Gratefulness As We Prepare For Joshua's 2nd Round of Chemo
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Marchuk Family
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Marchuk Family
Serge here - unable to sleep at 1am, as we prepare mentally and spiritually to take Joshua in for his second round of Chemotherapy in the morning (July 29th), at Randall Children’s Hospital.
It has been such a gift having him home for the last few weeks - so much so, that there were times that we almost felt normal. It has not felt completely “normal,” but having our little family together under one roof has been a blessing that we have tried not to take for granted.
Even though, during this time that he was home with us, there have been appointments, blood draws, dressing changes, difficult conversations, and a lot of waiting without knowing exactly what the future holds...
We have been able to eat together, talk together, pray together, spend time with some friends and family, and simply enjoy the time that we had, having Josh nearby. After watching him spend nearly a month in the hospital during his first round, those ordinary moments have felt incredibly precious.
We have seen his body recover. We have seen him keep smiling, joking, eating when he did not feel like eating, and facing each appointment and difficult conversation with a strength and maturity that continue to surprise and humble us.
Now, we are preparing ourselves for this second round of Chemo. Even though we know a little more about what to expect this time, it still feels like a dark cloud approaching: We remember how weak and nauseous Joshua became during the first round, how much weight he lost, and how difficult some of those days were for him, for his siblings, and for us. But we also remember how our faith, our spirits, and our family was lifted up - thanks to your support, your care, your love, and your prayers - so we ask that you continue keeping our little family in your hearts, in your minds, and in your prayers.
Our spirits and our faith remain strong - we have seen God's fingerprints enough times that we know that he's holding our family in His hands, protecting us, and guiding us toward seeing and understanding His plan.
We met with the Bone Marrow Transplant team at OHSU yesterday, and there were some difficult conversations - but also some pleasant surprises.
We do not know every detail of what lies ahead for our little family, but we DO know that God has not abandoned us.
Once we've situated Joshua in his hospital room, I will try to write a more detailed update (Ideally before the weekend), but I wanted to take this chance to thank each and every person for keeping our family in your prayers and for supporting us.
I want to end by saying that, from the bottom of our hearts, Our little family thanks each and every one of you - and may God reward your love, care, support, and prayers a hundredfold
- Serge, Anna, Joshua, Theodore, Liam, and Ada ❤️
Edit: Friday night, and I haven't had a chance to write the more detailed update - will try to sit down tomorrow and do so.
It has been such a gift having him home for the last few weeks - so much so, that there were times that we almost felt normal. It has not felt completely “normal,” but having our little family together under one roof has been a blessing that we have tried not to take for granted.
Even though, during this time that he was home with us, there have been appointments, blood draws, dressing changes, difficult conversations, and a lot of waiting without knowing exactly what the future holds...
We have been able to eat together, talk together, pray together, spend time with some friends and family, and simply enjoy the time that we had, having Josh nearby. After watching him spend nearly a month in the hospital during his first round, those ordinary moments have felt incredibly precious.
We have seen his body recover. We have seen him keep smiling, joking, eating when he did not feel like eating, and facing each appointment and difficult conversation with a strength and maturity that continue to surprise and humble us.
Now, we are preparing ourselves for this second round of Chemo. Even though we know a little more about what to expect this time, it still feels like a dark cloud approaching: We remember how weak and nauseous Joshua became during the first round, how much weight he lost, and how difficult some of those days were for him, for his siblings, and for us. But we also remember how our faith, our spirits, and our family was lifted up - thanks to your support, your care, your love, and your prayers - so we ask that you continue keeping our little family in your hearts, in your minds, and in your prayers.
Our spirits and our faith remain strong - we have seen God's fingerprints enough times that we know that he's holding our family in His hands, protecting us, and guiding us toward seeing and understanding His plan.
We met with the Bone Marrow Transplant team at OHSU yesterday, and there were some difficult conversations - but also some pleasant surprises.
We do not know every detail of what lies ahead for our little family, but we DO know that God has not abandoned us.
Once we've situated Joshua in his hospital room, I will try to write a more detailed update (Ideally before the weekend), but I wanted to take this chance to thank each and every person for keeping our family in your prayers and for supporting us.
I want to end by saying that, from the bottom of our hearts, Our little family thanks each and every one of you - and may God reward your love, care, support, and prayers a hundredfold
- Serge, Anna, Joshua, Theodore, Liam, and Ada ❤️
Edit: Friday night, and I haven't had a chance to write the more detailed update - will try to sit down tomorrow and do so.
Comments
Sergey Marchuk 24 days ago