Sad, Scary News. Please Pray

My heart is broken and it is so hard to write this, but I feel compelled to let our community know that Ian is very much in need of prayer right now. To summarize, his platelets keep falling and this is a likely sign of leukemia returning. They did a chimerism test to see if the percentage of his blood has dropped from 100% his brother. We should get the results at clinic this Friday, but they called today to schedule a bone marrow biopsy as well. Things are not looking good. Please pray his immune system returns to a clear and healthy normal and we don't have to face that ugly battle against leukemia again.

Here are further details if you have time to read:

Ian's recent clinic labs were suspiciously low on platelets and white blood cells, but he was in the middle of a round of antibiotics for a tonsil infection and both the medication and infection were possible reasons for the lower counts. They wanted him to get more labs done in 10 days, once his round of antibiotics was over plus a few days for it to be out of his system. I was about to leave on a trip to Thailand to look for a home for our family to move at the end of summer, and I was ready to cancel the trip until we knew what was going on. We called the clinic hotline in the middle of the night, saying we need to know what is going on and can't wait another 10 days to find out. His doctor emailed us the next morning saying that he was not too concerned, and that they found no leukemia in his blood sample and that I should continue with the trip as planned. So off I flew to the other side of the world one week ago today, while my precious mom took our girls for a two week sleepover at her home in Oklahoma. 

Talking to Ian from Thailand, I could tell he wasn't doing well. He started to get a cough that was the exact same cough he had at diagnosis and that had tortured him through chemo. It was breaking my heart. After a couple days in Pai, I knew I had to return. As I was searching tickets, Ian discovered a rash on his legs from low platelets. I booked the fastest series of flights I could find and started the journey home while he checked into emergency at UCSF.  At each airport along the way, I received texts from Ian updating me on his labs and situation. It grew progressively worse, especially his platelets. With each update, I felt like a thick sheet of glass shattered into a million pieces on the airport carpet. I also had a deep peace that sustained me through each leg of the journey, punctuated by weeping at airports in between. 

I arrived last night and am so thankful to be back by Ian's side and to be present to comfort and support him as we wait for news to unfold. It is sad and scary. I want to believe it is all going to be ok, that his labs will show continued improvement from here and we will all exhale a massive sigh of relief. Please pray for us as we wait. Ian has a local blood test tomorrow to see what is going on with his platelets and white blood counts. Friday morning we will meet with his doctor and work through results and possibly decision trees of the future. 

Please, please keep us in your prayers and petition heaven for good news, for mercy and healing. 

Thank you.