Home Sweet Home

We are so very excited to announce that we will be coming home today!  We technically could have come home Friday, but we would've had to come back on Tuesday to check Coltrane's levels.  Coltrane is doing so great.  He's getting a nightly feeding through his G-tube, and is gradually working his way up with regular solids.  He is getting better every day.  He is negative for having a virus which surprised the doctors.  As soon as we got back to the Korral on Tuesday, Coltrane was already trying his hardest to keep up with Jackson.  He is building his strength and stamina levels.  We are so grateful for the time we have had as a family unit this past week.  What a difference!  God is to be praised for this awesome bonding time.  It's nice to have our own, beautiful apartment too!  If you haven't seen it, please check out the Kids Korral's website.  It is stunning.  Here is the link to see some beautiful photos of it.  

https://www.tobykeithfoundation.org/index.php?photos-of-the-korral

We thank each and every one of you who are thinking of us, praying for us, and interceding to our Father on our behalf.  God is faithful and He has heard your prayers!  It's been a really rough time with everything going on, but we have had some great support, encouragement, inspiration, and a very new understanding (that's always growing) of who God is, how He works, and how to completely trust Him (which we are always striving to do every day, because it's so hard sometimes).  Our faith has grown, taken steps back, and grown some more, in many different ways.  We are so ever changing, which is tiresome!  God is our constant.  And He is our rock and our foundation.  I'm glad that He does not waver as we humans tend to do oh so very often.  Please pray for Coltrane to be completely healed, to eat well and keep getting stronger, for us to trust God with every bit of strength in us, and for the upcoming treatments that Coltrane will be going through (Radiation and Immunotherapy).  

Hopefully, we will see you all soon!  We love you.

Please also pray for Shane and his family.  Shane's mother Misshay, had to sign the DNR papers today.  They are trying to keep him comfortable and are ceasing to treat his cancer.   And please also pray that God will protect Sonja and I from the negative thoughts that creep in because of this situation.  Thank you dear friends.

Love,

Justin,

Sonja,

Jack,

and Coltrane the Strong!

Day 13

Dear Friends,

Today we are on Day +13 after transplant.  Coltrane is really starting to turn a corner and we are all so pleased.  Coltrane's fever has been gone for a few days now.  He still tested positive for the rhinoenterovirus (common cold) but the doctors say that could stick around for awhile as viruses sometimes do.  Coltrane's AGC (neutrophil calculation) is now above 800 so he is no longer considered neutropenic.  This puts Coltrane at a lower risk for infections.  His White Blood Count is starting to come up as well.  Coltrane is at the point that his bone marrow is starting to make its own cells again, and that's great news!  Such great news that the doctor even mentioned the "H" word today without me even bringing it up.  He said we could be home as early as next week if things go well!  I was totally shocked to hear that is already in our near future.  Our next steps for Coltrane are to wean him off his Fentanyl (pain med) drip and get him interested in food again.  They have been slowly increasing his nightly feeds through his g-tube and he has been handling that well so far.  Hopefully, in the future the g-tube feeds will just be a supplement to his eating by mouth during the day.  We are astounded at the blessings that God is pouring out on us.  We are seeing Coltrane's health return and we give thanks to God.  We are eternally grateful for all of you that so consistently pray for our family.  After this experience, I have really learned the importance of praying for others.  It is a humbling thought to know that others are praying for you in those moments that it just seems too hard to pray.  God is using you to teach us.  We have so much love for you.

Please pray for:

Coltrane's increased appetite and desire to eat.

Coltrane's nightly g-tube feeds to go well.

Coltrane to tolerate coming off the pain meds.

Coltrane's vicious cough.

Thank you,

Sonja, 

Justin

Jackson, 

and Coltrane

Day 10

Dear friends,

Today is day 10.  Whew.  Coltrane did not have a fever all last night!  To God be the praise and glory.  Thank you all who have been praying for our dear son.  His heart rate is heading more towards normal too, which puts everyone more at ease.  His respiration rate is also coming down to good numbers.  His neutrofil and WBC counts are also higher.  Today is a good day friends.  He's still in quite a bit of pain, but he is heading towards healing.  

Please pray for:

All his counts to go up

His pneumonia to go away

His sinusitis to go away

His mucusitis to go away

Coltrane to not be in pain

Him to not have any more coughing fits that hurt and jolt his body

His fever to go away

His body to completely heal quickly

Thank you all for your thoughts and prayers.  We think this is the start of his body to begin to heal from the large dose of chemo.

Love,

Justin,

Sonja,

Jack,

and Coltrane