Another Trip to the Hospital....

Indeed, this delayed intensification has been true to it's name~ INTENSE. Thank the Lord that this first half of it is almost over. James, Joy and Greg could certainly use some intense praying today and for the next few days. Truly, they are all exhausted. Physically and otherwise. Only two more doses of the steroid, and they are done with it for now. Tonight and tomorrow morning. Poor James has not been himself since, well, about 20 days ago. Day by day as the cumulative effects of the steroid and chemo drugs have bombarded his little body, we have watched him become more subdued and clingy, yet restless. It has been heart wrenching like you can hardly begin to imagine.

Yesterday morning, Greg had to take the day off of work just for their little family to make it through the day. After a weekend without much sleep for anyone, it was necessary for them to work as a team. Well, mid-day it was determined that they should make a trip down to the clinic to get some IV fluids, check his chemically burned bottom and do another blood culture to rule out any masked infection(fyi...so far so good on that). So, off they went. Once there, it was decided that they should stay the night and at least into the next day for observation. His ANC has continued to decline, but all other blood counts are good for now. As you pray for them today and in the coming days, please remember these things:

• He is, as far as they can tell, in terrible pain right now (he cried/screamed inconsolably from 4am to 8am this morning), pray that the meds they are now giving him will give him comfort.
• They are all more tired than i can tell you, pray for true rest.
• Pray that the strong drugs that are effecting him so adversely right now would also keep doing their job against the cancer and that their side effects would quickly disappear when this half of delayed intensification ends tomorrow morning.
• Make no mistake, the road ahead is still long and grueling, but some reprieve is coming. However, with his ANC down, he is so very prone to infection and unable to fight it, so pray against that. NO Fevers.

Again, thank you for your prayers and everything else you have done to bless them and help get them through this.