Bald is Beautiful

But even the hairs of your head are numbered, Elijah.
                                                                                                                               Matthew 10:30

Sweet Elijah,

I think God gave us this promise for such a time as this. With each clump of hair that you pulled out today, we talked about the precious attributes of God. He knows every detail of your journey. He holds your past, your present and your future. He knows the outcome of this bone marrow transplant. He knew it before you were ever born. He knows the suffering..the triumphs, the pain....And as each little curl fell today, He counted every one. He knows. He cares. He loves you beyond our comprehension. He is not going anywhere...He will be right by your side..on the "left" and on your "right."
(Elijah loves to tell me to sit by him on his left or right side..depending on the day.)

Elijah has had a rough day. He is not feeling well..the open sores in his mouth extend down through his digestive track..his throat is sore and red, and his stomach is hurting as well. He is weak and tired today.
He is developing a fever and has the chills this evening. Please pray that his fever would not progress beyond 100 degrees as it is now...and that infection would not develop in his lungs. His lungs have been weakened by the other medical challenges he has faced in the past ...and he is vulnerable to life threatening complications if he should get a lung infection at this point.

Thank you for letting me share Elijah's story with you. I feel like Elijah's family has grown because you have chosen to share in his journey. I know that many of you have been able to get a glimpse of the heart and soul of this child who has taught us so much without ever knowing it.  He is just too precious to keep all to ourselves. Thanks for taking the time to get to know our little boy and thank you so much for your prayers and your support. Welcome to the family.

Day +10: How you can tell that you have been at the hospital too long...

There are many ways that you can tell that you have been at the hospital just a little too long...

1. When you start talking to your stuffed animals ...and they talk back.

(Okay, that is really not a new thing with Elijah...)

2. When you start asking for extra long nebulizer treatments..just to pass the time.

3. When you determine that shaving your head would take away the fun of pulling it out tuft by tuft...a two day, entertaining  project for sure.  It comes out in handfulls. Elijah says his curls are spiders as he pulls a tuft out one by one and puts them in a container...while the whole spider thing creeps me out..he thinks it's great. He is such a boy.

I didn't know how I would feel when his hair started falling out. I know this can be such an emotional time for many people who go through this. He has looked so good on the outside, I guess I am just relieved to know for sure that the chemo did it's job..the fast growing cells were killed off...and losing his hair is evidence of this.

4. You can tell you have been at the hospital too long...

When none of this seems so out of the ordinary. When  we have settled in to this new way of life. It is a gift ...the phases of a long hospital stay. They resemble the stages of grief...anger, denial, bargaining, and eventually acceptance. And I guess, grief is a good word for the whole process. From brokenness to healing...you are never the same having gone through the loss, but you heal. The scars remain, but they are just a reminder of God's faithfulness in the struggle. I don't want to forget the overwhelming feeling of support, comfort and caring that has carried us through this journey so far. We do not know what the next days hold...but we are a family that has felt His gentle touch and His mighty hand..we are blessed to be walking this road with Elijah.

The mouth sores, nose bleeds and intestinal discomfort continue. Elijah received more platelets over night and was up bright and early this morning. Despite the intermittent pain and bleeding issues, the medications seem to be controlling the pain. He has had no fevers or infections which is an amazing answer to prayer. This is a rough road for this little guy....but God is seeing him through.