Tuesday, May 21, 2013

Making a Decision While Riding a Rollercoaster

So we are faced with making a decision neither Janna or I really want to make.  There is no right answer, because it's a gamble however you look at it.  There is no way to know what will come with making this decision, as either choice could lead toward a cure, or lead toward, well, not a cure.

The doctors have asked us to consider having Janna receive a bone marrow transplant. This is a multiple month long procedure - not invasive at all, but it takes months to years to recover from.  But, it might lead to curing Janna's cancer...or she might be cured right now and we just don't know it yet.  All of the alternatives (waiting to see if it comes back, then doing a bone marrow transplant, etc.) brings it's own set of problems as well.

I think the reality of what we've been facing these past few months has started to set in with us.  It's been such a roller coaster ride - Janna having a baby (peak) to Janna needing surgery (valley) to Janna needing another surgery (lower valley) to Janna having leukemia (really, really low valley) to facing 3-4 weeks in the hospital for treatments (still a low valley) to being able to come home 6 days into her treatments (can see daylight again) to her cancer being in remission (back to the peak again) to not having to do multiple consolidation treatments (still that high peak) to being told that a bone marrow transplant is the only way to save Janna's life (pretty much just fell off the roller coaster track) to now being told that, well, it's all a gamble, and because of the rarity of Janna's cancer, combined with her relative health and age, no one really knows what exactly to do for her, so it's up to us now to make a decision based on conflicting viewpoints from some of the most educated people we've ever met.  This has all been in the space of about 4 months.  To be honest, I just want to get off of the roller coaster, but we're going to have to stay on for a while longer and exercise a bit of faith.



2 comments:

  1. Such hard hard hard decisions to make...all when you're emotionally and physically spent! My heart aches for the weight you're carrying! I have confidence that you'll move forward in the right direction, but what a difficult path to walk! Please keep us updated! Love you so much!!

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  2. With the recent diagnosis of my niece, who also has a rare form of cancer, I better understand this roller coaster you have been on. I will praying that you find clarity and peace as you make this decision.

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