Still home!

Jared did get to come home on Saturday and has had a great time watching all the football and baseball games on TV. It is sooo nice to have him home. However, we are still in a very critical time. When we left the hospital on Sat. his blood counts were very bad (52,000 WBC, and 47% blast). They have pretty much given him about 2 weeks to live. But....we still have lots of hope on this new chemo. Today his numbers looked a little bit better, they way I look at is.. they went in the right direction. He is hallucinating some, requiring quite a bit of oxygen and we had to call 911 twice yesterday because he fell and couldn't get up. Very nice guys at the fire station by our house.
Jareds biggest wish right now is to go to the Fall Festival at the church with Elijah and Aubrey. Please keep this wish in your prayers too.
Love you all bunches!!!
Christina

Not the news we were hoping for

Leukemia is still in the bone marrow. Jared immediately started a new treatment of chemo and steroids. There is not a lot they can do so Jared will be coming home tomorrow. I am happy to be able to take him home and spend some quality time together. He will be going to the office a lot and oxygen will be set up at our house.
There is not too much to say at this time but we promise to keep you updated.
We love you all even if we have never met you. We appreciate everyone Believing with us at this time. We have faith!
Christina

Jared wanted to say that this battle will be won and we appreciate
you fighting with us!

At the Red Sea(Again!)

Exodus 14:13-14. Jared has received some unpleasant scenarios this day which we want to make everyone aware of. Not to commiserate about but to focus on in prayer and intercession. Jared's eye has become worse and some of the doctors fear it will not recover and is infected. Being in close proximity to the brain makes this very serious. They have suggested removing that eye. Dr. P.(Luis) wants to do a bone marrow biopsy tomorrow. If he can see any leukemia in the marrow he would say that is it and make Jared comfortable. There would be no purpose in putting him through an operation so that would not happen. That hits like a ton of bricks. The doctor will do the biopsy in the morning. He asked Jared if he would be available. Jared started looking around the room,so Christina said what are you doing. He said he was looking for his calendar to see if he had any plans. That is the thing I always want to see in him, the fire and courage. So here we are. We continue to run at our enemy and we will not be terrorized however we are very sober about the things before us. So please pray:
1.Jared's spirit stay strong and fiery.
2.Grace for Christina
3.Negative results on biopsy.
4.A remarkable positive change in Jared's eye quickly(like the next day or two)
5.Wisdom for doctors. In Chronicles some where it talks about the sons of Issachar "understood the times and knew what to do."
6.No infections
2Cor.4:8-9. "We are hard pressed on every side, yet not crushed, we are perplexed, but not in despair, persecuted, but not forsaken, struck down but not destroyed..."
This is where we stand and we thank you for standing shoulder to shoulder with us.
The Waters

Back Again

Jared got to come home Saturday evening. But after one miserable day at home he checked back in today. He went in this morning to discover he had a fever, low oxygen and low blood pressure. His white blood cells have shot up 32,000 (which is way too high). They have started antibiotics already and we are waiting for the blood cultures to come back. More than likely he has an infection of some sort. They also think he has an infection in his eye. Jared is pretty confused and disorientated at this time. Dr. P is concerned about Graft vs. Host disease and wants to keep a close eye on Jared. We are praying this is a short hospital stay. Please continue to keep us in your prayers!
Christina

Day 10

We have started a new countdown! I am trying to get sent home today because my numbers are looking really good. I need to get an MRI done and get off oxygen first. Please start praying for these two things to go well. My oxygen level has not been very good. Also, I saw a new eye doctor this week who was very nice and wants the MRI to see what is putting pressure on my eye (he thinks it is a mass of leukemia).
Start praying..I want to go home!!!!
Love you
Jared

People have been asking for an update and it has been on our minds to do, as a matter of fact I started to this morning but did not have the time. In the mean time there have been some things unfolding. Yesterday, Luis did a spinal tap on Jared to see if any thing is going on in the brain with leukemia. It went very well(first attempt with not much discomfort) and he thought from appearance it looked pretty good. Today they got the lab. results on it and they found some blasts in it indicating leukemia activity. It was not what we wanted to hear however all the signs and symptoms have been pointing to that ie; the eye, facial droop, lots of pain in his head. I thought of a scripture but could not find it, that speaks of things hidden in the darkness made manifest in the light, and this thing has been hidden for over a year. That is how long the issue with his eye has been going on in some fashion or other. You can't fight the enemy if you can't see him. So today the doctor was going to do another spinal tap to do a treatment in the spine. We continue to stand and contend for a complete healing and restoration for Jared. See Luke 18:1-8. Also Second Samuel 23:10 speaks of one of David's mighty men who fought against all natural odds until his hand cramped around his sword and the Lord brought a great deliverance. We want to be like that, not in desperation but more focused. So, please pray for:
1. The stem cell transplant to be effective to fight
2. Relief and healing for his eye. Very painful right now
3. A hedge of protection mentally, physically, and spiritually fo Jared and Christina(and us) Our enemy prowls about seeking to kill, steal, and destroy and we are alert to this.
4. Effectiveness of this chemo, NO side effects
Please forgive all the fighting analogies(we are in a war) I watched "Band of Brothers", very powerful. Thanks for love, prayer, and support in so many ways. The Waters

Invade, Take Over & Destroy

Happy 3rd Birthday Jared!!

At 2:00pm today Jared received my cells and the battle began. During the past week I have been praying that my cells would pour into Jared's body like a flood, seek out any leukemia, kill it and firmly establish itself as his new system, never to be uprooted again! When they were giving Jared my cells I asked him if he could feeling them marching in, because they are on strict orders to fight and win! They were wanting to get about 1 million cells but they ended up with 8 million...more to add to the fight.

Jared was amazing today, he got up and sat with me while they took my cells and took four walks today! What a fighter! After having a few really bad days it was great to see him up and about. He is still having severe eye pain and the doctors are trying to find a good way to manage the pain.

Please join us in praying for the following:

• That Jared's system would assimilate into a fighting machine (a quote from Dad)
• For very little Graft vs. Host and a lot of Graft vs. Leukemia
• Complete healing in his eye and success in a pain management plan

For all of those in the Dallas/Fort Worth Area there will be a Blood and Bone Marrow Registration Drive at

Haltom City Fire Station #1
5525 Broadway
Saturday at 10am - 2pm

To register with the National Bone Marrow Registry it just requires a cotton swab to cheek, its that easy, and just think you could save a life. If you are interested in donating blood for Jared at Carter Blood Care just give them Jared's name and his birthday(8-8-78).

Thank you for you endless prayer and intersession, we are aware of it every minute of the day.

Joanna

New News!

The transplant is tomorrow (Wed)!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Jo is coming in at 7 to give her cells and I should get them in the afternoon. Dr. P (Luis) thought the sooner the better. We will take this.
Please pray extra hard tomorrow that these new healthy cells will go attack the Leukemia. A miracle to about to happen!
Love you!
Jared

Quick Update by Christina

I just wanted to ask for prayer for Jared with his new strep infection. It showed up in his blood last night, so they started the big gun antibiotics again. He is really tired, nauseous and overall sore. This is been a rough few days.
Also, Jo is really sore and achey from her shots. Please be thinking about her.
Today was suppose to be day 100, so we were pretty bummed out. But we know that it will make the next day 100 even more special. This is considered a 2nd transplant so Thursday will be day 0.
Love you! Christina

Note from Jared

Well it is official, my counts have bottomed out. I am running a fever so a few cultures have been taken. Some far nothing has showed up, but I feel pretty bad. I am really tired and achey. I have not been sleeping well either. I will keep you posted.
Joanna started her shots today. She will get them for four days and then on the fifth day she will give cells. I should get the cells on Thursday. They will take a couple weeks to kick in. Please pray for this to be speedy and for me to remain infection free in the mean time.
I appreciate you!
Love, Jared

Note from Christina

I just want to let everyone know how much I love you all! We could not make it without you and your prayers.
I am so sad that the 100 day celebration had to be called off but I know there will be another celebration soon. Jared has had some good improvements the last couple of days. He is awake a lot more and able to visit, which I love! This road is hard to say the least but the victory is going to be huge!
The chemo will be finished around noon tomorrow and he is up for visitors.
I have the best husband and best friend. He has a fight in him that I could have only hoped for. He has to be the one fighting for us both.
If anyone has tried to call me the last few days please know I was not avoiding you. My phone was broken but thanks to a GREAT father-in-law I have a new one now. However, I lost all my phone numbers.
Also, there is something I have been wanting to say for a long time. A lot of you probably already know about him but please pray for Ethan Powell. He is a baby with leukemia whose situation has been very close to Jareds. His website is http://ethanpowell.com/ .
Love to all!
Christina