Steps in the Right Direction!

Thank you for reaching out to us and for caring about Caleb and our family.  Our family, friends, colleagues, & everyone's prayers have helped keep us sane this past week!

 Things are definitely looking up, though Caleb is still at high risk.  His fever finally broke the higher numbers and is hovering around 100.  He's starting to eat and laugh again, which is comparable to a harmonic symphony to our ears.  :)

The IV medications are OVER!!!  He is thrilled to no longer be "tethered" to a pole!

Here's the biggest announcement of all:  he's going to recover now at home!  Specialists feel like he has stabilized.  The important blood counts they're watching are still at "0" and his fever is considered low-grade and no longer a threat.  They have cultured everything imaginable, and all of the tests have come back negative - which is HUGE and fabulous news!

Texas Children's Hospital recently changed their protocol with children in similar situations.  Since Caleb's blood counts are not recovering in the hospital, they feel like he will recover faster in the comforts of home!  His own bed, sleeping through the night without interruptions, all of his favorite homemade foods, and a little sunshine are officially what the doctor ordered.  It is a HUGE responsibility, since he is so vulnerable to infection right now.  We are in the shock 'n awe phase, because in just a matter of days, we've gone from talk of the possibility of an ICU transfer to him going home! We think doctors are spot-on with this idea!
  

As soon as Caleb found out he was going home, he busted out a filter on my phone and started being silly again.  Surely laughter will help build those white blood cells.  I will begin my research of foods to prepare.... I'm thinking super high protein... to help strengthen his fragile body.

THANK YOU for helping get us through this crisis.  When I was sitting in Caleb's hospital room, & he was sleeping all of the time with a high fever, I felt so helpless.  For the first few days of his hospitalization, we tried to keep it quiet and just deal with it.  When things weren't looking up, and we felt like we were going to lose it, we reached out, and you helped get us through it.  Once we started the prayer chain, a peace came over us.  Knowing others "had his back" made us feel like warriors.  It wiped away that awful emotion (called fear).  When we found out that Caleb's favorite radio station, KSBJ had a moment of prayer for him, even Caleb told us he KNEW everything was going to be OK, because he loves their motto:  "God Listens."  We can't wait until this cancer journey is over for Caleb, and he can just be a kid and not a patient, and we can concentrate more on helping others in crisis. 

A Chaplain from our church spent time in Caleb's room encouraging us and praying over Caleb.  It is amazing how God put people on this Earth who know the right things to say and strengthen us in such a beautiful way.

 As a friend reminded us, 
Do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand. Isaiah 41:10

Caleb's new favorite board game is Disney trivia, so I've got to go now, so he can beat me again!  '-)