I wish I could think of something profound to say

Eric and I are feeling so very, very blessed today.  It started out as a good day after Eric had a reasonable night of sleep.  He was feeling stronger so we walked a little farther than we have walked for the past few days.  I noticed as we walked that his movements were smoother and more coordinated than they had been for a couple of weeks. 

Our first obligation was chemo at 11:50 a.m.  As we were driving to the clinic for the chemo, my cell phone rang and Eric's sister Debbie (last on the list of potentials) told Eric that she was a match.  Eric started crying.  I was driving, so I tried very hard not to let more than a few tears well up in my eyes.  But my heart was bursting with love and gratitude to my loving Heavenly Father for this tremendous answer to our prayers.

We hardly dared believe this good news, but we told our doctor when he came to see how the chemo was going that Eric's sister had called to say she was a match, but that we didn't know if more testing needed to be done to confirm it.  He promised to find out all the details he could and share them with us when we go for chemo tomorrow.

Back from the downtown visit and all our running around (now late afternoon), I just got off the phone with our bone marrow transplant coordinator and she confirmed that Debbie is a full match!  We are so excited.  Debbie is so eager to donate that the coordinator had to calm her down, but we are so grateful that Debbie is more than willing to turn her life upside down to be available as soon as possible.

We don't know how long this preparation process will be, but assume it will take a week or two minimum to line everything up.  But we are on the path!  And in the meantime we feel so blessed that Eric is managing the pain, the sleep deprivation, and the messed up digestive tract better these past few days. 

Among the many things we are grateful for is the love and support we have had from so many people.  Eric's law firm has been amazing.  Everyone has been so helpful and kind in walking us through this process of taking medical leave, winding down his practice, figuring out the new normal.

We have also been very blessed with loving and supportive family and friends.  As a practical, literal person I have always had a bit of a problem with St. Matthew 6:25-34.  How can you not think about food and clothes and all the other necessities of life?  As a wife of one and mother of six, I have spent a lot of time thinking (and worrying) about those very things.  This morning as Eric and I were walking I told him that it had suddenly hit me in the night that for a couple of weeks I had not thought about what to make for dinner.  Every night we had been provided for by thoughtful friends.  To my knowledge it had not been coordinated by anyone, but every evening the very thing that tasted good to Eric was here in our home.  How could this be?  This morning I realized that Heavenly Father had been kindly working through our loved ones to provide us what we needed.  He had fulfilled His promise.

And then just a few hours later we received the phone call from Debbie, followed by the phone call from our coordinator.  Heavenly Father has answered our prayers. 

From Eric:  I appreciate so much your thoughts and prayers.  I feel them most in the dark stillness of the night as I move from room to room to settle in for another bit of sleep.  It seems then that we are more a part of each other than we could ever suppose.  With love.