To the Anonymous Donor: THANK YOU!!!

Thank you, Lord, for the anonymous donor that took time out of their busy day to sit in a chair to get poked in the arm to donate their precious blood that is right now at this moment literally helping to save the life of my treasured Hannah~!

Donate Blood. Save Lives.

THANK YOU to all of you that donate blood, donate platelets and register as a bone marrow donor!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Hannah & I had a great day today despite the fact that her blood levels are critically low.... I am telling you, this girl is a trooper!!! Jim was in LA today for work so he wasn't able to get to the hospital but he did get to see the Lily after he got back from LA! I saw Lily for the first time yesterday since she got strep throat & it was just amazing to see how much she was walking all over the place!! That girl is m-o-v-i-n-g everywhere!!!! To my delight, Lily she still loves me!!!!!! When I came in, she wanted me & even rested her head on me for a bit when I hugged her.... thank you, Lily .. you made my heart sooo happy!!!!

Personally, I was feeling much better today and on 3 hours sleep, it is totally the Lord!! I can truly say it was so fun to just hang with Hannah today. I had a 1 hour break when Claudia came into the room to do crafts with Hannah. I went to my 2 favorite local places: Del Taco (for my Diet Coke with a squirt of Cherry Coke) and to Kmart to buy more pj's!!! We go through pj's like crazy around here~~!!! :-)

As for Hannah, she is just enjoying life here at the hospital ...going from one thing to the next: coloring, to crafts, to singing, to watching movies, talking to the nurses, learning about all things medical / hospital-related. It is just the Lord that is sustaining her happy heart in the midst of hours, days & weeks of being in a hospital room!!

In regards to "the plan for Hannah's recovery" basically at this point we just have to wait, wait, wait, wait, wait. There is nothing to do right now except wait & pray for her bone marrow to respond to the treatment she got at NIH. It usually takes months to see if the treatment worked. I am preparing my mind for a very long journey -- I'd love to be wrong but for my own mental preservation, I have to prepare for a long road ahead. Kim reminded me last night that each day is one day closer to Hannah being well again. The journey could be months...it could be years. If the treatment doesn't work the next option is a bone marrow transplant.

For now we are in this very-limbo-lifestyle of living between the hospital & home. When Hannah has a fever (even just 100.4!?!?) we have to be at the hospital for her to get IV antibiotics. It is not possible to do her IV antibiotics at home. There are just too many things that have to be done (labs, blood transfusions, pain meds, etc) not to mention that there are so many things that could go wrong with all the IV antibiotics.

So in the meantime, we are just kicking it in this hospital room. We had visits tonight from Aunt Kim, Cousin Katie, Wendy & Kristi -- great to see you all & it was a BIG HUGE treat for Hannah!

Thank you, Lord, for my little Hannah ... sleeping peacefully here in the room. Thank you for her happy heart & her cheerful attitude with the nurses. Thank you for Claudia & for the incredible blessing she is to Hannah each day she walks through these doors!!!! There is sooo much to be thankful for in the midst of this trial. Kind nurses & secretaries. Doctors that care. A shower that works great. So many signs of Your Mercy & Your Kindness every day. I just have to keep my eyes open to see the gifts You give!!