I am currently with Rae at Masonic Children’s. Before we can officially begin chemotherapy and then the bone marrow transplant Rae needs to go through a series of tests. These tests will do two things:

• Provide doctors with a baseline level. These levels will help them understand how Rae is recovering following the transplant. They will also be a key indicator if she is facing an infection while she has a lowered immune system.
• Provide results for insurance to grant the pre-authorization for chemo and the transplant. If anything extremely serious pops up in the results, they will require that to be treated prior to providing the authorization to move forward.

Today’s test is the endoscopy. It is likely the biggest test in the series she will have to do. This endoscopy will inform us if the metaplasia in her stomach has changed/increased. We are hopeful and praying that there has been little negative change/progress. But, honestly, there is a high level of fear involved. She went from 10% metaplasia in April to 85% in September. Please join us in prayer that it hasn’t increased, or turned cancerous!

As always, we sincerely appreciate your care and encouragement for Araeya, and your prayers for all involved!

On a lighter note, we stayed busy by playing cards. I taught Rae how to play War (how are we good parents?! She’d never played War before!) and Kings Corner. Little bigger beat me every time except for once! But, in the end, she asked me to put her hair in a bun. She couldn’t use her hand/arm because of the IV. Since I have no hair, it took me several attempts… after lots of laughing, she ended up figuring out how to do it herself like the fighter she is!