Seven days ago the wonder of transplantation coursed through my brain resonating in my soul. Medicine working in ways we could never imagine 25 years ago! Modern medicine is ever evolving and with technology jumping by leaps and bounds in what feels like Nano seconds, medicine of today will become barbaric by tomorrows standards in no time at all.

Seven days has passed slowly for my wife, no wonderment for the miracles of medicine because she remains sick. Very sick..

Being an ever curious man I am constantly seeking new information about Leukemia and its effects, my brain absorbs every bit of information that surrounds me with an ability to understand what, where, when and how which comes from years in a profession demanding we evolve or be cast aside. There are others who don’t see or understand all that is happening to my wife right now and that’s ok, although I believe it to be partly my fault. Whether lost in translation, my inability to properly explain or an annoying habit I have; portraying things to always be a little better than they are for fear of worrying someone, anyone, I feel I have failed to expound the proper information.

Those following my blog understand much about this journey as time has been taken to carefully break down the finer aspects of each portion of this miraculous procedure along with all its uncomfortable after effects. But even with all of the writings many are left wondering and fearful as too all my wife is experiencing. I have tried my very best through each individual explanation anytime someone asks, it makes my heart happy to know so many care about my wife and I never mind the explanations. The curiosity of it all is not lost either. Many who don’t even know my wife have heard of her and want to know more! A little like a reality TV show only the reality is it’s my family not someone we don’t know, cast for whatever reason in a town filled with more drama than character. It is a privilege to share this information with everyone as I hope it opens hearts and minds to what every family battling any form of Leukemia are struggling with deep inside. I am working very hard at not letting any of you down.

What are we struggling with right now?

Like I said, she is sick, very sick. Everyday her body hurts, she is having tremors that last for hours on end, her throat is swollen and raw with sores developing, her bladder is filling with blood and spasming every 15 minutes or so, she has a catheter that comes out for fear of infection then goes right back in for fear of infection from her bladder spasming due to being filled with blood. She vomits daily from the immunosuppressant which is needed allowing new cells an ability to adapt to their new home and her body temperature has been bouncing from 99-104.5! Of course this leads to steroids, ice baths, more nausea medication, more pain medication, another bag of fluids and oh by the way she has gained 11 pounds since the transplant! Unfortunately those 11 pounds are fluid she can’t keep in her cells so a hefty dose of Lasix is onboard which by the way means she needs to urinate every 15 minutes against a spasming bladder. Phew that was a lot!

Jacy has no white cells and this fine tuning of medication will continue until her body either accepts or rejects the new cells. Having no white cells also means she risks becoming life threateningly sick over the simplest of germs entering her system. So every time she spikes a fever everyone (doctors,nurses) worries leaving her worried as well. I become worried too, but that my job, right? She told me something today after an especially hard episode last night where she was seizing and blowing up to 104.5; she said there is no place she would rather be, these were the best nurses anywhere and she has never doubted their ability to keep her going. That is a brave, solid statement from a woman who was frightened not more than a few hours prior with a 188 bpm heart rate.

It is incredibly hard to not be by her side. My worries are beyond control. Jacy had me promise I would be a father to our children first and a husband to her second. She wants nothing more than to have our children busy the entire summer so they don’t have a chance to worry about their mom and I am doing my very best but when I know she is suffering how do I just load up the car and go camping? How do I act like I am having fun when in reality I just want to sit by her side, hold her hand while she sleeps? I never need to do anything when I am with her but smile, kiss her hand and let her rest. I can do that for hours without flinching and it feels like I am making a difference!

For better or for worse, richer or for poorer, in sickness and in health till death do us part.

Those words mean something to me. So I will do what has been asked of me, by a woman who wants nothing more for her children than to be happy. I never in my life thought our marriage would end up here in this place. The strong well spoken, athletic woman who taught two spin classes a day, biked a centurion, ran a tough mudder and always looked for a way to make fitness a part of her day. The mother of four who never said no, running from one sports venue to the next while still maintaining a job, would be so unlucky as to contract Leukemia.

None of it makes sense and all of it seems so unfair.

Regardless, this weekend I am going to do what she has asked me to do. Running solely on faith the kids and I are loading up to go camping. Yes it means I won’t see her until Monday and its breaking my heart. Yes I will be worrying about every minute that I hear nothing about her progress, Yes I will make sure the kids have the very best time by putting on the happiest of faces so they never forget the time they went camping with just dad.

This is one of those times where you trust the one you love, have faith that God is looking over you all and pray that everything will turn out fine no matter what you do.

Thank you to all who continue to lift us up in thought and prayer. I hope I was able to adequately explain her current condition, please continue to pray for her spirits and wish us all luck.