Another milestone...

There's a lot of busyness around our house this week, and I have mixed feelings about it. My daughter is leaving us for two weeks.

About seven weeks ago, an opportunity arose for AnnaKate to participate in an overseas mission trip this summer. She's wanted to do this for a couple of years, but the timing hadn't been right. And we weren't sure that she (or I) was ready. This time, we felt she was ready and, after days of prayer and after conferring with the pastor overseeing the trip, we decided to go for it. The commitment included AnnaKate paying for her own passport and then raising the remainder of the money in a short amount of time.

God, as always, has been so good to provide all of her needs.

Now we're praying that He will keep her safe, allow her to minister, and help this mom (and her dad) to get through two weeks without her. Because this mom has mixed feelings about these milestones.

The Yo-Yo Man, or...

"The heart of man plans his way,

but the Lord establishes his steps."

Prov 16:9 (ESV)

My husband was asked recently if he felt like the Yo-Yo Man.

On our last trip to NIH, one of the doctor's on Michele's team asked Jeff if he would be willing to come back one more time for one more donation -- this time he would donate granulocytes, a type of white blood cell that would be helpful to Michele post-transplant while stem cells begin their work.

NIH contacted us to schedule not one donation, but two. We scheduled the trip, the rescheduled it based on the needs of both our family and NIH. We planned to leave on Saturday, June 9, and return on the following Saturday. Then, on Thursday afternoon, one of the team doctors called to let Jeff know that, based on the progress of the patients ahead of Michele in the protocol, they didn't anticipate needing his granulocytes after all. The next day, June 8, about 4:00, that same doctor called back to say things had changed. Michele had been spiking fevers, and they were concerned that she may need the granulocytes, after all. This was only Day 3 post-transplant. Thankfully, Cecilia (Jeff's other sister) was with us when we got the call, and she immediately mobilized to make it possible for Jeff and I to leave on Sunday.

We drove all day on Sunday (well, we did have about an hour's pit stop at Reynolds Plantation to accommodate an impromtu kidney stone), arriving at the Fisher House that night. Mom had some very welcome homemade soup waiting for us.

Jeff went to his check-in appointment at NIH on Monday morning and completed all the medical history paperwork, only to be told that Michele had improved so much over the weekend that his granulocytes would probably not be needed after all. But, just in case, stick around for a few days.

Michele's condition was kind of up and down, also like a yo-yo, over the next couple of days. Her cells had not yet "declared" (they were not yet measurable), and the team would not feel comfortable until they could see her count steadily climbing. By Thursday, the counts were obviously climbing and, while she was having some fever and skin issues, her body was finally fighting back. By Friday, the counts had climbed significantly.

When we stopped by to visit and say good-bye on Friday, Michele was just heading out for a walk. We decided to tag along with her and her IV pole (which we affectionately call the Christmas tree).

First stop was the coffee shop downstairs to pick up her current favorite drink: Lipton Diet Green Tea.

Then we decided to make a lap around the courtyard. Michele was so happy to go outside, remove her mask, and inhale some fresh air!

Then it was back through the lobby to the elevators...

And upstairs to meet Mom and Dad in the room.

And on Saturday, the Yo-Yo Man (aka Stem Cell Stud) and I returned home.

Please continue to pray for Michele as the doctor's monitor her progress. We're all hopeful that she'll be able to move back to the Fisher House by the end of the month. You can follow Michele on her CaringBridge page.

Washington DC and a reminder...

Jeff and I have enjoyed a whirlwind trip to Washington DC the last few days... probably me more than him. (After all, this trip has really been all about him being poked and prodded to be sure he can donate stem cells to his sister.)

 After arriving in the wee hours Sunday morning, we did a trial run to NIH, just to be sure we could find it before we had to fight our way there through rush hour traffic on Monday morning. Later that afternoon, we enjoyed a driving tour through downtown Washington (that's what we're calling our search for a parking spot). I saw some amazing architecture and was able to snap a few shots from the car window.

We finally found the perfect place to park on the mall, and the Washington Monument was happy to serve as our marker to help us find our way back. You can see that beauty from just about anywhere! The Secret Service officers were very friendly and helpful, answering our questions which ranged from "Can we park here?" (the answer was "no") to "Are there any public bathrooms around here?" (another "no") to "Has that woman really camped across the street from the White House for the past thirty years?" (unbelievably, it was "yes" to that one, but she still has not achieved world peace).

After parking, we wandered around by foot, just enjoying the lovely spring day. Just people watching in DC is a cultural experience. We didn't try any of the local food (read that "street cart") this trip.

I figured  Jeff should get a picture of me in front of the White House... after all, I've been helping to pay the mortgage on it for years!

The bank that holds our money that makes those mortgage payments is conveniently (and attractively) located just around the corner...

This is the closest we got to the Capitol building.

We spent all day yesterday and much of today at NIH, getting clearance for Jeff to donate stem cells for his sister's transplant. When we finished up today, we visited with Tim and Michele in her hospital room for a bit. Michele's medical team is working hard to determine the cause of her fever and the swelling under her eye -- they really are the best. Then we headed back to the Fisher House at Andrews AFB, our home away from home, to rest and get ready for the long trip back tomorrow. We can't wait for our next trip -- we'll be able to share the city with the kids and complete the transplant donation!

To learn more about Michele's transplant and how you can help, please read my post about Shopping for Shelly. And please spread the word by sharing the link via Facebook, Twitter, email -- however you communicate with your friends and family! Bloggers, my sweet daughter even helped me make a blog button that you can share on your blog. (Just cut and paste the code.) Thanks!

A Sweet Fall Sunday...

What a beautiful fall day today. I had the opportunity to hear my favorite pastor preach the Word at a small Presbyterian church in Northeast Georgia. We enjoyed meeting some sweet people and shared some good Mexican food with one church family. Before heading back home, we discovered lovely downtown Clarkesville, Georgia. Most of the stores were closed as it was Sunday, but we did hang out a a cute little coffee shop for a bit.

About halfway home, we finally succumbed to the call of one of many antique stores along the country roads. By the time we came out (just before they would have shooed us out for closing), the sun was beginning to set, highlighting the beginnings of fall color. So when we passed a beautiful stone barn, my wonderful hubby turned around to take me back to shoot a few pictures while the light was still magical.

All in all, a very good day.

Home is where the heart is...

Last week, our family went all different directions. Jeff attended an all-day class for three days, the younger kids were at camp for a few days, the oldest was working even more than usual, and I took a quick trip to Arizona. We were finally all back together on Monday, spending a fun day together.

Although I had a good time visiting with family (the one I was born into) in Arizona and taking care of some necessary things, I really missed sharing many special moments with my hubby and kids. It was a good exercise for me. For several days, I basically lived as a single woman on vacation might live -- I was able to get in some pampering, go to the movies, shop, and eat out (including In-N-Out Burger and some good Mexican). I shared funny and touching moments with my family there, but something was missing. I missed being able to say things with a look instead of words. I missed the impromptu hugs and humor from my kids. I missed the security of having my husband sleeping next to me. I missed my family -- my husband and kids; I missed my everyday life.

So now I'm back at home and we are all catching up. And I'm loving it.