Kristen's Bone Marrow Transplant Journey

I have been in and out hospitals, having my life sustained with blood and platelet transfusions, since late January 2015.  I am just finishing up my first leg of a Bone Marrow Transplant Journey. 

Initially the doctors suspected leukemia and after a hospital to hospital transfer to Mayo from Fairview Southdale for additional guidance and expertise, I was diagnosed with Severe Aplastic Anemia (a disease in which the bone marrow, and the blood stem cells that reside there, are damaged, causing a deficiency of all three blood cell types: red blood cells, white blood cells, and platelets.)  My bone marrow had simply quit doing its job.  I was being kept alive by generous donations of blood product.   

Because I was not producing white blood cells, my immune system had been compromised.  I spent the winter separated from my loving family to protect me from the many bugs that run through a larger household. 

In March of 2015, I went through one round of ATG (chemo) to try and kick-start my bone marrow and immune system.  This treatment was not met with success.  The next step for our family was to prayerfully consider a risky and costly bone marrow transplant (BMT). 

Knowing the risks that accompany a BMT, we did move forward and with God’s grace, my sister Monica was a perfect match and she was delighted to share her gift of life with me.

Day zero, they call it, or my second birthday (BMT day) was June 16^th, 2015 and it appears to have been a success.  My body is now creating its own cells and cell counts are beginning to fall within the normal range.  I have suffered setbacks and complications along the ‘marathon’ of a BMT, but my Severe Aplastic Anemia is cured. 

I will continue to doctor at Mayo under close supervision for the next several years, as the BMT journey is long and the risk of mortality is still present due to complications that can and do arise post BMT.

+JMJ+

 

For more details on our journey:

Caringbridge - http://www.caringbridge.org/visit/kristensoley

A friend set up a GoFundMe account for our family -

Kristen Soley's Journey   http://www.gofundme.com/n2j4ug

The Hands and Feet of Christ

To the Hands and Feet – Our Brothers and Sisters in Christ -  

We are humbled and overwhelmed by the outpouring of generosity and help God has showered upon us through all of you.  

We are not even sure where to begin when it comes to thanksgiving for all of the love and generosity God has poured upon our family through your generous acts of kindness.

Your prayers and those of the souls you have asked to join in prayer have sustained us throughout this time of uncertainty. How God spoils us so with such powerful and loving intercessors.  

We feel abundantly blessed and are humbled by His work through each soul who has touched our family. We have seen His hands and feet in motion, and we have felt Christ’s work through your souls, who love Him so dearly! We have felt His love, through you. There is no love greater than His.

Thank you for the wisdom and encouragement to seek a second opinion, prayers, including the most beautiful spiritual bouquet we have ever seen, flowers, enlisting the prayers of others, care package, meals, sacrifices, taxi services, words of consolation, organizing, re-organizing, cleaning, re-stocking, diaper changes, tutoring, coordinating, adjusting, re-adjusting, and the anonymous dollars that bought us take-out pizza!

While we were away, our home was still filled with love. Our children were safe, fed, and loved. You hugged, tutored, reproved, tucked-in, snuggled, laundered, organized food, tidied, cleaned, fed, taxied, played, and prayed with them. They did not worry. There is no greater feeling, in the midst of such uncertainty then to know that your family is ok. You cannot attach a price to this. This is love, this is God.

How blessed and fortunate your children are to see your openness to being a channel for Christ’s love, both receiving and giving. They say it is in serving, we are served. You are the light of Christ and we are all blessed to be the benefactors of His warm sunshine through you - like a cascade of brilliance upon our family.

When looking at Providence, we marvel at how God chose each of you, specifically, to place on our path. He knits the most beautiful quilt of people and circumstances. We are each a tiny thread in this amazing quilt and we all work together for Him. I praise Him for His generosity in placing you on our path. Each one of you is a special soul, a light, that God was thoughtful enough to spoil us with. Your faith strengthens ours. Your love, Jesus’ love through you, encourages love. Thank you for bringing Jesus to us and letting His love shine!


Thank you! 

Nate, Kristen & Co.

 

Extra thank you to my Mom for being my Mayo partner, chauffer, and gracious hostess, my sister Shelly for keeping Facebook friends updated, and to my sister Annie - the best project manager I have ever met -  she has juggled the food, taxi, childcare, and communication for us. Nate wanted to buffer me from the stress of these details in order to heal and Annie, the already busy, homeschooling, wife and mother of nine, embraced this challenge with impeccable talent, patience, and most of all, love of Lord. In the meantime, she gifted us the help of Grace, her daughter, who has been a Godsend for Nate throughout all of this. Thank you for this gift! Yes I would do it for you, in a heartbeat, but probably not as well.  :)

Lastly, thank you to Nate.  At the climax of all of this, when things seemed most uncertain, he looked so lovingly into my eyes and said, "You are so strong and beautiful!"  To which I replied, "I am only as strong as the arms holding me."  Thank you God, for loving me so beautifully through my husband.  I am held.

 +JMJ+