us together. The sun still rises and sets everyday regardless of the trials you are facing. Life is far from a regular routine at this point. Nonetheless, he is home and he is doing well. When he entered the hospital for his transplant the reality of him not seeing Madden, MS again was real. We praise God from Whom All blessings flow!

Prayer Report: Lord's Day 21

Andrew was released from the hospital on Day 30 of Bone Marrow Transplant this past Friday. He still hasn't made it all the way home to his own home and bedroom but he is free from all the IVs and machines. He is free to walk around as he pleases and can sleep in peace. He spent 40 days and 39 nights in the hospital after 11 days of trips to the hospital for radiation treatments. This all began the first week of April when his relapsed was confirmed. His treatment began immediately and eventually led to another initial stage of intensive chemo therapy treatment to get his raging T-Cell Leukemia back into remission. He is now beginning in earnest his new life. He is far from finished with his journey. His new bone marrow has ingrafted and is producing but his new immune system is a long ways from adjusted or developed. He is very weak and fatigued. He is still at risk for complications and relapse. These are the realities. They aren't just "possibilities" but are daily risks that will require multiple trips every week to the cancer clinic in order to aggressively monitor his recovery and growth. However, his Leukemia treatment is over! No more Chemo! No more radiation! No more regularly scheduled procedures and spinal tap treatments! He is no longer being "treated" for Leukemia. He is doing great for this stage of the process. We praise God for this moment. What does this mean? He has transitioned from a 12 to 24 hour cycle of waiting and watching to see if a critical or life threatening complication is going to arise to now watching daily and weekly to see if the short term success will last another 70 days or so. He fought through the treatment and the first 30 days of transplant and he is still alive. Success at this stage was far from a given. We celebrate this moment!

The old adage "you don't know what you don't know"  most certainly applies to Andrew's battle with a bone marrow transplant. We can't really explain it properly and it is impossible for those on the outside to even imagine how hard it is on the patient as well as the family. I'm not sure how any of the families survive this trial. I'm not convinced at this point that we have actually survived. The only thing certain at this point is that Leukemia changes everything and not one aspect of your life is left untouched or unchanged. The experience is almost always the opposite of what you expect. The immediate days after leaving the hospital are often the worse days emotionally and the most stressful. In the hospital is hard physically but it is at least a lot less stressful that life in the real world. You expect it to be a time of great celebration but in reality it is a time emotionally crashing. We call it Post Traumatic Hospital Stay Syndrome. Yet, through it all we find the reality of God's matchless grace always being sufficient. The smiles and joys are genuine and they are so special precisely because the dark hours are so real and beyond description.  Life doesn't stop and God provides the strength and perseverance to press on without you even realizing you are being strengthened. You press on in repentance and devotion. You cry out for renewal and He provides according to His promise and His steadfast love. All the while you are learning by experience all that God teaches us in His word.

Dispatches from Andrew

We're Back! Andrew sort of has his voice back now and tomorrow will be his first benchmark on his 100 Day Journey as tomorrow will be Day 30! You can listen to the podcast HERE

Prayer Report: Lord's Day 20

This week has been very draining yet positive. Andrew is finally trying to turn the corner on his road to recovery. His new Bone Marrow is developing very well. His counts are better than they have been since he was diagnosed. His doctors and nurses are very pleased with how he is progressing. He is approaching his first benchmark which is the 30 day mark. His doctors are now starting to discuss what steps need to be accomplished in order for him to come home. He is still struggling with the sores in his mouth and the pneumonia is naggingly hanging on. But, he is getting better on both fronts. He has gotten out of his room to walk laps for the first time in awhile. He hasn't been able to easily drink or eat yet but has started to drink some shakes and he has been taking his medicine by mouth. He is taking less pain medicine and using less oxygen. He still gets very tired and the pain does catch up to him a few times a day. Coughing causes significant pain and he coughs a lot due to his pneumonia.
Prayer Points:
The sores will get better so he can eat.
Pneumonia will clear up
He can come home
Bone Marrow will continue grafting.

Prayer Report: Lord's Day 19

   This Lord's Day will mark day 18 of transplant. All of Andrew's doctors are very pleased with how he is progressing. His counts are starting to build up slowly. His lungs appear to be healing up and so far he doesn't have any signs of complications. The suffering Andrew is experiencing is easing up only slightly at times but he still has a time or two everyday where he has an extended period of coughing which is excruciating for him.  The other times of the day he is primarily resting and he feels like he has a bad case of the flu. The suffering he is experiencing is from the mouth and throat sores. The best description we have been given to this point is that the skin of his throat and other places is essential shedding or peeling. He has moments when he can't even talk because of the pain. He is spitting up bloody mucous and filling up multiple containers a day. However, the pattern and tests seem to confirm the belief that the blood is primarily from the sores and his low platelet count.
     He is tired of it all as you can imagine. However, his spirits are still up. He gave his nurse a special gift of an electric shock pen. I still can't believe she fell for it. She shrieked at the top of her voice. This is not the first time she has been his victim so you would think she (all of them) would learn. He is just like his mother. He is looking forward to having a visit to the EMS Helipad once he is able to get out.
     He has a few more weeks before this first phase is over, Lord willing. He and Robin are weary but being kept and sustained. The prayer needs at this point are essential the same as they have been.

1) Bone Marrow to produce effectively in a safe manner and relieve Andrew from these sores.
2) Andrew's spirits will remain high as his suffering goes from hours, to days, and onto weeks.
3) Prayer for his mother as she struggles with me taking care of our home and her babies.
4) The girls as they are effectively being raised by a single parent dad.
5) Andrew's protection from the various fatal conditions that could arise in the coming weeks as the bone marrow does start to produce.
6) The Spiritual vitality of our home and the continual renewal of our faith and love for Christ. That we (parents and children) will grow in our hunger for and pursuit of holiness.

   
In Christ,
Perry

Letters to Andrew: You've Missed Too Much

Dear Andrew,

     Son, I praise God for all of the relationships and experiences you have made and had because of your season with Leukemia. However, I want you to know the truth about what we try so hard to keep you from seeing. It pierces our soul to watch you have to miss so much of your childhood. Today you are missing the first day of school. The first day of Junior High. A big 7th grader. You have already missed the 7th grade orientation night with your friends. Finding your locker. The stress, fear, and excitement of learning how to change classes on the big hall. You have already missed two "first day of school" and the entire third grade because of Leukemia. I see it in your eyes and hear it in your voice that you too are crushed. I know how much you love Leake Academy and being at school with your friends and teachers. You were barely 3 months old when we moved here to Madden, MS. It is truly the case that Leake Academy is your home. However, the most crushing part of all is that you will miss being on the big hall with all of your sisters. It is Julia's big Senior year. We have talked about this day all the years I have been teaching at Leake. The one year that you and your sisters would all be on the big hall together. When I patrol the breeze way in between classes and your 7th grade class walks through and are getting in everybody's way and holding up the line I will not see you walking in the middle of them all. The first time Coach Ray chews your class out at break and tells you that he does not have to feed you snack...you won't be there.

     You will also be missing yet another season of Leake Academy Football. Your first year to play real football on Thursday nights and to be on the sidelines Friday nights with the team as one who is also grinding it out on the practice field. You missed Alex's and William's senior year. Now, you'll miss Rocket's and Matt's. You will miss Coach Pickens and Ray arguing on the sideline and in the field house. "My Gosh!" "Would you just..." "Can we not..." and all your other favorite lines of the sideline show. And possibly your favorite of all time, you will miss pre-game and holding the door for boys as they leave our field house to go do battle on the field and when they return from the field to welcome them back home win or lose!
    I am so sorry that you have had to miss so much of the treasured joys of life. It is true that God's grace is sufficient and he has blessed you and us beyond measure through this trial.  But praising God doesn't mean denying reality. It doesn't mean suffering is any less or not real. In fact the opposite it is the case, the deeper the heartache the truer the joy he gives. He doesn't remove the fire but he strengthens you, helps you, and upholds you with his righteous right hand in the fire. He doesn't exempt you from affliction but keeps you from being truly crushed in the affliction.  Sometimes the absolute worse way that we can honor God is to act like the soul piercing affliction we are experiencing through the heartache and trial is anything less that utterly soul threatening and destroying if it wasn't for the wonderful and matchless grace of Jesus. I do not have the words to express to you just how much your momma is going to miss taking the last first day of school picture with all four of you in school together.  I too am going to miss you deeply in the hallway. But I will still see you. I will see you in the faces of all your friends and all of your heroes.

Love,
Daddy

Prayer Report: Lord's Day 18

     It is Saturday August 4 and tomorrow is the Lord's Day and it will  the 18th Lord's Day since Andrew's relapse and Day 11 of his bone marrow transplant. Wr shared last week about his increased suffering due to the normal development of mouth and throat sores from the transplant process. His suffering eventually subsided a little bit and he did become a little more restful but he is still suffering and unable to eat or drink. The Dr is very pleased with his progress and overall condition. He is still in the stage of sickness as he awaits for his new marrow to begin producing. He has been confined this week basically to his room due to contracting the common cold.  He is able to get out if he's willing to put on all of the hazardous material gear (that's my name for it) which he absolutely despises. So, he is only getting out with the physical therapist to do some walking. He has had to receive various blood products almost everyday and most of the time he is basically just miserable. However, we do want to stress that so far he is only experiencing normal and expected difficulties.
     He has also had a week of heartache and the reminder of sober realities. We lost two 3C patients this week. One was a now longtime friend of Andrew's. He was a fellow leukemia patient who had relapsed around the time that Andrew was diagnosed. He was an older teenager who taught Andrew the ropes of being a leukemia patient on 3C. The other was an older girl who Andrew only really knew through our relationship with her and her parents but they had spent many appointments in the Clinic and a few weeks on the floor together. Andrew has lost more than his share of friends these past four years. But not since Campbell Dale has he lost someone as close as Freddie was to him. And yes, he is old enough for it to be a direct reminder to him that he may not live himself. And why do I talk so much about the 3C life? Because it wasn't until a visit from his 3C nurse Ms. Elaine that night that he was able to calm down and finally be at rest and comforted.

Prayer Points:
1) Bone Marrow to produce effectively in a safe manner and relieve Andrew from these sores.
2) Andrew's spirits will remain high as his suffering goes from hours, to days, and onto weeks.
3) Prayer for his mother as she struggles with me taking care of our home and her babies.
4) The girls as they are effectively being raised by a single parent dad.
5) The First Day of school and the great possibility that Robin will not be able to be there for the girls and for Julia on her last first day of high school. Taking the first day of school picture is one of Robin's greatest joys. For those unaware, I teach at the school and this is the biggest reason for difficulty. His condition at this stage doesn't allow for others to be able to easily watch him for us and his condition at that time may not allow her to be able to be away.
6) Andrew's protection from the various fatal conditions that could arise in the coming weeks as the bone marrow does start to produce.
7) The Spiritual vitality of our home and the continual renewal of our faith and love for Christ. That we (parents and children) will grow in our hunger for and pursuit of holiness.

     Robin posted this old picture from a Lord's Day past. Oh, the wonderful and matchless joy of the Lord's Day!

     Leukemia (any great trial) touches every aspect of life. There is not one part of our family's  routine or yearly traditions that is not being altered or even sullied by this battle. The daily grind is weary. We do not experience a single moment of everyday in which our lives are not being impacted. We can't even enjoy our pets because of the burden of caring for them. It only takes one minor failure or change of plan to occur for the stress of everyday to be exasperated significantly. Yet, the Lord's grace proves sufficient. Nonetheless, the battle rages. I am truly grateful to hear people express encouragement from our faith. But it also pierces my soul because I know how the sinful attitudes and desires do still rage. How quick an out burst of wrath can be kindled. How easily an attitude of disdain toward others can be nursed. And how abundantly clear that sinful weaknesses still reside in this jar of clay. And NO! These are not excusable nor acceptable because of a trial. So, pray for our spiritual vitality and protection. And may we all have the simple desire that Andrew expressed this week when he asked, "can I have one of the bibles like your bible class uses? Can you bring it to me today?"

In Christ,
Perry

Letters to Andrew: The Clock

Dear Andrew,
   
     Time does not stand still.  In the Land of Leukemia we often feel like time stands still and at the same time it feels like it flies by with a year worth of time passing by with every 24 hours. We have learned though that although time mostly feels like it is standing still the reality is that the sun rises and sets everyday and the world marches on regardless of whatever is happening in your life. I will never forget the moment that this reality hit home for me. We were coming back from one of your early MRI tests. I believe it was within the first 24 hours of being diagnosed. I didn't think too much about it at the time but I did make note in my mind that it was after normal working hours. I looked up as we were going down the now familiar hallway and saw the clock. It was 10:30 at night. I had no idea it was so late. Time was marching on! I began taking pictures of the digital clocks all over the hospital to mark transitional times and moments as we marched along through our new Leukemia Life. The reminder that Time was Not Standing Still.

      This clock is the picture is the first picture I posted on social media. It is the clock that was right beside room 369C which was your home for June and most of July 2014. The experience of time changed the moment that Dr. Smith gave us the official diagnosis of your Leukemia down in the ER. I remember it feeling just like a movie scene when a bomb explodes. Everything seemed to be in a haze and everyone was moving and talking in slow motion. My ears were ringing. All the noise of the ER seemed to go silent yet I was still unable to clearly hear her speak. I could see her lips move but I struggled to hear what she was saying. I caught myself inching closer and closer to her as I strained to hear. I caught myself as I felt like I was almost going to be close enough that our faces would touch. The rest of the day was just like that moment. The only part that I remember clearly is the 30 minutes or so we spent together after I told you the diagnosis. The Land of Leukemia  took on a life and a time of it's own.
    Four years have gone by and we are once again in the time warp of Leukemia as we are Day 5 of 100 into your bone marrow transplant. I pray that we come to know the power, comfort, and focus that comes only from the author and sustainer of time. The Lord God almighty who is the maker of heaven and earth. May your trust in his perfect design for your life grow as your days of suffering bring dark hours of fear, frustration, and despair. I pray you learn by great experience the power and comfort of Christ our savior's presence.

In the hours of pain and sorrow

When the world brings no relief

When the eye is dim and heavy, and the heart oppressed with grief.

While blessings flee, Savior, Lord we trust in Thee.

While blessings flee, Savior, Lord we trust in Thee.

                                                            -Helen Parmlee and Kevin Twit

In Christ,

Daddy

Prayer Report: Lord's Day 17

     I am writing this report on Saturday evening July 28. He is weary and tired but mostly in good spirits. He has made great use of rubber snakes, spiders, and roaches all week but that is a story for another day. The doctors are very pleased with all of Andrew's test results and his over all condition at this point. This has been a big week for Andrew. He completed the most aggressive rounds of chemo therapy he has taken to date. He had a rest day on Tuesday from any treatment and then Wednesday he began his new life. July 25, 2018 became Andrew's transplant birthday or anniversary. We haven't quite decided how we will refer to the day. The transplant went well without any complications. However, starting Thursday afternoon the typical and expected side effects began to develop. He is suffering from the sores that can develop due to excessive mucus. He stopped being able to swallow due to the pain. Thus, he wasn't able to take his medicine nor eat properly. He is now on a pain pump and a feeding tube was inserted Friday evening. He is doing much better now considering the circumstances. He is suffering right now more than he has suffered at any previous time during his four years of treatment but these are very much normal parts of the transplant process. He is medically doing very well at this point.
Prayer Needs:
1) Endurance
2) Protection from Infection. He is in a period of High Risk
3) The grafting of the new bone marrow
4) The recovery of the bone marrow donor

                                                    (He received two bags of bone marrow)

     He was in great spirits and we enjoyed a transplant eve and day with great fellowship between ourselves and our BMT Unit and 3C family. Andrew's new caregivers have given care to him worthy of their own family. Our time of transplant was a time of great joy as well. We were surrounded by the people who have cared for Andrew from the very beginning. They have all "graduated" to new roles since we first met them all back in June and July of 2014. We are thankful now that we "trained" them so well. We truly consider it a great blessing and assurance of God to have the team in place that we have been given. The weekend has come upon us and we had Andrew's first chemo nurse from June 2014 to be on duty tis weekend to give him his special meds. We even had his doctor who ushered us through the failure of his initial treatment back in that summer of 2014. I call her my "calmer" and yes we (or at least me)  do nick-name just about all of our doctors and nurses.  I share this extra information to make the point that since Andrew's relapse in April we have never been without the same people who have cared for Andrew from the very first month of his diagnosis in 2014 till now. If you know anything about hospital life, the you know that it doesn't just happen that way normally. We praise God for all of his care. We miss our girls dearly. He is not even halfway through his initial 30 days. He will be on Day 4 this Lord's Day.

Robin's Journal

Today is Andrew's day of Transplant. So, we introduce a new feature to the blog called Robin's Journal. I hope she will make this a weekly contribution. An expression of the mother's voice and experience. It's a "Labor of Love" experience uniquely by God's design by a mother.

Welcome to Robin's Journal:


One of my favorite passages to read is Psalm 139:13-16, 23-24.  I have always read this as a comfort to myself because I was born with a congenital heart defect (hole in my heart) and had to have open heart surgery when I was four years old and then again almost two years ago while Andrew was still under treatment for Leukemia.   I would question why God allowed this, then I would read Psalm 139 and it would bring great comfort.  Today I read these verses not as a patient but as a mother.  Verse 13 says God formed Andrew’s inward parts.  God knitted him together in my womb.  He knew Andrew would have leukemia.  God isn’t surprised.  He allowed this.  Verse 14 says I praise God because Andrew was fearfully and wonderfully made.  In verse 15 it says “my frame was not hidden from you when I was being made in secret, intricately woven in the depths of the earth”.  I remember when Andrew was made.  I know where I was and when he was being formed.  As a mother I have had that great privilege of feeling when Andrew was being formed as I carried him in my womb.  God created Andrew.  Nothing was hidden from God.  Verse 16 says that God has written in His book all the days that were formed for Andrew.  God isn’t surprised by any of this.  He ordained for Andrew to have leukemia and for him to relapse.  He also called Andrew to himself as His child so that Andrew would have a way to fight; a source of strength and power.  Then we come to verses 23-24, “Search me O God and know my heart!  Try me and know my thoughts.  And see if there be any grievous way in me and lead me in the way everlasting”.  I read these 2 verses as a prayer not only for myself but for Andrew as well. 

I love that as we read God’s Word the Holy Spirit breaths new insights for us just when we need them.  Sitting with Andrew 24/7 in the hospital isn’t easy emotionally but there is no place I would rather be.  As his mother this is my great privilege to take care of him physically every single day.  The good, the bad and the ugly or gross.  I’m here for it all.  He won’t let me go too far from him for too long.  Yes, it makes me feel good.  Aren’t we all like that with our Mama.

In Christ’s Love,
Robin (Mama)

Dispatches from Andrew

Tomorrow is Day Zero of Bone Marrow Transplant. So, tonight we did a big podcast talking about what makes the 3C different. This is 10 Minutes but I think you will find it is worth it.

To listen just click HERE

Letters to Andrew: You Have Cancer

The events of June 2, 2014

Dear Andrew,

     "Come here son. Sit up in my lap little man. Andrew, you have cancer. It is called leukemia" I will never forget that moment. You hugged me tight and just cried. You didn't really know what any of it meant but you knew cancer wasn't good and you knew by the way everything was happening throughout the day that something was right.  In that moment you were broken and afraid. All I wanted to do in that moment was to take all your fear away. Even I couldn't imagine just what would be in store for your future. However, I knew that you would be in a fight for your life and the only way to face it was for you to become the man you had to become. I praise God that his work of grace in your life had already begun and you were seemingly already prepared for this battle. Our first 30 minutes of so together after we received your diagnosis will forever be cherished in my memory and heart. There is a bond that men develop when they go through fire of trials together. That day and in those brief moments you became something other than a son to me. There is nothing more special to me than you being my son. However, we became brothers at arms together that day. We formed the bond of men locked together in the arena of battle giving to one another their lives. This is how it happened.
   
    I was in the old field house working at Coach Pickens' old desk when momma text me about your blood test needing to be looked at some more. I am from Memphis and grew up in the shadows of St. Jude hospital. I have heard the stories of leukemia my entire life. I was nervous immediately but I pressed on. When momma called and said we had to take you to Blair Batson for more blood work I knew immediately in my gut why they were wanting more test. I told her to refuse to leave without the Dr telling her if they were testing for leukemia. She called me back and my deepest fear was confirmed. I made my way to the new field house and walked up the tunnel to Coach Pickens' office. I called him in and tried to tell him what was going on.  I'll be frank with you, I couldn't speak through my tears and anguish. I was having such a hard time breathing that he was first afraid that I was having a heart attack. He was the first I told that you may have leukemia. I praise God that he gave me that moment with Pickens to prepare me to function for the rest of the day. I don't think I would have been willing to share it with anyone else at that point but him and I needed to work through it in order to be there for you. So, I left there for the hospital and had that long drive to decide how I would tell you. On this drive after a lot of prayer I was convinced that my instincts were the way to go. To treat you as the little man that you would need to become in order to face this fight. I made up my mind that I would be direct with you. I wouldn't allow people to sugar coat it nor to lie to you about what was wrong. And I would not allow anyone else to tell you but me. So, when the time came I sat you in my lap and told you.

    I share that with you to give you the back story for our first thirty minutes together. The nurse came to take you for X-rays. Today, momma goes with you to almost all of your tests. If you can remember those first days and weeks, then you'll recall that it was me that went with you. We were in this battle together. She put you in a wheelchair and bless her heart. She was so sweet and was trying to be so encouraging. And she was. But you and I were both silent. We looked each other directly in the eyes and just nodded. I kept my hand on your shoulder most of the way but we didn't talk. We had to wait for the X-Ray and whatever test they were running. You were so angry and afraid. You glanced ever so often into my eyes. We would share truth with one another in those moments too deep for words. Your knuckles were completely white from gripping the arms of the wheelchair so tightly. Your entire body was so tense and your breathing so short that I was starting to worry about you passing out from the stress. The nurse came to take you back and away from me for the first time in this process and my breathe was taken away. But then it happened, it was like Rocky taking that last punch before having enough! Your entire body relaxed. You let go of the wheelchair arms and began to breathe. She asked you if you were ready go with her? You simply looked up and said, ok. When you came back out we looked each other in the eyes again. We spoke for the first time. I asked you, "are you alright?" You nodded yes. I followed up with, "are you sure? are you good?" You said, "yes." The nurse returned to get us and I looked at you and said, "Let's Go!"

    Son, this is the moment I knew that God was doing a work in you that was beyond my understanding. In less than hour you had become a man of strength and courage that I couldn't have even dreamed of in that moment. You went from being my "lit'l man" to being a true Lit'l Man. You were eight years old and already more of a man than I had ever dreamed of for myself. You amaze me and continue to amaze me. I praise God for all that he has done in you and for you. I love you. Keep fighting! Don't give up! Fight!

In Christ,
Daddy

Prayer Report: Lord's Day 16

Andrew's first week in the Bone Marrow Unit is coming to a close. It is Saturday afternoon July 21 and he has been sleeping for awhile now. He completed 8 rounds of full body radiation in four days (Tuesday-Friday). They would take him down around 6:30 every morning and then get him for another round at about 1:30 in the afternoon. He would be strapped in his chair some 40+ minutes each time. He began a three day regimen of very high doses of aggressive chemo therapy today. The effects of the chemo have been almost immediate. Fatigue and nausea have been the order of the day but mostly he has just not been feeling well. He will complete his chemo on Monday and will have a rest day on Tuesday. His bone marrow transplant will be on Wednesday July 25.

 We want to be praying for his bone marrow donor  during these days as well.  He has already undergone blood tests and work ups for Andrew. He has had to arrange for personal time to go to the hospital. Answer all types of questions and offer himself up for medical testing. Now, he is preparing to be put to sleep for a surgical procedure to remove some of his bone marrow so that Andrew may have a chance to live. It everyday terms this means they are about to shove a pretty significant needle into the back of his pelvic bone to withdraw his marrow. Andrew has had seemingly countless numbers of these bone marrow tests over the past four years. The entry point of the needle leaves a mark. He has what look like holes all over the back pelvic portion of his back.

He is now entering the days that his immune system is going to start dropping rapidly. He probably is not going to feel good or like himself again for a few weeks. He is entering a time when he will be under a "High Risk" of infection as well as other conditions relating the transplant. All of these conditions can be fatal.

His spirits are genuinely up. The Cards hanging 18 runs on the Cubs definitely helped his feelings. He is bonding with his new nurses as well as missing his 3C nurses. He has loved all of his nurses visiting and the gifts they bring.

Thank you for your prayers. Pray for his stamina and protection. Pray for the procedure and logistics of collecting and delivering the bone marrow. Pray for our family. Pray for wisdom and a swiftness  of mind and talent for all of his doctors and nurses. Pray for healing and longterm survival.

In Christ,
Perry McCall

Dispatches From Andrew: Meet Andrew

The next Episode of the 3C Podcast: "Dispatches from Andrew" is ready. In this episode you will "Meet Andrew" a little bit and hear about some of his favorite foods, music, and movies. We also talk a little bit about Leake Academy!
So, to listen to the next 3C Life Episode just click HERE

Letters to Andrew: I'm Sorry

Dear Andrew,

     Hey Little Man, daddy is so sorry you are having to go through all of this again. I am so sorry that your childhood has been consumed with battling Leukemia. I know you are scared and I also know that you are sick of it. In my mind I have been writing you letters for four years now.  You were so young when you were diagnosed with Leukemia that it was very hard for you understand so many of the things that were happening. It was hard for everyone. Well, the time has come for me to write those letters to you. I am going to write them as if we were still back there in the summer of 2014. I don't want us to lose the memory of the journey we have travelled together as a family.
    I want to start today though by telling you how proud I am of you.  I cannot even imagine how much worse this experience could have been for your momma and me if you're attitude had not been so full of grace, mercy, and courage. I watch you face this is world and your challenges and I am so thankful that you truly are almost everything I am not and was not as a child. You are so gentle and compassionate. You are so caring toward others and especially your family. Of course, you are not perfect for you carry the treasure of Christ in the jar of clay that is your sinful flesh. Yet, the fruit of Christ's Spirit is so graciously in abundance in you that it is overwhelming. We praise God for His grace because we know that this is not a work of your own effort. It is the work of God in you by His grace. Your mom and I are amazed at how courageously you face every challenge. When you have every reason to be afraid and angry you buck up and grind on. You have been that way from the beginning. The part that amazes us the most is that you were never told to be that way. You took this challenge up on your own. It is the work of God's grace.
    The challenge you are facing now with a Bone Marrow Transplant after T-Cell relapse is of course much harder than even what you've already been through. I know you have grasped this because you ain't no rookie and this isn't your first rodeo. We will be with you through every moment of the fight. However, there will be moments when it will be only you and the Lord. I pray that you already understand but I especially pray that you will come to understand through this trial that His presence is the most needed. His power is made perfect in our weakness. He doesn't call upon you to win or be a warrior but to be courageous because He is your warrior. We wish we could just handle it all for you. The truth is that it is better for you that we can't handle it for you. At the end of the day this is your battle and in God's wisdom and grace He has design your life to walk this path. Thus, we know that it is a path the God will walk through with you. Therefore, you remember that He has said that, "He will be with you. That He is your God. That He will strengthen you and help you. That He will uphold you by His righteous right hand." (Isaiah 41:10)  God isn't making lemonade out of a bad situation that has come upon you. No, God has ordered everyday for you as it is for your good and His Glory. So, trust in Him and His steadfast love for His promises are sure and power unmatched. He is the first and best of beings who made you and all things for his glory. So trust Him. Pray for Him to grant you a greater trust when your trust is weak and when your heart is weary. Now, you march on and glorify Him by loving Him and doing what He commands to the praise and glory of His name.
    I love you. Your Momma loves you. Your sisters love you. Your family loves you. Christ's church loves you. Leake Academy loves you. Your 3C nurses and Drs love you. And countless and nameless others love you. So, you fight! You Fight! You are never alone. We will be with you at every step that we can and Christ will be with you always.

In Christ,
Daddy

Dispatches from Andrew

Andrew checked into the Bone Marrow Unit at the University of Mississippi Medical Center on Monday July 16. Today, he has had his first two full body radiation treatments. He is exhausted. We will report more details later. Right now I want to introduce you to our podcast the 3C Life. Our first edition is what we will call "Dispatches from Andrew" and these will be 5 min spots of me interviewing Andrew about his experience so that you can hear from him directly. I have no idea what I am doing so I hope this link will work.


Here  is our first attempt of the 3C Life podcast.

Prayer Report: Lord's Day 14

This coming Sunday, July 8, will mark the 14th Lord's Day of Andrew's relapse. He had experienced 23 Lord's Days in recovery after fighting for 177 Lord's Days through initial diagnosis and treatment. He has been battling Leukemia since June 2, 2014. We count it by Lord's Days for various reasons ranging from practical as well as spiritual. This week he completed his 7th day of Chest radiation. He has handled the treatment pretty well so far. He gets very fatigued very quickly but his nausea has been relatively limited. He will have four more rounds of chest radiation next week ending on Thursday. Monday and Tuesday will be very long and emotional days. He will have his regular radiation and his final rounds of chemo treatments prior to entering the hospital on July 16. He will also be undergoing all sorts of tests and scans in order to make the final evaluations and baselines prior to the transplant. Robin and I will also be having our final preparatory meetings with the doctors. We will be learning the final details plus learning the hard truths about all that can go wrong and signing off on the treatment.

The days are getting longer. The pressure is steadily and slowly building almost imperceptibly. He is becoming more anxious and we are growing steadily more tense. However, the pressures and strains of these past four years and recent days are a refining fire of our Lord. His grace is sufficient. We have recognized how our spiritual vitality as a family and home as wained over the past year. Our repentance has brought great renewal as the sweetness of His grace has been given and is continuing to be given in abundance.

Prayer Needs:
Andrew's Resilience both spiritual and physical
Andrew's body will continue to handle the radiation
The Doctor's and staff as they prepare.
Our Girls and their resilience and protection
Our logistical preparations
Our vehicles and travel safety
Carolina and Carthage Presbyterian Churches.

In Christ,
Perry McCall

HERE  is a link to Andrew's CaringBridge page.

Welcome: Back to the Beginning

Welcome to our new blog for Andrew McCall and his battle with High-Risk T-Cell ALL Leukemia. This battle began June 2, 2014. The journey has been long and winding and we are all weary and weak. Andrew completed his initial 3 plus years of treatment only to relapse with his diagnosis being on April 4, 2018. Andrew is about to have a Bone Marrow Transplant (BMT) on July 25th and he is in the process of the final treatments and preparations. We are dedicating this blog to the telling of his entire story as well as the chronicling of his continuing battle. He will be admitted into the BMT
Unit at The University of Mississippi Medical Center (UMMC) under the care of Blair Batson's Children's Oncology Team (Cancer Clinic). He will be in basic isolation/sequester from the public in some form or another until the first of November. We will give report dispatches,  journal posts, podcasts and letters. We will communicate to the world as a family as well as from Andrew himself.

We will begin with a repost of the first CaringBridge Reports from June 2014:
                                                                                                                                                                   
June 3, 2014 
24 Hours Down...A Lifetime to Go!
By: Robin McCall

Today has been a continuation of information and tests. We are still waiting for the full diagnosis. Andrew is in great spirits and has many visitors. He is enjoying his Whoopee Cushion with every new nurse or hospital staff. He acts just like his mother! Thank you for the prayers. We will keep this updated and posted!

Praise God from Whom All blessings Flow! Jesus is the Cornerstone of the body of Christ, Our salvation, and Our lives!

June 6, 2014

Where we are right now in the process
By: Robin McCall

Andrew had his 1st chemo meds on June 4th. That was considered day one.  The first phase of treatment is called the induction phase and that will last 29 days. We will have at least 14 days in the hospital. They will evaluate him then to see if he can go home. When we do go home we will have to come back down to Jackson for outpatient  treatments.
That is what is taking place right now. There are so many little details to all of this that no one wants to here. This is not fun, but we try to not be doom and gloom all the time. Andrew loves to laugh and joke around and he has been doing that with everyone. This is hard and even devastating, but I try to see some positives to each day. God is blessing us through the storm!!  My baby boy, who is turning into my big man hero right before my eyes, is stronger than us all! 

If you want to know how we are doing, I can say that we are not "keeping" as they say in Scotland  but rather we are "being kept" by the maker of heaven and earth, The Lord God Almighty who was and is and is to come! 

This is Andrew's mom Robin. May God bless each and every one of you!! 
Isaiah 41:10

June 9, 2014

Starting from the Beginning!!!

By: Robin McCall

How did we know he was sick?  When and Why did we take him to the Dr.?  These are some of the questions we have been asked so I thought I would start at the beginning and tell you the whole story.  

Andrew was at the end of his baseball season and because of some rained out games and a tournament we played about 7 games in a little over a week.  The last game we had in this time period he complained of being tired and having trouble breathing while playing.  I just thought he was tired from playing all the games plus we had been to the pool.  I thought his breathing was athletic induced.  Then he started running fever, a high fever of 104.9 at one point.  So on Friday May 23rd I took him to the Dr. and he tested positive for strep.  They gave him meds and thought all would be fine.  All that week while he was on antibiotics he continued to run fever off and on and was uncharacteristically tired.  We played one more baseball game on May 30th and he was not feeling good at that game at all.  We had about decided that he had mono from his symptoms.  So on Monday June 2 I took him back to the Dr.  They did blood work and a chest X-ray.  We waited a long time.  While we were waiting Andrew said to me that this is not normal.  To which I relied no its not.  The dr. came in with an envelope of his lab results and chest X-ray and asked me if I could take him to the ER at Blair E. Batson.  I asked "right now"?  He said yes they were waiting on us.  I knew then that this was serious.  

At the ER they reran all the blood test again and the chest X-ray again.  We waited a while longer.  Then we had one of the hemotology Dr.'s take us out away from Andrew and told us she was sorry but it looked like it was cancer.  At that moment I could have melted into the floor.  I just walked to the bathroom and had a cry.  Perry and I decided to tell Andrew then.  He is a smart 8 year old who was scared and needed to know what was going on.  So Perry told our 8 year old son that he had cancer.  He immediately Hugged his daddy and started crying.  This broke my heart and I think I did melt into the floor.  After this the Oncology Hematology Dr's came to talk to us and explained to us that it was Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia.  At the time we didn't know what type but now we know it is type Tcell ALL.

We were admitted that night, Monday, June 2nd.  We found out Tuesday that he has a mass or collection of Leukemia cells in his chest.  He is a high risk ALL patient.  To spare you all the details this means we will have a long hard road of treatments.  The induction phase will last 29 days, day one was June 4th.  This was his first chemo treatment.  He did very well with this first treatment.  His second treatment was Saturday.  He could have had a very bad allergic reaction to these meds but Praise God he did not.  He will have chemo meds on days 8, 15, 22 and 29.

We are now on day 5 of 29 and it has been a week since the diagnosis.  We are coping.  Taking one day at a time.  Andrew's numbers are coming down and the mass of cells is getting smaller.  We will have a chest X-ray tomorrow to check the progress.  Wednesday will be his next round of chemo.  He will also be having a LP to put meds in his spine Wednesday or Thursday.  

You are now up to day with where we are in our journey.  I will try to update after treatments and/or when there is something that needs praying for or updated.

Now for the emotional part.  This is the hardest thing we have been faced with, but we believe that God has been preparing our hearts for this for years.  No we didn't know this would happen.  In my life God is good, God is sovereign, God is my comforter.  I know in my heart that no matter the outcome of this journey God is still good, God is still sovereign, God is still my all in all.  God will get us through this journey.  My prayer is that I will be a good and faithful servant and show God glorified through my life.  I am sad but I have joy, I am anxious I trust in God's calming peace, I am scared I will give God my fears.  It is Well With My Soul.  This doesn't mean that there aren't bad days, crying, sinful attitudes.  There are.  We have Joyful Suffering!

Pray for Andrew, Pray for us, Pray for our girls, Pray for healing either miraculously or through the meds, Pray the mass will dissappear, Pray for the Doctors, nurses, and all attending to him.  Pray for Andrew as he takes his meds, that the chemo will not cause bad side effects, that the LP won't scare him.  He has had one already and he knows it hurts.  

My son in the past week has become my warrior hero.  He is brave and courageous.  This only has come from the Lord.  God has allowed Andrew peace, distractions, comfort, and love.  He is no longer my little man; he is my brave warrior hero man!

We thank you all for your prayers, calls, messages, acts of love but most of all for your love for my son.  We will praise Him IN the storm!  We are being kept!!  1 Peter 1:3-8

In Christ's Loving Arms,

Robin

                                                                                                                                                                 

I hope this is helpful to those who are new to this story as well as a refresher for all those who have travelled with us from the beginning. We thank each and everyone of you for your constant support. 

In Christ,

Perry McCall