DONOR - Oh My!

On Tuesday John got a phone call from his care coordinator Rachael. She had 2 important things. One was that our insurance company agreed to cover John's transplant!!! First they said NO, so this is huge! Second thing was that she had a donor for the transplant. It is a worldwide registry so I have no idea where the person is from. She did say "he" at one point though. She requested blood samples from the top 6 matches. 5 were "unavailable" and one send his sample in. He was a perfect match in every way they want. It is super excting. BUT . . . super nerve wrecking!

When John told me I was so excited and happy. And then it hit me: Oh CRAP, "here we go again". I am so not ready for this again. I had a flood of emotions wash over me. It really is fabulous. We knew there would be a good match and we knew it was coming. But, now it is really here. Life has just been feeling a little normal again. John is feeling good and cancer is gone and we are all starting to adjust to our new normal. I knew the day was coming. We knew the plan is for him to go back for the donor transplant. It is just scary.

Every one is so supportive and so excited for us. But, I am freaking out. This will be 4-6 weeks in the hospital :( And the constant worry of Graft vs Host Disease (GVHD). Something we will have to watch for the rest of his life! AND - this is it. It works or it doesn't. So, although I am happy to have a match, I am also super scared. The current plan is for John to go back to the hospital of May 6. At least we have a few more weeks :)

Update

Everything has been going OK. John is feeling pretty good and getting stronger every day. Not eating great and thinks he is having issues with dairy. So we are experimenting with diet. He is walking 1-2 miles every day. Not a ton of energy but able to do most things that he wants to. Kids were just on Spring break and it was fun to all be together.  This is what we have been up to:

John's 4 best frieds from high school came to visit. They made a road trip one weekend. John was SO excited to see all of them. They stayed in a hotel, but visited with John during the days. They took a drive up Big Cottonwood canyon, played lots of games. And one day John took them to temple square.  The kids loved visiting with them too and no one wanted them to leave.

We are having great weather some days :) Every one loves when I put the hammocks up. But then I am constantly taking them down when it rains or snows. It is just that time of year when it can be 45 or 75. When it is nice John loves to hang out in a hammock.

The LLS had a 5K walk/run that we participated in. John's goal was to be able to finish it :) He walked the whole time and finished in under one hour. Luckily the weather was perfect. Our good friends the Moore's came too and this is Matt and John. Matt walked with John the whole time. I was so grateful so I was able to walk/run with the kids.

In the end we all ran to come in with John and Matt. I made John jog the last hundred feet. I told him you have to finish running :) He did it. On the left is Nathan (I can't remember his last name). He was a patient at LDS East 8 and is now cancer free. He was hosting the event. He also came with us to find John and run in with him. 

John's sister Christy came to visit for a week right after "the Guys" left. It was fun to have her here. It was a crazy week and this is the only picture I have of when she was here. This is John with Christy and 2 of his brothers, Jeff and Dave.

One day we played a family game of HORSE! It was so fun and everyone loved it. We had never done it as a family before. Of course John won :)

OK - totally out of order :) This is our group at the LLS 5K. Our family, the Moore's and Brook and Dave and their 2 boys!

John and his boys with matching ties for Easter Sunday. We love that Utah has these great tie stores where there are so many matching tie options :) 

So, ya we have been busy. Life has still been full of challenges, but we are making it through. We are constantly being blessed and are so grateful for the amazing people in our lives. Some days seem almost "normal" and other days I feel like there are signs of cancer and our lives changing all around us. It is HARD and stressful. Some days I feel like I am barely hanging in there, just going through the motions. I try to not think about the future too much, since who knows what it will hold. I try to enjoy each and every day. But it is easier said than done. I am so grateful for my family and that we have each other. I know one of these days it will get easier.