Wow, this day has flown by.  I have been trying all day to complete my CE course for work.  Yes, it has taken me 8 hrs, will LOTS of interruptions.  I know, I should have had it completed a long time ago.  But, it is done and I got a 90%.  Hooray!

Brian is doing really good today.  He has been up, smiling, we had the window curtain pulled open, he walked to the nurses station, and he has eaten 1/2 a container of Jello.  OT was here this morning and PT here this afternoon, and they worked him.  They no more than get out of the room and he is fast asleep. 

His counts today are:  WBC = 2.9. Hgb = 8.9, Plat = 261, and ANC = 2.6.  Everything is up from yesterday except his Hgb.  If it drops to 8, they will need to give blood tomorrow.  Everything looks great.

I specifically asked the Dr today to see if I could get more info out of them, about when Dr Patton wanted to start the next round of treatments, Dr Cockrell said the middle of next week.  So, as long as Brian can start eating, build up some endurance in walking, and get off his PCA (morphine) I am assuming they will try to send us home.  I do not want to get my hopes up too high, but I am sure that I will be at least making a road trip just to repack and grab a few extras regardless.  I want to bring some storage containers to use under the bed/couch and some sets of drawers to keep Legos, etc for Brian.  I don’t want to look like I am moving in, but these days/weeks/months get really long up here.  Somehow I have to strive to get the excitement back about this hospital stay.  I am a little burned out right now.  I did joke with the pain management Dr this morning about getting some Morphine for my aching back.  She said, they do have a Massage Therapist here at the Hosp…I said…”Please send her up to my room!”  She came back a little bit later and said she will be in on Friday.    I don’t know if this is something provided by the Hospital or if there is a fee attached.  I guess I will find out.  It sounds marvelous though.  The couch/bed keeps getting harder and harder every night.

Brian and I have developed a very short circuit for one another.  He has come to the conclusion that I am mean and nasty and that I do not love him….and I have come to the conclusion that he only knows how to whine and be disrespectful to everyone that comes in contact with him.  Please pray that I can have a heart like Jesus.  It is very hard when I am told continuously that I am not liked.

We are ready to bring in the New Year, even though I do not know if I can make it much past 9pm.  I may ask the nurse to wake me at 11:50 so that we can watch the fireworks from our window.  Our room faces the stadium, or so I am told.  (I didn’t know there was a ball stadium up here.)

Happy New Year to all of you.  Thank you so much for continuing to surround us with prayer.  God is good and he is faithful to those who love him.  I am ready to face 2009 with the anticipation of Christ’s healing touch.

Thanks,  Ed, Jolene, Britney, and Brian

PS…by the way, we are able to have visitors.  It was just the one day that the Dr’s said to keep things quiet.  (I think it was the Sunday before Christmas)