Random Thankfulness

I'm thankful for daughters that are being mom and dad for a week to their younger siblings.

And who are obviously more thoughtful and artistic than the real mom and dad.


I'm thankful for nurses Sarah, Melinda and Heidi.

Especially Heidi, the night nurse.

Hands down one of the most quiet night nurses ever.

No turning on bright lights at three in the morning or loudly announcing she's here to do blood draws.

A quiet night nurse is a very good thing.


I'm thankful for the random act of kindness from a stranger in the hospital cafeteria.

A lunch never tasted so good.

Thank you.

I promise to pay it forward.


I'm thankful for bed alarms.

Danny Boy, I'm the one who ratted you out.

And I'm not sorry for one minute that I did.

It was done for your own good.

I'm sorry you feel like a prisoner but you'll get over it...I kinda doubt you'll even remember any of that phase anyways.


I'm thankful for the conversations that were created because of curious questions.

"Are those your kids?"  "Is your husband a teacher....are those his students?"  "How did you know what special need or what age to adopt?"  "Have you ever wondered why God allows so much suffering?"

And for the compliment from Nurse Elena that was very kind but made me laugh, "this is like a work of art and should be called 'Expressions of Love'."

I'll be sure to let you all know when I have my first art showing of  "Expressions of Love" and you can experience it in person.


I'm thankful for a breathtaking view.

Clouds and all.

It does a soul good.


I'm thankful for all my prayer warriors and life cheerleaders.

Where on earth would I be without all of you?

You make this journey feel a little less lonely.

And you make a girl feel loved.


I'm thankful for a brother who calls daily to check in and asks if I need anything.

And then brings me anything I need.


I'm thankful for small bags of medicine.

You're looking at an actual dose of IL-2.

And the large doses of hope they bring.


My man has had 11 doses.  #12 was to be this morning but the last twelve hours were rough and they have decided to hold off.  He still has two doses available to take so hopefully he'll hit that 12th dose.  Either way his team is amazed that he has not had to miss a dose up until the double digit mark.  They are very encouraged. 

He is still hanging out in the Crazy Town phase however it is just more confusion than hallucinations for which I am very thankful for.

Please pray for his body to recover in the next twelve hours so that he can get in another dose.
With Love and Thanks
-Danae

Round Two

Round Two.

Just like the first round but with a bit more intensity.

The side effects seemed to come on rather quickly.

After just two doses my man was feeling the side effects versus them coming on after doses five and six the first time around.

Round Two.

Where the nurses are like old friends.

And they welcome you back home to Floor 14 with arms wide open.

We have been blessed with some of the most amazing and compassionate nurses.

Round Two.

I know the routine but that doesn't make it any easier.

Yet it is easier because I saw the results from round one.


My man is doing well despite the side effects hitting him earlier and harder.  He has not skipped a dose yet, and today he passed the halfway mark to 12 doses with dose #7.

Today he also entered the phase I call, Crazy Town.  Hallucinations and confusion have begun to set in.  I'll admit at times it is quite entertaining.  Like when we wakes up and says "Let's play a game of tic tac toe and then go out for Italian food." But then it gets frightening when he tries to get out of his bed because he sees bugs in it.  Last round this phase didn't come in to play until late in his round and it ended quickly because his doses were soon over.

Prayer requests would be that his body will continue to stay strong enough to continue to get additional doses.  He has not had any real major issues that would require a dose to be skipped and that is amazing.  Please also pray that the Crazy Town phase will soon end...as funny as it is at times it really does scare me when he tries to get out of his bed or tries to stand in it.

Thank you, Friends.