HoHoHo

It is slowly begining to look a lot like Christmas! We have had our tree, and all the other stuff up around the house for a while. But the weather has kept it from feeling like Christmas. We have our AC on in our house, and it is 75 degrees outside! I hope it is at least cold for Christmas day!

Well over Thanksgiving break we went back to Bass Pro Shops for our Santa pictures! This year we got a group picture and by themselves...and yes I am aware that I didn't upload the single of Ava...Thats becuase I haven't scanned it in yet...I know I'm a bad momma...

Here is Addy, Jason, Santa, and Ava Kate....I bet you figured this picture out pretty fast...Addy wasn't going to have anything to do with poor Santa. So Jason got to sit in Santa's chair...wasn't that nice of Santa. And Ava could really care less about Santa...not scared and for sure not impressed with the man. (I was impressed how real he looked and how nice he was)




Addy, Jason, and Santa.

If y'all haven't been to Santa's workshop at Bass Pro Shops it is pretty cool. It's free, and there are TONS of free things for the kids to do. It is AWESOME!! Oh and they do santa passes so you don't have to stand in line as long.

We have all but one gift to buy...and it is just a matter of going and getting it! All of them wrapped (well all that are in, we had to order two of them). The bad news is that I don't know if we will make it to Irving with all of them since Ava has carried them all over the house!!!

***Update on Colton. He is feeling better and doing a little better for now. He has been able to lose 34 lbs of fluid (in 2 days! WOW!) and his blood work is looking better. He even got to go "home" to their rented apartment in Houston. (they try to keep transplant patients out of the hospital as much as possible since there is sooo many germs in the hospital). Please continue to pray for him, his family, and Dr.s/nurses. Pray that it was a misdiagonsis! God has been so good in all of this...bringing sooo many to lean and to trust in him. Just keep praying!!!

Hope all of y'all are doing great, and are enjoying this Christmas season. Most of y'all should be getting a little something from Ava in the mail soon! Enjoy!

I can't sleep...yes I am aware that it is only 10:40 but since David and I did go to bed around 9ish...I have been laying in bed wide awake for a while. My heart is just breaking for Colton and his family. The biopsy came back positive for VOD. One of the best ways it has been explained to me is...before transplant they give really high doses of the chemo to knock out any of his immune system. Because of such high doses it has damaged his veins to his liver. This doesn't allow his liver to work right, and there is no way to fix the damage. It pretty much puts you into liver failure, and the multi organ failure, then death. (from what I have been reading about 30-60 days)

He is only 22!!! He is too young for this! He is engaged to be married! Why does his life have to be cut short? Why does his family have to watch him suffer? He is at MD Anderson, by far the best place for him medically, but yet sooo far from him friends and family...not that he would be allowed to see them anyways since he has no immune system. Praise God his mother has been able to be by his side this whole time. I just even imagine what she is feeling. All I can think of is how I would feel if it was me and Ava was sick.---then I get mad at myself for not saving her cord blood. I just pray that while she is taking care of Colton, that she is taking care of herself...He needs her.

I know God has a plan, I know God has the ability to fix everything, I know God doesn't cause this that he is bigger than this!...but it still sometimes sucks.

All we can do is just give this to God, lift him and his family to God, lift up his Dr's, nurses, and caregivers to God.

Once again I beg all of y'all who read my blog to just stop and pray for him...he needs our prayers!!! Lana needs our prayers!!! Parker 7 (my floor at the hospital) need your prayers!!!

PRAY PRAY PRAY!!! PLEASE PRAY!!!

URGENT PRAYERS REQUEST for one of my patients!!! (Approved by his mom to post). Many of you know Coltoon Manly and the Team Colton t-shirts we wear on Parker 7 at Hendrick Hospital (Cancer floor). He is a 22 year old, engaged young man fighting for his life with Leukemia, and just had a bone marrow transplant and is now having SEVERE life threating complications. There isn't a final diagnosis yet and they are doing a biopsy on monday. His mom is there by his side, his Dad is home sick unable to be there do to the risk for Colton. I know God's perfect plan is in place, but sometimes it is difficult to watch our patient's journey because it is so rocky. Please just pray for this precious amazing family!

Let me just tell you how amazing this family is...this is what Lana (Colton's Mom) posted today while having to watch her son suffer..."I often take a look around this place and immediately feel grateful and fortunate because there are soo many worse off. Just when you think it can't get any worse, look around. Sometimes we can still be lucky in our unluckiness. Bless all these cancer patients and I hope they have as much love and support behind them as we do." Wow!!! I pray she is able to keep her strength up during this time.

Once again please please please pray for them!!!