Day -7

Another day in Room 3206 is coming to an end.
This morning, we woke up at 5:00 am for our 5:15 walk to Winship. Radiation went well and we were back in the room around 6:30. After radiation, Elena has been tired and has a headache. So, just like yesterday, we went back to sleep around 8:30 and slept until after 11:00.
Elena has also started to experience the side effects from the radiation - fatigue, nausea, dry mouth and decreased appetite. Despite this, she is still getting all of her jobs done without any complaints. This evening, she redesigned her daily jobs chart with stickers. It looks great and matches her "beach" theme room. It has been fun decorating and making the room feel more like home.

Our schedule for tomorrow will be a little different.
We will be waking up at 5:00 am again, but this time Elena will be having a bone marrow aspirate at 6:30 am and radiation will follow that. The bone marrow aspirate is a part of the research protocol and has to happen six hours after Elena is given the new "mobilizing" agent. She will receive that drug at midnight tonight. Due to logistics, Elena will not be completely sedated for the BMA. She will have what they call a "conscious sedation". Please pray that Elena will not experience any pain during the procedure and that she will be filled with peace and not worry.

Please also pray that this new drug will do its job. That it will move any remaining cancer cells out and into the bone marrow and blood stream, so that it will be entirely wiped out by the radiation and chemo to come.

Please continue to pray for the ultimate goal:

• that the BMT would be effective in defeating leukemia once and for all and bring complete healing to Elena

and

• that Elena would be protected from the possible long-term side effects of this treatment that would be harmful to her
  

This afternoon, Elena walked with Sarah and they decorated Elena's door window.

It was special to be able to spend this time with Sarah and her mom because today they were discharged to the Ronald McDonald House. Praise God that Sarah is doing so well after her stem cell transplant that she is able to make this transition! We are so very grateful that our time here at Egleston overlapped if even for a little while. Please continue to pray for Sarah and her family.

While out and about on the floor this evening, we met two new families. We all have different stories, but we are all here fighting for the same thing, a cure for our children.

Tonight, we are going to bed thankful for having great friends and for making new ones.

In Him,
The Tates