Taking things for granted

Before I put Jovee to bed tonight I had to change her dressing. What that means to those who aren't familiar, Jovee has a Hickman line (a port for easy access to draw blood, give chemo and medicine) and it needs to be changed once a week. You have to peel a sticker designed to keep water and bacteria out off of her (so it's really sticky to the skin) and then gently clean it off and position the line back into place. It's a tedious thing.

Since Jovee had her Hickman line put in in October, she has been so good for us in changing her dressing. Out of all the times that we've changed her dressing, only once has she been antsy. It is a great blessing to have her be so calm and peaceful while we're changing her dressing. She just lays there and quietly lets us do our thing. I love her that she makes it so easy for us. Her big, round eyes just so accepting.

I put her down to sleep tonight. She's a cuddly baby, always puts her hand on my face and doesn't let go until she falls into her deep sleep. She just has to touch your face and keep you there.

The aunts and nieces and nephews came over tonight. They all know that this next trip could be big. Aunt Renee brought her camera and took tons of pictures of Jovee. They just all gave her lovin's and she gave lovin's back.

Knowing that if we do go with the surgery this Wednesday and that things could drastically change, I've held her closer and longer these last couple of days. I've shed my tears and petitioned to the Lord to please, if it be His will, to please, please keep her around for a long time. I want to brush her long hair, to take her to tennis practice or whatever sport she wants to do, to baptize her when she turns eight, and so on and on...

Seattle Children's says that children with high risk neuroblastoma have a 30% survival rate. With all the prayers and fasting, I pray that Jovee will be in that 30% category. I asked Dr. Park what Jovee's chances are of survival and she said that Jovee's jumped over all the hurdles that have been put in her path (positive response to the chemo and being able to bounce back every time after the chemo). Besides being successful in jumping over the hurdles, I believe she's in prayer rolls and chains throughout the whole United States. People in Spokane, Denver, Las Vegas, Salt Lake, California, Illinois are only a few cities that are mindful of her. With all these petitions to Him, I just hope that the prayer for her to beat this cancer will be answered in our affirmative. I thank all that have prayed for her and for our family.

Sweet hour of prayer, sweet hour of prayer...in seasons of distress and grief, my soul has often found relief...

Believe in miracles is the title of this blog. I titled that because in the very early days when we first learned of this cancer, a nurse named Heidi was magnetically drawn to Jovee. She had this little angel that had hung on the rear view mirrow of her car for the past 3 years and felt felt impressed to finally give it up to us. On the little wooden angel, it reads "Believe in Miracles"