Check Up This Friday

Well, not much to report this week. Joseph is doing well. His sweet little face is swollen from the prednisone and he's eating us out of house and home! We got a call from Transplant saying that his Prograf levels (anti-rejection medicine) had dropped from Sat. to Mon. We are trying to figure out this mystery. The yo yo in the numbers can be confusing and concerning. We will be at MUSC this Friday for labs and a Cardiology Clinic Appt. We are hoping and praying his heart function and pressures all look good or better. We will be making decisions about when Joseph can start school and when he can be baptised. He is going to be very upset if he can't start on time. He told me tonight that "you just can't miss the first day of school!". We shall see. We'll just look up for all these answers. Pray for our sweet little guy that things will start to get back to "normal" for him real soon! Our hearts break for him when he hits these bumps in the road. He's a strong boy, though, so if anybody can do it, he can!

Here's a fitting verse: Jesus looked at them and said, "With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible." Mathew 19:26

Love to All,
Angela, Stephen, Joseph, and Abigail

The Plan

The plan for now is to have labs drawn at 8:30 in the morning right here in Florence. Then we will wait and see the results. If all is well, we will head to Charleston on Friday for a peds cardiology clinic appt. where they will do an echocardiogram, EKG, and draw more labs. Joseph's not going to be real happy with all the pokes he'll be getting this week. Say a special prayer for him that he won't get too scared or frustrated with the situation.

I just found this Bible verse and couldn't help but share it with you tonight. It made me think of sweet Joseph who is waiting to be baptised...it was scheduled before all this happened. He told our pastor that he asked Jesus into his heart and he wants everyone to know. God willing, nothing will stop him now, and everyone will know that he is a child of God. What a happy day that will be! How perfect this verse is for him!

My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever. (Psalm 73:26)

Love to all!
Angela, Stephen, Joseph, and Abigail

Home Sweet Home

We made it home this evening around 5:30 pm! We had a special friend bring over dinner and now we are heading to sleep in our own beds! I can post more about "the plan" after I've had a good night's sleep. Good night!
Angela, Stephen, Joseph, and Abigail

Pesky T-Cells

So.......Joseph's T-Cells went up overnight and were around 80. Dr. Ringewald said that was very possible and he might expect it to do that. They want it to be below 25. Joseph will start another round of Thymoglobulin later today so we know we'll be here for at least one more night. That's fine by us considering we thought we'd be here for at least another week! They will test his counts in the morning and make a plan from there. We just can't believe how far we've come in such a short time. What a roller coaster ride. It was very reminiscent of two years ago, but this time I think we were more comfortable with the whole process. Joseph was alert and commuinicating this time which made things more bearable as well. We are hopeful that we can keep Joseph infection free during the next few months. Frequent handwashing, staying away from anyone with illness, and staying away from crowded places are once again Dr.'s orders. We are old pros at that anyway so it won't be too difficult. Thank you for checking in! We hope to see you all back in Florence really soon!

Heart hugs,
Angela, Stephen, Joseph, and Abigail

This is Incredible!

So..........Dr. Ringewald came by at the end of the day. Nothing like waiting 'til the last minute to get news of how your child is! :) Anyway, it's incredible.....on a scale from 0 - 4 with zero being no rejection and 4 being total rejection, Joseph's level is 0!!!!!!! Can you believe it?? I couldn't believe my ears. They are so pleased and surprised! The Thymoglobulin seemed to be very a stubborn process but it did the job! We are unbelievably grateful for the way this rejection episode has turned around. It's beyond belief to us! Dr. Ringewald stated he would have been "happy as a clam" with a level of 2! I thought Abby was all about the drama but apparently Joseph likes to take things up a notch, he's just sneakier about it! :) We love him so much and are so happy to share this great news with you. Thank you for your prayers. Thank you for your kind words. Praise God for the great news!!

Here's a verse that helped us through the worry....
Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.
Matthew 11:28-30 (NIV)

Late Wednesday Update

I would have updated earlier but it's been a real busy day for me. Stephen needed to head home for the day to take care of some things and I've been really busy with both my kids. We went to the atrium 3 times today! Abby went with him each time and that did her heart good. Joseph's cath is scheduled for first case, so he might be heading to the cath lab around 7:30 AM. We are hoping and praying that his biopsy and heart cath will show improvements in his heart and no rejection. Please pray for good results! Stephen and I are staying positive and looking forward to the day we walk out of here again with Joseph and Abby holding our hands.

I have 2 Bible verses I'd like to share with you tonight:

I can do everything through Him who gives me strength.
Philippians 4:13

"But now, Lord, what do I look for? My hope is in you."
Psalm 39:7

Good night ya'll!
Angela, Stephen, Joseph, and Abigail

Tuesday Update

Joseph went to the Atrium this morning and played with his cousins this afternoon. Now, he is resting and watching a movie (Eragon). He has very stubborn bone marrow so they are going up on his dosage of Thymoglobulin and he will start a new 6 hour run of it later today. His T Cells are still active! Geesh........they just don't give up, do they? We've learned so much about the body's immune system this week, more than we cared to know to be quite honest.

Let's pray specifically that his immune system will just calm down and stop fighting his heart. Let's pray that Abby will stop worrying about her JoJo. Let's pray for the doctors and nurses who are taking care of him. Let's pray that Joseph's spirits stay up. Pray for peace for all of us that surpasses all understanding.

Thank you for your prayers.
Love to all,
Angela, Stephen, Joseph, and Abigail