Tue, 23 Dec 2003

Grace

Happy Holidays.

Jade went in for his two week check-up this morning and it went well. He is having his magnesium reduced by about half which means it should get done before we go to bed so we won't have to either wait up or wake up in the middle of the night to disconnect and flush it.

He was told he can be a little more liberal with the thirty minute/mile rule now. We haven't been able to get farther than thirty minutes/miles from LDS Hospital this year so we're basically home bodies. We can now venture out a little farther but are still leary of many public places due to the cold - flu season in full bloom here.

They are noticing the pinkish patches on Jade's skin and some whitish film in his mouth which are both signs of graft vs host disease. We'll keep watching and are sure it's there but we need it to register on one of the tests one of these times. Jade's next appt will be on January 6th. Another chymerism (Jade vs Jared percentage) will be done at that appt with results coming the following week. They feel comfortable keeping him on an every other week appt which is nice.

We are quite encouraged with the progress and feel immensely blessed. We have had two friends lose loved ones the past ten days. Both were relatively young men (30-ish) with young families. One was an unexpected death and the other was due to cancer. Jade and I have talked frequently this week that no one expected him to even be alive this Christmas. He is doing as well as anyone has to this point. But for the Grace of God Jade is still here. We are humbled at the blessings we have this Christmas season. Pretty tender emotions this week. Tears seem close to the surface. I echo the words of the angels two thousand years ago proclaiming, "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men."

Thank you and Merry Christmas.....

With gratitude and love................Tanya and co.