Love is a Verb

We finished chemo for block 2 of treatment yesterday (Friday April 11).  We are now home for count recovery.  We get to be home for three weeks.  It feels weird to be able to type that we will be home.  With Nicole's first battle with cancer we were only home for about 15 days in 10 months.  For us to be able to come home between treatment feels like a huge miracle for us, or a "tender mercy of the Lord."

Nicole will have a couple of clinic visits each week to watch her blood count.  Usually during this time she will need a blood transfusion and/or platelets (she did get platelets yesterday).  They also watch that her ANC is going up.  We have an appointment with the radiation Dr. on Monday morning to make plans for radiation before her BMT. 

We do know that we when we return to PCMC it will be for her BMT.  We are not sure of any plans on that yet.  We only know that we will be home for three weeks.  On week 4 we will be doing out-patient radiation at LDS hospital.  Both Nicole and James will need to have some testing done that week.  Nicole will need an echo, hearing and another bone aspiration test.  James will be tested to be sure he is healthy enough to be her donor.  He will also need to do some prep work to prepare his body to donate his marrow.  It is good to know that we are moving forward.  It is also a scary time.  Nicole is the first patient that Primaries has done with a parent donor.  Nicole likes to make a statement and to be remembered.  She has a lot of firsts as a cancer patient at Primaries.

This week at Primaries I have often thought of the phrase "Love is a verb."  A verb is an action.  This week Nicole has received a few gifts from people who we don't know.

 

The bunny is from someone who donated to the KSL radio-thon.

 

This picture doesn't show it great but she received a box of Legos from a young man who also fought cancer who is now giving back.  

 

One of the joys of being at PCMC is people who give back. They share their gifts and talents in so many ways. Most through volunteering-they want to pay it forward by brightening a child's life.

Another friend brought me a bear for her to stuff.  The video of Nicole stuffing the bear shows up sideways on this blog.  I am not smart enough to figure out how to turn it around.  Here is a picture of Nicole loving the bear.  You can't see the t-shirt the bear is wearing; but, it says "Cancer fears me."

 



 We have received many acts of kindness.  Too many to share.  I am afraid I will leave someone out.  Thank you to all who have reached out to us.

Mary Ellen Edmunds has said, "Love is not only your sacks of groceries, your words, your clothing, your time, your loaf of bread-It's you. You have no idea how often you may rescue someone just by your countenance, the love that shines from your eyes." (her book "Love is a Verb")