Christmas Miracle

10 days ago, I received a call from Beverly's aunt Gloria to let me know the doctors didn't think Bev would survive the night. There was no sign that the new bone marrow was engrafting, and they were losing hope that it ever would. She had no immune system, her blood pressure was 70/45, she could not speak, was having oxygen machine-forced into her lungs, and her body was being attacked by pneumonia.

Here we are, 10 days later. I talked with Bev for 20 MINUTES last night! The pneumonia is gone, except for a lingering cough which demands that Bev be on oxygen at night. Her blood pressure is back up to 100/60. She is able to talk again, and the mouth sores that have been plaguing her are going away. Though food still tastes funny, she is getting her appetite back. The fantastic news, though, is that the bone marrow has completely engrafted, and her blood counts are all close to the normal range again!!! Even her doctor is amazed at the progress she has made in a week!



The prayer at this point is:
1. Her breathing will clear up entirely
2. That her digestive system would be able to handle the switch from iv antibiotics to oral antibiotics
3. That her body would stop retaining fluid
4. That she would experience an increase in energy
5. That she would be able to see the progress she has made, rather than looking at how long the road ahead is.

The doctor is hoping to send her home on January 3. Once she goes home, she is under "house arrest" for 100 days (to give her system time to reboot and strengthen without exposure to outside germs). I'm hoping to go visit her late February or early March.

Bev wanted me to wish everyone a very merry Christmas, and to thank you again for your prayers for her. She is overwhelmed and so grateful.