A Long Day's Night!

It has been a long day!  And while we had hoped for more definitive answers at this point there is still much to be learned about this adversary we face.    We will be partying it up at the hospital way past 11:00 PM tonight and tomorrow as well as additional tests and blood work during the day.  The doctors are currently working to schedule Jessica for a biopsy probably the first of the week.  While we have had a biopsy before, this biopsy is of the kidney itself.  Additionally, we anticipate tomorrow Jessica will be having a blood transfusion as her hemoglobin continues to drop.  All this information will be used to create the best possible treatment plan for this battle.  We and the doctors are committed to fighting as hard and as long as necessary.  Please understand the prognosis is serious.  We anticipate such things as radiation, surgery, chemotherapy, clinical trials and other alternative treatments.  At this time there is no conversation about removing the infected kidney.  This may be a conversation we have in a year.  It is our goal right now to stop the metastasis of the cancer from spreading further and further into the bones.  This is a hard blow for Jessica as we face the reality of what she is up against.  She will remain here at M.D. Anderson for treatments and will go back and forth between the condo and hospital as long as necessary.

We know that our God is bigger.  You would be very proud of how strong Jessica stood today! 

We are proud of her.  We read scripture.  We prayed. We ate.  We laughed.  At one point Jessica even had a magazine on top of her head.  She was full of the spirit because of the prayers of you, our faithful sojourners.  Now lift her up even more along with our family, as we face the hardest reality we have ever had to meet.  We understand our God is able but right now our hearts hurt and that’s okay.  Right now we are sad and that is okay.  Right now we are mad and that’s okay.  Right now we aren’t ready for conversations or phone calls and that is okay.  We know your thoughts and prayers are with us.  Be patient with us.  Continue to love us.  Continue to pray for us.  And yes, we still have hope!!!

Love in Christ

Sheila (Mom) and Jessica

¹⁶ Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. ¹⁷ For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. ¹⁸ So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.     

 2 Corinthians 4:16-18 (NIV)