Surprise Immunity

Hey everyone!  We got the great and totally unexpected news (last week, sorry for the delay) that Andrew has residual yellow fever immunity, which the experts at Hopkins had indicated was highly unlikely to be the case post bone marrow transplant.  You may recall that one-year post transplant Andrew has been getting a wide range of shots to protect him against various illnesses, but the docs refused to give him the yellow fever vaccine since it is live, advising that we would have to wait another year before getting vaccinated.  Andrew's work is mainly in Africa in countries where a yellow fever vaccine is necessary.  We thought Andrew wouldn't be able to travel for ages.  But now, just after a group of men prayed about this for him, a simple voicemail showed up on his phone announcing the residual immunity and the all-clear to travel to yellow fever infested countries.  Woo-hoo!  This is an answer to a prayer and a reminder to keep faith that the unexpected can and does happen against all odds.

All Clear

A quick note as we're driving back from Johns Hopkins to report that Andrew's 1yr scan is clear, showing no sign of cancer. Hallelujah! 

Sweet Spot

Our nephew enjoying the sweet life

We love the slower pace of summer and are especially aware this season of what a great sweet spot we are truly in right now.  We've had sweet times with family and friends, the kids continue to thrive and everything seems to be just right.  Darcy is having a successful babysitting season.  Evan is writing us letters from camp.  And Nate came back to win a tennis match from down a set and 0-4 in the second.  Kind of like Andrew beating cancer, it seems miraculous and inevitable all at the same time!  Andrew's cough (and residue in his lungs) persists and he has been on steroids for a few weeks now to reduce the cough.  And although the Nationals cannot call Andrew up this season, the steroids do seem to be working. He's thrilled to be back to biking to work in MD, a couple times a week at least, going on longer "forest bathing" hikes, and playing mucho tennis.  We'd like to think we didn't need last fall to make us appreciate all we have now. But the reality is we have a brand new perspective right along with AJ's new immune system. Not taking anything for granted and immensely thankful for our many blessings. How sweet it is! 

Still Cancer Free!

Wa-hoo! AJ's cat scan from Tuesday shows no cancer! Thanks for your prayers!! However, he can't shake this persistent cough so he's currently undergoing some tests at the hospital this afternoon. It's probably a type of pneumonia that isn't unusual in cases like AJ's. We'll keep you posted. Here's hoping & praying that Andrew can get back out on the bike path soon!

Almost 9 Months!

No news is generally good news, and that's been the case for Andrew these past few months as we've all jumped back into normal, busy life and are enjoying it like never before.  Having been sidelined from normal work, family and personal life for much of 2012, we're incredibly grateful to be back to normal, even when normal consists of non-stop tending to kids, driving them all over the place, racing to be on time to see them perform in one of their many extracurricular endeavors, and long hours volunteering at our church and in the community.  Never has normal felt so good, and special!  

Unfortunately, over the last month Andrew has come down with a nasty flu/cold that he cannot shake, with persistent chest and sinus congestion, coughing and an occasional fever.  We're not sure what all his still-not-fully-developed immune system is trying to fight off but it's been a long, tough stretch for him (and for Christine, who has to put up with all his nighttime hacking and snoring).  And this Tuesday morning, June 18th, is the 9-month CT scan (quarterly this first year post bone marrow transplant, or BMT).  While we trust that the cancer is long gone, there's always that shadow of a doubt that creeps back in when the scan is approaching, and Andrew sometimes feels a bit of tightness in his chest in the weeks leading up to it.  

Yet we continue to believe he's been healed and to thank God for all the incredible renewal that has taken place and continues to unfold inside of Andrew's body.  The advances with BMTs in just the last generation have been miraculous really, breathing new life into so many cancer patients.  What a gift!

For our praying friends, please join us in lifting up the scan, that there would be no surprises, and in praying for a speedy and full recovery from what's been ailing Andrew this past month.  We continue to feel loved by so many and look forward to seeing so many of you, near and far, over the coming summer months.

Spring Update

 It's been a while since we posted anything.  That's the good news - there has been no real news.  Andrew is getting stronger and stronger, not just back into all the activities he missed so much last Fall but now biking and coaching and covering the tennis court pretty much at full speed.  Needless to say, he's thrilled about that, and oh so grateful for his new lease on life.  For those of you who haven't seen AJ recently, you'd be surprised at his new slightly wavy hairstyle that Christine is sure sports less gray hairs! Somewhat last minute, we seized an opportunity to take a fabulous trip to France over spring break, even enjoying some forest bathing in the mountains of Alsace Lorraine!

But there has been news this week.  We were disappointed to learn that AJ's latest blood tests show that his immune system
is not yet strong enough to process (into antibodies) the vaccines he needs to travel to the developing world, meaning further delays in work-related travel, including a tentatively planned trip to Morocco (that Christine was going to join him
for) in early July.  Even worse, we learned, due to the total body irradiation he received as part of the bone marrow transplant last September he may never be able to get the yellow fever vaccine, which he needs to visit Ghana and Nigeria, countries that host two of Discovery Global Education Partnership's largest programs.

In spite of these setbacks, at a more fundamental level, there is still much to celebrate.  With the all-clear scan at the six-month mark, tomorrow (4/21) Andrew gets his mediport removed.  This is the port under his skin that was used - as an entry point into his blood system - for much of his chemo therapy from late 2011 through 2012.  Removing it is a last step in putting chemo behind us!  We are so thankful for how God and so many people He has brought into our lives have seen us through the past 18 months and continue to give us energy and inspiration going forward.  We cherish your friendship and ongoing thoughts and prayers for full and lasting recovery.

All Clear!

Andrew's scans are perfectly clear. Hallelujah! The doctor says "You should consider yourself normal." The next scan is in 3 mo. More details later. We're off to celebrate with sushi which has been off limits for AJ since September.

The Six-Month Scan

Can you believe that it has been six months since Andrew's bone marrow transplant?  Technically, that date is next Monday, the 18th.  But Andrew's six month scan is tomorrow, March 14th.  We'd love thoughts and prayers as we travel to Baltimore tomorrow for the 9:30 scan, 10:30 blood work, and 11am meeting with the doctor.  As you can see, AJ looks great and has been feeling even better.  So we are eagerly awaiting the confirmation that he has been healed with no sign of cancer in his body!  We should get a reading pretty quickly as to the results of the scan, so stay tuned. Thanks for remaining with us in the journey.

Living Between the Scans

Christmas Day 2012, Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary, Naples, FL

Happy New Year! Our Florida vacation was perfect!  Just what the doctor ordered: plenty of sun, relaxation, and time to (re)bond as a family.  Frankly, it has been hard to come back to winter in Northern Virginia.
But on balance, the New Year hasn't been too bad.  Andrew is now "out and about," enjoying dinner and movie (with friends) last night, and church (with lots of friends) tonight.  It is so great to be out seeing people and having fun.  Kids are back to school; I (CJ) am back to ESOL classes, and Andrew is back in the office full time+ as there are big deadlines looming.
And maybe it's the New Year season, or our age, or perhaps the cancer, but we have been blessed with lots of great conversations with friends in the past week.  How do our passions intersect with our vocations? What is really important? How can we be thankful every day? What does keeping the sabbath (and an element of rest) look like? We know four folks for whom cancer is returning - even with a vengeance - so we are keenly aware that we can not miss a moment of this sweet spot we are currently in.
So, that's the news.  We probably won't have much to post until the lead up to AJ's next scan in late March. Until then we are enjoying life together, tolerating the winter weather, and mourning tonight's Redskins loss.