WOW!



We are thanking God for another spectacular appointment today!!  It was amazing! 

We were in and out of the clinic in record time.
Elena received her second flu shot - a booster. 
Her counts dropped a little, but her doctor said that was not unusual since she is back on Bactrim, an antibiotic which is used to help prevent pneumonia.
Her cyclosporine taper will continue as planned. Yay!
She gets to drop one of her daily doses of magnesium. Less pills!  Woo hoo!
She is not showing any signs of GVHD, which can happen as cyclosporine (the anti-rejection drug) is tapered. Praise God!
She does not have to go back for another BMT clinic appointment for FIVE weeks!

And, perhaps the best news of all...

For the first time in seven months, Elena will be eating take out pizza tonight!!

Yes, her doctor cleared her to begin eating take out food from some restaurants!  Such a simple thing in the past, but such a luxury now.

We continue to be amazed, humbled, and in awe of God's work in our lives.  The fact that Elena is here today and doing so well is miraculous. We are thankful that He has brought us to this day and has been there every step of the way.

We thank you for your continued prayers and presence in our lives!

In Him,
The Tates

"I will give thanks to the Lord because of his righteousness; I will sing the praises of the name of the Lord Most High." Psalm 7:17

Appointment Day Friday

We are happy to say that life is still happy at the Tate house. Mark and Liv are both feeling better, but Liv is still hanging on to a bad cough. Please pray for Liv to be 100% better really soon. In all of this, Elena has managed to stay healthy. Praise God!

Please pray for Elena's appointment this Friday, the 22nd. 
Pray for safe travels to the hospital and for the appointment to go by smoothly and quickly.
Pray that Elena and her counts and blood chemistry levels will be as spectacular as her last visit.

Still praying, believing, and choosing joy!

In Him,
The Tate

"Cast all your anxiety on Him because He cares for you." 1 Peter 5:7

Day +202

It is not very often that one can remember exactly what they were doing over 200 days ago.  Sometimes it is hard just to remember what happened last week!  For us however, July 25, 2012, which happens to have been 202 days ago, is still very vivid in our minds.  It is a day that we will remember and celebrate forever!  It was the day Elena received her bone marrow transplant. On Sunday when we were talking about the fact that it was Day 200 in Elena's BMT life, she said that she is simply happy to be alive. We are oh so thankful for that too! Praise you Lord!

There are times when that day seems like yesterday and there are other times it feels like a lifetime ago. It is absolutely amazing that we are where we are today - home, together, recovering, growing, strengthening.  There were moments throughout these last 200 days that we didn't know if we would survive the next hour, let alone then next 100 days! We will be forever grateful to God for seeing us through and to each of you who took care of us in so many different ways, including reminding us that God was still there - no matter what. Thank you for still taking care of us, for encouraging us and for loving us now in our new at home phase!

Overall, we are all doing well. Mark and Liv are battling colds, but it's not bad enough to keep them home. Please pray for Elena to stay free of any germs in the house. 

We are just continuing to enjoy each day and each other in the midst of the craziness that comes with life, work, and school.

In our last post, just over two weeks ago, we forgot to mention that another 'spectacular' part of that clinic visit was the fact that Elena's next BMT clinic appointment wouldn't be for another four weeks!  She is FINALLY at the point where her clinic appointments will be monthly! Amen!  Please pray that this will be a part of our new normal. Please pray for that appointment next week, February 22nd. Pray that Elena and her counts and blood chemistry levels will once again be spectacular.

Still praying, believing, and choosing joy!

In Him,
The Tates

"Be joyful always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus."  1 Thessalonians 5:16-18