Sneaking up on another one…
Transplant anniversary, that is. This will be Year 3. Nothing short of miraculous. To be here, and have the privilege of looking back, is one of the greatest gifts.
I’ll be honest, a lot of months writing this blog feels like a burden. I’m wired (to a fault) to grind stuff out and check boxes so it always gets done, but the thought of having to do it and just getting started can be hard. I’m so thankful that I have kept it up, though. To be able to look back and see where we were on the 2nd anniversary and the 1st anniversary and remember what we felt then - such a gift.
Last year’s post from this same time looks so similar to this year’s. We had just celebrated Valentine’s Day, Caroline had a gymnastics meet, and we were thankful for another month with no medical updates.
Here’s some random fun from this month. 👇
Clockwise from top left: I cherished the only time that these two girls were equally or more excited than me for a football game; the poor twins are in K and we have to fight hard to find time to squeeze in learning to read (sorry, Ms. Lytes and Ms. DeWitt); Smally Bear has the best trampoline hair; Super Bowl with friends. The dads were talking about how far we’ve come as parents using the Super Bowl parties as measuring sticks…they can all entertain themselves, feed themselves, and hang past halftime.
On Monday, March 11th, we will mark three years since transplant #2. Jennings will be on Day +1096, factoring in leap year of course. Hard to believe.
We will head to Memphis the day after Easter - I love the symbolism there. It will be CMS’s spring break, so we are taking the whole fam and making most of a week out of it. We even found a house to rent on Mud Island.
Jennings will have two full days of appointments and we will get our first chimerism check since November. First and only, Lord willing, in 2024. After this visit, he will not be seen again until his 4th anniversary. And at his 5th anniversary, in two years, he will be done with the transplant team and would (will…or would, will, would - I don’t know what tense to use to avoid triggering my anxiety) be counted, statistically speaking, as cured. Only 730 more days to go from March 11th. 😂
I wonder how it will* feel? (*maybe I’ll just alternate and it will all balance out) Worth celebrating, I’m sure. But I’m sure there will be some lingering thoughts, anxious feelings, and moments of fear. But just like this milestone, no matter what happens tomorrow, what an incredible blessing it would be to get there, to reflect on all the time, all the memories we have been given that so many others facing a similar diagnosis have been denied.
Random February fun, take two. Clockwise from top left: Caroline proudly receiving her medals from her recent gymnastics meet; thinking about potentially selling your house leads to finally doing all the things you’ve been meaning to do for years...so that someone else can enjoy them; why do spring sports start in winter? thankful for another baseball season though!; the last one…I just can’t believe how big he is and how we have been granted the opportunity to watch him grow. ❤️
Before we go, to update those scoring at home -
Since the last post:
0 offers made on a home
6-7 homes seen
3+ middle school options in the running
2 unsettled parents struggling with the waiting / discerning game
We’ll be back with an update before we head to Memphis. If you would, please mark your calendars for 3/11 and join us in fasting & praying for Jennings’s continued healing.
Thanks for continuing to follow along and silently hold me accountable to keep this up….and to fight for seeing it as a blessing, not a burden.
I’ll leave you with my verse for this year, which is 1 Thessolonians 5:16-18 as I seek to focus on gratitude: “Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, giving thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.”
#allinforjennings