Not the best of times . . .

. . . from a human perspective, that is. This has not been a good week for Linda. She has had some significant "blood" issues with which to contend. As you know, she was diagnosed with a blood clot two weeks ago. She only stayed on Lovenox shots for 4 days, but kept taking Coumadin. She went back for blood work this past Tuesday, and wouldn't you know that it was the only time in this entire experience we did not wait and ask for paperwork on the blood levels. A nurse from the doctor’s office called us a few hours after we left and said, "Tell her not to take any more Coumadin - her levels are high." Not knowing better, we took this as good news, but our understanding of her situation was limited. We did not know how high her levels were and exactly what that meant. We found out yesterday (Friday).

I don't know exactly what the figures I am about to give you mean, but you will get an idea of how serious Linda’s condition has been when I tell you what her “numbers” have been. The INR numbers (measuring the blood's ability to clot) are supposed to be between 2 and 3. When the blood levels are below 2, blood clots tend to form. When the levels are high, an individual can begin bleeding and have great difficulty stopping the flow, whether it is external or internal bleeding. Linda's numbers on Tuesday were 14. Yesterday, they were down to somewhere around 11.9. She was given a prescription for a Vitamin K supplement (5mg), which we picked up and she took yesterday afternoon. God has watched over Linda this week - she could have easily bled to death.

The blood issues may account for what has been a difficult week for Linda, though we are not sure. We have noticed a reduction in motor skills, increased tiredness, etc. We are continuing to pray for a miracle, and we ask you to keep praying, also - please do not stop! In the meantime, pray that God will guide and give peace and direction – every decision (of which there are more than I could have imagined) seems to be monumental in scope and effect. For instance, we did not begin the Temodar yesterday as planned, and will probably not begin the five-day course of treatment before speaking with a doctor.

Thank you for walking this path with us. What a comfort to know so many brothers and sisters know and care about our trial!