Much has happened since our last post to this blog and I’ve spent a lot of time deliberating whether I should post any of it. This site was always meant to convey the fun and joy we experienced as family in our journey through life; it was never meant to chronicle the dark moments as well. Unfortunately, life’s journey is not immune to the occasional dark storm, and while our current happenings are not fun or joyous by any means, I’ve realized it’s an important part of who we are.
As many of you may know, Jamie was recently diagnosed with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia during a routine blood test for her pregnancy. This is a very scary disease and needless to say we’ve spent a great part of the last few weeks experiencing a plethora of intense emotions; chief among them: fear, anxiety, and overwhelming sadness.
The fact that Jamie was 25 weeks pregnant at the time of diagnosis complicated matters and it was apparent the doctors and hospital staff were unsure about what to do during the first 48 hours or so. Eventually, they determined the best course of action for Jamie and baby J would be to start chemotherapy as soon as possible and closely monitor them both.
Apparently, certain chemotherapy agents are *safe* for use during the second and third trimesters and we were told by her doctors that the agents with the best supported scientific data had been selected. Throughout the initial treatments, baby J was a mischievous little guy. He kept moving and kicking constantly, making the nurses earn their pay trying to keep him on the baby monitor. According to Jamie’s baby doctors and the nurses, that activity coupled with his strong heartbeat and positive ultrasound results are signs of a healthy baby. And thankfully, leukemia is not known to pass from mother to unborn child.
Jamie spent the next three weeks in the hospital and was discharged a week ago today. Her recovery from the initial treatments have been, in her oncologist’s own words “surprising”. They had expected her to need at least 2 or 3 weeks of recovery time before the next treatment during which time she would need a daily shot of a drug to stimulate blood cell production. However, midway through her first week of recovery, her oncologist said her cell counts had recovered much faster than anticipated and she no longer needed to receive the daily shots. This was bitter sweet news for us since it meant she would need to start the next treatment much sooner.
As I write this, Jamie is receiving her next treatment, which will be repeated once a week for the next three to four weeks. At that point, baby J will be at 33 weeks and we believe the doctors will reassess the possibility of delivering early so Jamie can proceed with the necessary additional treatments that would not be good for the baby. After that we’ll have to see what’s next, but we’ve been told that ultimately she will need a bone marrow transplant.
We are thankful for our many friends and family that have generated such an outpouring of love and support for us. We had no idea so many people cared about the well being of our family and it’s been a genuinely humbling experience.
For those asking to help, Jamie’s mom has graciously left her home in Georgia and has committed to stay with us throughout this entire process. As such, we’re okay for the moment and simply ask that you continue to pray for us. We believe in the power of prayer and sincerely appreciate our family and friends petitioning to the Creator for strength and healing on our behalf.
I’d like to end the post on a positive note. This is our second time around having to deal with the ‘Big C’, the first being back in 2005 after Jake was born. One very positive outcome from that ordeal was a reprioritization of our life activities with a focus on our family. The Q family today is not the same Q family from 5 years ago and I’m happy to say that for the last 4 years, our closeness as a family has been paramount. Because of this, we’ve had some great times and made some awesome memories that I don’t believe would have occurred otherwise.
So while we may be anxious about what the next few months may bring, we know that ultimately we will get through this stronger than ever before.
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Beautifully written Joel. I hope this round of treatments go as well as the first.
Joel, thanks so much for sharing. My prayers, as always, are with you, Jamie, Jake, Baby J and your entire family.
Thank you for taking the time to put this into words and for having such an uplifting spirit. Love you and your family, Joel.
Joel, thanks for sharing. We will continue to pray for your entire family and especially for you and Jamie. -Javi
Very eloquently written and heart felt. It gave me goosebumps. Thank you so much keeping us posted and i will keep you in my prayers!
We will add your family to our church prayer list. Please keep us updated on how things are going, so we can update it as things happen. Thank you for writing this.
What a beautiful expression of love and strength Joel! We will be praying for you!
Your family is in our thoughts and prayers. It gives me such a warm feeling to know that your love for each other is so strong and continues to get even stronger. Remember, God does not give you more that you can handle.
Your family is in my thoughts and prayers.
We are truly blessed to have friends that remind us about the power of PRAYER! We love you both!
Thanks for sharing this with us! Your family is in our thoughts and prayers!
I know how hard this was to write and I love you for every word you had to endure.
Thank you for sharing such a beautiful letter. So powerful and so well said. Our thoughts and prayers will be with you.
Your family will continue to be in my daily prayers. The power of prayer is an amazing thing. I have seen it first hand with my Dad's recent open heart surgery and I know we will continue to see it in your growing family. Thank you for that most beautifully written update.