Results are in

The results are in BUT......there's always a 'but' with Alex.  😌  First of all, the results are good (let's get that out of the way).  The reason it was taking so long was the doctor wasn't able to get a great core sample, which he was concerned about at the time of the biopsy.  Apparently Alex has some 'weird' anatomy in that area?  Who knew??  The pathologist was trying to work with what he had BUT the cytology of the blood showed no lymphoma.  This is obviously good news which we immediately celebrated with breakfast at IHOP.

The plan going ahead will be a PET scan next week to confirm there are no cancer cells lurking about.  Followed by another bone marrow biopsy, this time at French Hospital with a radiologist utilizing ultrasound to find the exact location of his bone marrow - that tricky little bugger.  Then we will see.......in the meantime we will continue to monitor his heart (this has been added to our nightly routine). 

We may be headed into some unknown territory again BUT Alex has been a trailblazer in medicine before.  We are questioning the transplant teams' desire to put Alex on two immunosuppressents, as is the normal adult protocol BUT we're not dealing with a normal adult heart transplant recipient. So, we will see if we forge a new path again.  The ones we've had to wade through in the past turned out to be beneficial to those following behind; we can only hope for that as we trudge ahead.  I don't relish this possible role BUT God as kept His promise to prepare Alex for everything that has been laid out before him.....He knew Alex's life plan way before we did....just wish we had a heads up sometimes.

I watched Billy Graham's Celebration of Life today (and that's exactly what it was - a celebration) and was reminded so much of my grandpa Sam who was a Southern Baptist preacher.  I think my granspas'  love for Jesus was similar to Mr. Graham and what I remember of his sermons were always centered around surrendering your life to Jesus.  He and my grandma weren't perfect people but their flaws made them human. It made their life of service to God attainable.  I heard the familiar hymns I grew up with and can sing from memory and I was reminded of the simplicity of the gospel.  Sometimes we make it so hard and I don't think that's what God intended.  It's hard enough for us to relinquish control....why would He make it harder?

On a slightly different note (excuse the pun) - I put a lot of stock in God speaking to me through songs.  I think there are a myraid of ways He can communicate with us and one of those, for me, has been through songs.  There was one song in particular, Even If  by Mercy Me; every time I heard that on the radio (usually as a I was driving to an appointment with Alex) I would tense up.  Over time it worked into anger and admitting I'm not there, I can't say 'even if'.....but today, not so much.  More a realization that a lot of my life IS that song.  Don't get me wrong, I'm still not there.  I'm still afraid of the possibilities and my reaction but I also see God providing a path and that's more than I had a month ago.