Joshua has completed his first round of Chemo, and came home!
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Marchuk Family
We have some amazing news: This morning, Joshua's physician came in for the daily meetings and told us that we could go home!
Originally, the plan was that Josh would be in the hospital through the first part of this treatment cycle, with the hope that he might be able to come home around July 21st if his numbers looked good - But by God’s grace, Joshua's counts recovered strong, and we were allowed to take him home early.
One of the big numbers the doctors watch is called ANC (Absolute Neutrophil Count). Basically, it is a measure of a type of white blood cell that helps the body fight infection. During, and directly after chemo, this number usually drops very low (even to ZERO), which means the immune system is very weak.
And for the last 2 weeks, we watched as his ANC bounced off of 0, which is expected after chemo - but when it began to recover, it did so in a matter of about 4 days.
That was such a breath of fresh air to us - never having gone through this before - and especially since it meant that he could come home sooner rather than later. So, instead of waiting until the 21st, Joshua was cleared to come home earlier.
Originally, the plan was that Josh would be in the hospital through the first part of this treatment cycle, with the hope that he might be able to come home around July 21st if his numbers looked good - But by God’s grace, Joshua's counts recovered strong, and we were allowed to take him home early.
One of the big numbers the doctors watch is called ANC (Absolute Neutrophil Count). Basically, it is a measure of a type of white blood cell that helps the body fight infection. During, and directly after chemo, this number usually drops very low (even to ZERO), which means the immune system is very weak.
And for the last 2 weeks, we watched as his ANC bounced off of 0, which is expected after chemo - but when it began to recover, it did so in a matter of about 4 days.
That was such a breath of fresh air to us - never having gone through this before - and especially since it meant that he could come home sooner rather than later. So, instead of waiting until the 21st, Joshua was cleared to come home earlier.
For a little more context: This first Chemo cycle started with 10 days of chemo treatments, transfusions, antibiotics, anti-nausea meds, and so much more.
During that stretch, Josh had different types of chemo treatment meds scheduled (each day) at different points. Some days were more intense than others, and the schedule was a lot to keep track of, but basically the treatment consists of the first 10 days being chemo, and then the next ~3-4 weeks are recovery.
Joshua's 10th day of Chemo was on July 2nd, so it's great to see his body having recovered in just over 2 weeks since then.
That said, coming home does not mean that his treatment is complete, as he will have multiple Chemo sessions to go through, but it does mean we get to be together at home for a little while, and that is a huge gift.
While we are enjoying him being home, we do need to be careful and mindful of his weakened immune system - and are taking precautions to avoid him getting sick. Part of that will be ensuring good handwashing/hygiene, avoiding crowds, and being extra cautious about anyone who might have (or have been around someone with) a cough, cold, fever, etc.
We know so many of you love Josh and want to see him, hug him, and encourage him in person - and that means the world to us... However, for now, we are going to be very careful with visits and exposure while his immune system continues to recover. Thank you for understanding.
We have some more appointments scheduled throughout the next 10 days, and if all goes well, the plan is for him to be admitted again on July 29th for the next (second) cycle of Chemo treatments.
But for now, we are just incredibly thankful.
During that stretch, Josh had different types of chemo treatment meds scheduled (each day) at different points. Some days were more intense than others, and the schedule was a lot to keep track of, but basically the treatment consists of the first 10 days being chemo, and then the next ~3-4 weeks are recovery.
Joshua's 10th day of Chemo was on July 2nd, so it's great to see his body having recovered in just over 2 weeks since then.
That said, coming home does not mean that his treatment is complete, as he will have multiple Chemo sessions to go through, but it does mean we get to be together at home for a little while, and that is a huge gift.
While we are enjoying him being home, we do need to be careful and mindful of his weakened immune system - and are taking precautions to avoid him getting sick. Part of that will be ensuring good handwashing/hygiene, avoiding crowds, and being extra cautious about anyone who might have (or have been around someone with) a cough, cold, fever, etc.
We know so many of you love Josh and want to see him, hug him, and encourage him in person - and that means the world to us... However, for now, we are going to be very careful with visits and exposure while his immune system continues to recover. Thank you for understanding.
We have some more appointments scheduled throughout the next 10 days, and if all goes well, the plan is for him to be admitted again on July 29th for the next (second) cycle of Chemo treatments.
But for now, we are just incredibly thankful.
- Thankful that his numbers moved in the right direction.
- Thankful that we got to bring him home earlier than expected.
- Thankful that we can eat, talk, pray, and be together.
- Thankful that our little family can all sleep under the same roof.
- And Thankful that we can have a little bit of "normal" after so many long days in the hospital.
We know there is still a long road ahead of us, but today, we are celebrating this blessing - and remain faithful and hopeful that God's grace and mercy has not left us, and that His hands still support, hold, and guide us on this path.
Please continue praying for Joshua to keep recovering well, for protection from infection, for peace in his (and our little family's) heart and mind, and for strength, wisdom, and peace - as we spend this precious time together, and as we prepare for the next rounds of treatment.
Thank you for praying with us, we feel it every day.
- Serge, Anna, Joshua, Theodore, Liam, and Ada ❤️
p.s. We were so over-joyed (and the kids were so cute when he came home) that we forgot to pose for a family photo - but I did manage to get a picture of Joshua enjoying the sunshine on his face (for the first time in almost a month) as he sat with Dalia (our puppy) outside ❤️
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