Hopeful

This is Debbie -- I haven't had internet access at the hospital over the last 2 days so I was very out of the loop with all the posts my sister was making to the blog. My focus has soley been hanging out here at the hospital with Hannah, taking care of things for her & trying to help her navigate the waters of her extended hospital stay. I am SOOOO thankful to my sister Rachel for all the posts she made to the blog & for the connection she was able to make with Dr. Neil Young at the National Institute of Health. The Lord has just blown opened the doors for us to take Hannah to Bethesda, MD for her treatment. It was a miracle today how quickly things moved for Jim to connect with Dr. Young at the NIH & for Hannah to be accepted to the program. We have our tickets booked to fly to Maryland early, early Sunday morning. Please pray for Hannah as we travel. She cannot get sick!!!!


Hannah was very sad that we are leaving this hospital. She has become very adjusted to the staff here & particularly with the Child Life Therapist, Claudia! I don't know what we would have done here without Claudia. She has helped explain every test & procedure to Hannah. Claudia came in to our room today to explain to Hannah about going to a new hospital. She even prepared a backpack for Hannah filled with special goodies for Hannah to take with her!

Hannah is doing extremely well considering her very, very low blood counts. Her doctors here are just amazed at how good she looks, how much energy she has & how happy her stay has been in the hospital. The doctor explained that the treatment Hannah will receive might be a bit of a rocky road. I don't have all the details yet of side effects she might have from her treatment but I am starting to anticipate a much more dramatic hospital stay in Maryland. Please pray that Hannah's body tolerates the medication well & that she has minimal side effects!!!! We will handle things as they come but I know it will just break my heart if I have to see her in pain or hurting! Our current hospital stay has been "easy", in the sense that we have just been basically camped out in a bit of isolation together. I don't know if I am making any sense but she hasn't had a lot of drama while we have been here.


A HUGE thanks to everyone that emailed with contacts for different hospitals / doctors. I am just amazed at the connections the Lord has made for us! There are no words to express my overwhelming gratitude to a woman that I have never met, Lisa Young, that connected us to Dr. Neil Young at NIH. She is a friend of Bridgette Ridenour's, who is a friend of mine through Arbonne out in the Palm Springs area.

Miss Lily Sha-Sha will be staying with her Slazas family. They are doting over her every single need. I think we might have to fight them pretty hard to get her back once we are home!! They will be posting with Lily updates on this blog. The total selfish part of me wants to take Lily with us to Maryland but I know she will just be juggled around & won't be get the attention she needs & deserves. I am so thankful to the Lord that when we brought her home from China on October 1st it was virtually "transition-free". Lily blended into our family perfectly & she continues to be the easiest baby in the world. I am trusting the Lord that we will have a similar transition once we get back from Maryland.

For right now, we are living in a fog of medical care & basic needs. Before we know it, it will be 2009 and Lord willing, we will all be home together 100% healthy ... and then we will celebrate our first Christmas together as a family of four!

Pray for sweet Hannah & pray for the bone marrow to respond well to the treatments at the National Institute of Health!!!! Thank you, again, to everyone for your comments, love & encouragement. We are overwhelmed by all the people that have been helping us in these uncharted waters.