Day +4

I can't say how thankful I am for my wonderful husband and father-in-law... They did such a great job caring for my girl while I was at home!!  Grace was having a hard time and needed a little Mommy time, so I was home the last few days giving my other girls some much needed LOVE!!  Those sweethearts have done such an amazing job along this roller-coaster ride we call life!!  It is a lot to ask a 6 year old to understand and accept, but she has done so well.  Grace has such a big heart, so full of love for her sisters... But with great love unfortunately comes great worry!  Please pray for her, pray that God covers her in His grace and soothes her worries, pray that He gives her wisdom beyond her years to understand things that she shouldn't have to!!  It breaks my heart that my sweet girl worries that her little sister may die... that is something no sibling should ever have to worry about.  Grace hears that cancer kills people and she knows that her sister has cancer... She puts the two together and the tears fall!!  Please Jesus erase these worries from her mind... Give her peace, let her feel Your love and our love, let her know that her little sister will be home and healthy soon enough!  

Grandpa and Daddy cared for Addie during a really rough time.  She was absolutely miserable, Reed said she didn't get any sleep Thursday night and was basically up the entire night and the following day dry-heaving and gagging!  Luckily, we have amazing doctors caring for us and they were able to find a combination of medicines that are now helping Addie rest!  Since I have been here today she seems more comfortable.  She is still extremely sick but is no longer wrenching and gagging non-stop!!  

What is happening in her little body is that her GI tract, esophagus and oral cavity is ulcerated and sloughing (mucositis).  Her bodies coping mechanism for this is to produce extra mucous to coat the tissue and to send extra inflammatory cells to those areas, this and the tissue that is sloughing off is producing a very thick stringy mucous.  Her body is trying to get this mucous out and it is causing Addie to choke, gag and vomit!  Luckily the medicines are working to ease her gag reflex and her stomach... Thank you Jesus for these incredible doctors and nurses that have been working so hard to make Addie Bean comfortable! 

Now that Addie has mucositis she is at an even higher risk for infection.  She continues to randomly spike fevers which can be a sign of an infection.  The doctors are keeping her on a few different antibiotics for protection.  Please pray that Addie doesn't get an infection, that could be catostrophic during this time!  Also please continue to pray that The Lord guards her organs and that engraftment is near!  

It is incredibly difficult to see our little Addie Bean so miserable.... Definitely a reality as to what she is going through!! One can't help but ask why?! Why her?!  But then in the same thought I find myself thankful that she is in this place!!  Thankful that her cancer responded and that she was able to get a transplant!!  Thankful for the research that has been done and is being done to cure this deadly cancer!  Thankful for the wonderful doctors that are helping her fight this!!  I pray that the doctors and researchers continue to work towards a cure and that they would know each and every day how incredibly important they are and how incredibly thankful I am for them!!  Please Jesus let a cure be found, let there be a time soon when no child has to suffer through this harsh treatment or die from this awful disease!! 

I know He has a plan and one day we will look back on this and see the positive that came from it!! She will continue to fight and I will continue to love her for every single minute of every day!!  

Go Team Addie!

"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future."

Jeremiah 29:11