We've learned to expect a long day for each of Asa's weekly hospital visits. This past Wednesday I was hopeful though...everything seemed to line up for a quick 1-2 hour visit. This was also my first solo parent visit (without Austin being there too). The first thing the nurses do when Asa arrives is access his port and draw blood to run labs.

When the results from his labs came back the doctors were confused and actually ran them a second time. It was showing everything looked "normal" except his platelets had dropped from 235,000 to 3,000 in one week. They said it was very strange but believe that this was most likely caused by the combo of treatment (3 chemo meds) in this cycle and how he is responding to it. He did not receive any chemo that visit and he went straight up stairs to the infusion center to receive a 3 hour platelet infusion. 

For now his treatment is on hold for at least one week so his little body can recover and the doctors will revisit the dosages for the chemo he's been taking. That means no injections at home and fewer meds to take this week. We know this is potentially a bump in the road that could lead to a longer treatment, but I think this will be good for us all mentally and physically, to catch our breaths in this crazy journey.

Toward the end of his infusion he started having leg pain. We left around 6:30pm and I pushed him out to the van in a wheelchair. After buckling Asa in to his seat, I hopped in the driver's seat and started the van. I heard his tired voice speak up from the back seat ask, "we don't have to go back do we? We're done with the hospital, right?" I turned around to look at him, tears in his eyes. In that moment I realized he meant not just done with the hospital for the day, but forever. My heart broke. I unbuckled and climbed in the back seat with him. We held each other and cried together for a few minutes.

He slept for about 20 minutes on the way home before he woke up in pain and he cried out in pain the remainder of the way home. The pain he is experiencing seems to be in his bones and there's not much that helps. 

During Asa's visit to the hospital this week, he gave out 5 little Jesus's. Each visit we encourage him look for someone who needs to know Jesus. The recipients this week were: 

Ephesians 2:10
"For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago."

None of what we are experiencing has come as a surprise to God. We don't know why He has chosen this path for us, but we walk each day trusting Him and knowing that His plans are greater than ours.