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A Little Boy's Question

BIG Procedure Day, Please Pray

Hello world.

Dempsey is having another lumbar puncture today. Please pray protection over our boy and lift up all who are involved in caring gor him today. So many prayer requests. Pray as you feel led.

Such a little body.
Such a big (to me) procedure.
So many drugs.

Silver lining? We should be HOME in a few days!!

He's More Than His (Red) Hair

I am writing this post from a place of mother's concern.

It is no secret that chemo patients most often lose their hair. Dempsey will most likely be no exception. We have heard he will lose all of his hair and we have heard he will just have it thin out significantly. Either way, I am praying that the praise and adoration he receives because of his hair will not have imprinted on his heart that this is his identity. It's not.

His hair is PART of who he is and a rather shallow part at that. Hair is an external feature that changes. I fear for him when he starts to lose his hair. I fear that people will say things like "Where'd your beautiful hair go?" or "I miss your red hair." Being four years old this may not have such a big impact on him but you just never know.

I want people to realize he is MORE than his hair!

He is thoughtful. Kind. Sweet. Smart. Loving. Caring. Articulate. Athletic. Patient. Feisty. Strong. Capable. Curious. Methodical. Funny. Sassy. Encouraging. Competitive. Generous. Respectful. Well-mannered. Friendly. Likable. Considerate. Charming. Polite. Sensitive. Adventurous. Hard-working. Brave. Independent. Cooperative. Honest. Humble. Sharing. Mature. Pleasant. Sweet. Affectionate. Attentive. Determined. Easygoing. Innocent. Happy. Prayerful. Cute. Cuddly. Gentle. Inclusive. Passionate. Compassionate. Daring. Balanced. Courageous. Helpful. Resourceful. Joyous. Bright-eyed. Enthusiastic... and so much more!!

It is my hope that people will keep these words in their hoppers (forefront of mind) for when he starts to lose his hair. These characteristics are far more valuable and important than the color of his hair. It is my prayer that, although he has gorgeous red hair, that his hair will never be his identity. It's okay as an identifier but he is so much more than his (red) hair.

Please pray that this part of his journey will not leave emotional or psychological scars but instead serve to boost his confidence about WHO his is and WHOSE he is.

Find the Blessings

As we continue on this super scary journey we find it is VITAL to look for and hold onto the blessings that come.

• God is faithful.
• DEMPSEY IS ALIVE!!
• each member of the staff that helps us is quality
• doctors and nurses keep telling us Dempsey is "doing really well"
• infusions go well, no reaction/ rejection
• we've had 2, almost 3, days of no fever and great blood pressure
• labs have come back good
  if one was "iffy" it was a minor concern and easily addressed, righted
• Dempsey's spirits remain pretty high
• distraction with technology is effective
• distraction with reading is effective (he LOVES his Batman books/ stories)
• distraction with coloring happens but is short-lived
• our community is still rallying behind/ beside us
• Dempsey had his room decorated yesterday and said "It feels like my birthday."
• Daddy gets to bond with Dempsey over Wii, reading, activities outside of the room
• Mommy feels confident doing bath time now
• rash is lessening
• responding well to chemo
• appetite is sufficient
• no complications
• seems to sleep rather well
• is accepting of his situation, although frustrated at times (who wouldn't be?)
• showered with love, support, prayers
• GoFundMe continues to grow (thank you just doesn't cover it)
• doggy visitors (3 so far)
• takes meds without much fuss or fight
• he can walk, short distances
• his humor is still present, just not as pronounced
• his personality is still the same
• Sawyer is safe, loved, and provided for in so many ways
• we could come home this week
• medical staff feels confident we can take care of Dempsey at home, even if we don't
• Dr Neudorf just came in and said "From our standpoint, everything looks good."
• ear/ head infection seems to be managing well with antibiotics
• his diagnosis, despite terrifying us, is on the less severe side of what some families here are experiencing
• this hospital has SO MANY resources for all aspects of this journey
• so far Jake and I have had traveling mercies- although yesterday Jake and Sawyer were near misses
• our family remains healthy so we have strength to manage and care for Dempsey right now
• Dempsey continues to be a big hit with the staff here
  Sawyer is well known on this floor also :-)
• psychologists, nutritionists, social workers agree that we, as a family, are doing well and on the right track
• Dempsey is still happy to have a NeoLife shake each day
• people have been resourceful in using Sawyer and Dempsey's Amazon wish lists to bless and care for them
• Dempsey has been able to move bowels for a few days straight (this is a big thing!)
• so far no concern about his input vs output
• we are meeting wonderful people here, mainly staff
• God is at work here

More Scary

Dempsey has another BIG day tomorrow (Monday). He will have another bone marrow biopsy and I believe another lumbar puncture. He's had one day like this before and did rather well, except with the expected discomfort after someone pokes through your BONE.

Pray for a smooth procedure.
Pray for no reaction to anesthesia.
Pray for no pain/ discomfort post surgery.
Pray for no spinal headache.
Pray for courage and peace.
Pray for a mind to not remember the scary.
Pray for healing.
Pray for rest.
Pray for the BEST results possible- we need perfect.
Pray for resilience.
Pray for successful distractions.
Pray for the doctors: focus, no distractions, steady hands, wisdom, peace, divine blessing (anything else you think pertinent).

He will have yet another one of these BIG days at the end of his induction month to assess how well the chemo is working. Pray for PERFECT results. If he doesn't receive perfect results he will be upgraded to "high risk" and undergo another induction phase. This can repeat even a third time putting him in the "extremely high risk" category. Please pray against this.

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