Life has been so full - I feel like I just wrote the last update a week ago. But, with the Memphis trip being last week and the holiday this week, I wanted to get this one out…especially considering what this holiday is about.

His chimerism came back over the weekend from the visit last week:

Praise the Lord! Oh, how we rejoice at the news….at his farthest out check-up to date, at this time of the year, and after the brief scare we had beforehand.

We had just gotten back from Disney (more on that below) and Jennings went to school on Monday. When he got home, he complained to Lauren about his neck hurting. He said it had started the day before, but was now worse. She took a look and immediately texted a picture to me at work. It was hard to make out in the photo, but there was no hiding it in person: his lymph node just below his right ear was massively swollen. With his history, and seemingly lack of any other symptoms, this was a pretty awful development. We both assumed the worst and even talked about scrapping the plans for him to travel to Memphis the next day. The last thing we wanted was for a relapse to be discovered there and them to want to usher him right into treatment at St. Jude.

While I was putting the kids to bed, L talked to Dr. Bolen who, of course, took her call at 8p on a Monday night. Her assessment offered us considerable reassurance. She said if it was sore to the touch, which his definitely was, that it would be unlikely for it to be related to cancer. With that, we took a deep breath and Jennings and I headed off to Memphis the next day as planned.

Further reassurance came when we got his CBC back in Memphis and all of his counts looked normal. We both let out a giant exhale and then got to celebrate with joy at the chimerism results we got over the weekend.

Our (very) quick trip to Memphis, clockwise from top left: Jennings is now a “poke pro” and was actually excited to show me how he could do it without any fight or tears, of course it helps to have Two by your side; building a massive Lego tower in the maker space on the new Family Commons floor; St. Jude’s decorating game is strong; one of the best parts about check-up visits is that it’s always Waffle Wednesday…best enjoyed after an appetizer of Cinnamon Toast Crunch of course.

I mentioned the schedule craziness earlier - we went to Disney right after the last update. Jennings and I left for Memphis the following Tuesday and flew back Wednesday night. Then, I had a work trip down in Clemson Thursday into Friday. Now, this week is Thanksgiving. All good stuff though, especially this:

Palmers do Disney, take 2 round 1: the obligatory first family photo with castle background upon entering Magic Kingdom; the Test Track ride at Epcot is the best - we all fit in one car(!), it hits 65+ mph, and you get to build a virtual car while you wait in line; the girls on the Astro Orbiter; Seven Dwarfs Mine Trane - look at the boys…they both have the exact same terrified face on; Magic Kingdom at night just before the fireworks show; taking a break for a treat…our snack game was much improved on this take.

Palmers do Disney, take 2 round 2: building in a pool day to enjoy the resort and take a walking break is the best; the girls and Daisy at Animal Kingdom; the kids outside Guardians of the Galaxy at Epcot, which is another awesome ride; the boys with hats that suit them; Dad got asked to participate in the Lion King show at Animal Kingdom and had the best time for the rest of the day telling the kids that I had to get back to the theater for my next performance; their “it’s time to leave” faces.

While at St. Jude, Jennings and I were sitting in the recently opened Family Commons area in the main part of the outpatient hospital. It is a treatment-free respite for kids, caregivers, and their families. Being outpatient at St. Jude, you often have long breaks in between appointments and now there is another option other than the various clinic waiting rooms or the Kaf. Quick plug for St. Jude and the donations that make things like this possible - it has multiple sitting areas for rest or work, a maker’s lab, a music studio with all kinds of instruments, an art room, a chapel, a nap area, and its own snack bar. It’s really a great space that they’ve been working on since right around when Jennings relapsed.

Anyway, we sat for a while in the main sitting area, and I was struck by what a privilege it is to be back there with him, and what an opportunity he has / we have to be lights in coming back. It sounds odd, but I just felt led to sit down for a while in that space and then later, when reflecting, could see how God used us in a couple of brief interactions.

Not long after we sat down, a mom came up to us who recognized Jennings from being connected to Lauren on Instagram. She got connected to L because she too, was pregnant when her son was diagnosed and they are close by in Huntersville, NC. She had her baby in the stroller with her and her son was on the BMT floor on Day -2 for his second transplant for relapsed AML. I shared just the 60 second version of Jennings’s story and we realized that her son is set to receive the same type of second transplant that Jennings had. She will be his donor as I was with J. Within minutes of talking, she had tears streaming down her face. It was a relatively short conversation and I didn’t have anything profound to say, but for her, it was just seeing Jennings now and knowing that he has been where her son is now. Seeing a healthy, vibrant Jennings does not assure her son’s outcome, but it does show there is reason to hope.

A few minutes later, another mom and grandmom came up to us. She worked for Aflac and was attracted by Jennings’s appointment buddy, Two the Aflac duck. She said she was excited to see one in the wild! We had a similar short conversation, exchanging childhood cancer stories. She had a baby in a stroller as well, but it was her oldest, a 2-year-old girl, who had just been diagnosed with ALL two weeks earlier. They were brand new to the fight and I could see her processing where Jennings was today after his journey. I could see her picturing what this could look like for her daughter. That she, too, could one day come to St. Jude happy & healthy, not for chemo or treatment, but simply to be evaluated and checked on…and to be a living, breathing beacon of hope to others.

What a gift we have been given. I pray that we will treasure it and honor it as long as it is ours.

“It is good to give thanks to the Lord,

to sing praises to your name, O Most High;

to declare your steadfast love in the morning,

and your faithfulness by night,

to the music of the lute and the harp,

to the melody of the lyre.

For you, O Lord, have made me glad by your words;

at the works of your hands I sing for joy.” Ps 92:1-4

I hope you all have a Happy Thanksgiving and thank you for all of your prayers.

#allinforjennings