Today: February 17, 2015
Hello, It has been a roller coaster since my last post. Gabriel was hospitalized in December due to him contracting the EBV virus, again. One test showed over 800,000 virus cells, which lead the recommendation for a bone marrow transplant. To date there has not been a match found. Two days later, I asked them to check the EBV level again. One night in the hospital Jaime said to Gabriel, you know "God is working a miracle on you" and Gabriel answered, "I know daddy, it just takes a little while". So we will wait, I thought. They sent the test again two days later. This time he was presenting as fever free, even helping the staff hand out Christmas and Hanukkah presents to the other children on the floor. The doctors were worried and had told us this wasn't good news, they expected the HLH to flare as a response to the high virus count of EBV in his body. Having to wait several days for the EBV results, they gave him two doses of IV IG, or immune Globulin, hoping to give his already compromised immune system an extra chance to fight this. The team of doctors and consulting doctors from Sweden, Canada, other hospitals, were confused at best as he stayed steadily progressing. Over the weekend he was back to his normal self, eating, playing video games, restless to get out of the hospital, and still fever free. The results came back Monday the 22nd and showed that over 700,000 virus cells had disappeared. They were without explanation on how this could happen... I said to them as we were leaving the hospital that it looks like God has confused the scientists. A Christmas miracle. I told our Dr. G., your mind, your hands, and a little help from above...she agreed and said I'll take whatever help we can get. So from December until today, we have visited clinic every Tuesday, checking labs, watching him grow, laugh, play...Today, Dr. G stopped his oral chemo medication....next step is to wait and watch. He still only has blood pressure medication, which she is also hoping to reduce as it is an issue only symptomatic to the treatment. She is hopeful that within a month of monitoring, that if all continues, he may be back at school...and able to enjoy his wish. He was granted a wish from Make a Wish which he choose to go to Disneyworld. Wow!!!! We will sit out this storm, and continue to ask for prayers and support for our family and pray for all of you who have given us so much love and support. Thank you to all who have loved him, and our family, and all who have helped carry us through this!!! That's all for now...Take Care...I will be helping to organize a bone marrow drive soon....and will keep you updated, but if you aren't in our area...check out bethematch.org and getswabbed.org....these websites can even send you kits to do at home and send in with no charge....give someone the chance to have a match...[...]
