Starting the Stem Cell Transplant!

Well, it has been a long road to this point, but Chelsa is finally starting the Stem Cell Transplant process. After speaking with Seattle Cancer Care Alliance (Fred Hutch) and Dana-Farber Institute (in Boston), we have decided to continue receiving treatment from Swedish Medical. All agree that an Autologous Stem Cell transplant (no donor required) is the way to go. While it typically does not equal a "cure", it is much lower risk than an allogeneic transplant (donor). 

Here's a summary of what that looks like:

WEEK ONE

• Receive Neupogen shots to stimulate white blood cells and grow more Stem Cells -- this means going across town to Swedish every morning around 8am to have blood tested and receive the shot in her stomach. (She's had wonderful drivers! Thanks Mom & Kathy!!!), This also means some serious bone pain from the stem cells growing in her bone marrow.
• Have a big tube stuck in her jugular (neck) -- both an in and an out tube. A fairly simple surgery, but not fun. This came after spending all morning at the med center, running back across town for a 1/2 hour nap at home, then back to the hospital for a 1pm "appointment". She finally got in for the 15 min. procedure around 4:30pm. UGH! No it's not stressful waiting to have a hole cut in your neck while people cough up blood in the room next to you for almost 4 hours. (To Swedish credit, I guess they can't help it if a bunch of emergency-level patients come in at the same time).
• Begin Harvesting!  Once her stem cell count gets to a certain point (I can't remember what), they can begin "harvesting". Basically this means being hooked up to a 1980s reel-to-reel tape deck looking machine with a centrifuge spinning around inside. The machine sucks blood out from one of Chelsa's neck tubes. The centrifuge uses gravity to separate white blood cells, platelets, and stem cells, from red blood cells and plasma. It puts the white cells containing her Stem Cells in a little bag, then pumps the red cells back in through her other neck tube (looking like really weak coffee compared to the sludge in the bag). Very weird and amazing to watch!
• On Friday (her first harvesting day), her mom stayed with her and they were able to harvest 2.4 million stem cells! The goal is 10 million. They tell us that they can get all 10 million from some folks on day #1 and for others it takes 5-7 days with shots (in addition to the neupogen) that stimulate more growth.
• On Saturday (harvesting day #2), I (matt) went with her for the harvest. I figured that I could definitely coach her into pumping out around 7.6 million stemmers so that she could be done with this business and get that neck tube out. (She can't shower or wash her hair... or sleep well / be comfortable... while that tube is in her neck, so she is motivated). The Cancer Center staff is *so awesome*, but I think I failed in my coaching because they were only able to get 1.8 mil.
• Today is Sunday (harvest day #3) and we are back at it again. Chelsa is organizing her BFF Megan's Baby Shower this afternoon so is especially motivated to pump those Stemmers out. We spent most of yesterday evening preparing decorations -- It's a GIRL!  

Currently, Chelsa is feeling good. She is really enjoying the Johnny Cash graphic novel (from Traverse City). I'm good too--but missing last week's vacation life in Michigan. We really appreciate your prayers and well-wishes. 

Right now we are asking for prayer that they are able to collect the 10 million stem cells sooner than later so that she can begin recovering and preparing for the really tough stuff -- that will be one month from now when she gets the multiple myelome (cancer) blasted out with chemo and receives her stem cells back to grow cancer-free! 

Unfortunately this means that her immune system will get blasted too -- so she will have to avoid any possibility of germs, infections, etc. for a few months. So no parties or trips until about February if all goes to plan. BUT that means something AWESOME is coming in February and that we can possibly expect 10, 20, 30 years of living Cancer-Free! Prayers for THAT please! We're also hoping that a cure will be discovered in that time! 

The stem cell harvesting machine. Yep, she's still got a smile!

Loves the CASH.

Stopped by to wish Joel a Happy Birthday and Quincy decided to cheer us up.

Chelsa sent this to me a little while back (courtesy of Paul Tripp) --- 

AFRAID

There are many things I wish weren't true of me:

• I wish I didn't doubt the presence of God, but there are times when I feel as if life is pitting me against The World.

• I wish I wasn't restless before bed, but there are nights when I can't fall asleep because I'm concerned with what tomorrow will hold.

• I wish I wasn't envious over others, but I catch myself thinking that my life would be better if I had what they had.

• I wish I didn't struggle with God's sovereignty, but there are moments when I wish I could rewind time or rewrite the script to my life.

Here's the strange thing: I spent many years discovering what the Bible had to say about those issues. 

From a doctrinal standpoint, I have all the answers I need to believe in the power, presence, and promises of God.
Perhaps even more ironically, I spent many years as a biblical counselor helping people wrestle through their doubts and lack of faith. 
By the grace of God, people would come to me paralyzed and leave with newfound courage. And yet, I still find myself fearful and doubting.
Here's the conclusion I've come to: no matter how theologically trained my brain is, my heart is still prone to forget.
So once more today, I will remind myself of the truths of the Bible.
Not because my brain needs to be taught a new concept, but because my wandering heart needs to be ushered back into the throne room of grace.

• The Bible tells me that Jesus is Immanuel, which means, "God with Chelsa" [insert your name here] in every moment of every day.

• The Bible tells me that I'm never first to arrive in a situation, location or relationship. God was there before me, so I don't have to fear the unpredictable.

• The Bible tells me that everything I'll ever need to thrive will be supplied by God, in just the right quantity at just the right time.

• The Bible tells me that God has never fallen asleep at the wheel, and that everything I've been through in life was purposeful and under his control.

Whatever you're doing right now, stop and pray for the grace to remember today. Your Savior never gets weary of your requests. He loves to hear and answer.