Gee Family Update 11/23/2008

But he said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me. 2 Corinthians 12:9

We finally made it home this Satuday after spending last week hospitalized in Houston. Jodie's fever caused some concern for the doctor, so he decided it would be best to admit her last Monday.

My dad has also been at home resting, while still visiting the hospital for more tests and meetings with his doctors.

Our family continues to be strengthened and encouraged by your thoughts and prayers.

Praises:
-Both Jodie and my dad are both healthy enough to be at home.
-Our family has been SO blessed by friends, family and complete strangers that continue to lift us up in prayer
-Meals, rides to the hospital and childcare from friends and family
-God continues to make Himself real and evident especially during the tougher times.

Prayer Requests:

-That God would bring healing and allow Jodie's bone marrow to start producing platelets, white and red blood cells.
-If a bone marrow transplant is still God's plan for us, that he would provide a match soon from one of Jodie's sisters Joyce or JoAnn.
-While back at home, that God would shield Jodie, our family and home from any infection, virus or sickness
-That God would protect Tyler and Elizabeth during all the changes to "normal" family life
-For the logistics of child care for the kids before, during and after the bone marrow transplant
-Pray the God would bring a supernatural healing to by dad's body
-Dad's doctor's are suggesting a fairly new drug treatment, Sutent. If successful, this will allow the doctors to treat the cancer without immediate surgery or chemotherapy.
-That the cancer does not spread to any other parts of his body

Thank you everyone for your care and concern for our family, God is good.

In His Care,
Alex, Jodie, Tyler and Elizabeth

Gee Family Update 11/17/2008

God continues to show us that our plans are sometimes a little different than His, but in the end they are for our good.

We planned to be in meetings this week at MD Anderson and doing outpatient test to prepare for the Stem Cell Transplant (Bone Marrow Transplant). Instead, we were admitted into the hospital today b/c of a fever that started to spike yesterday. Although I would rather not be in a hospital, it is the best place in the world for Jodie to be right now. Her fever has gone down, she is resting and in good spirits, the antibiotics are making a huge difference as well, something I could not give her outside of the hospital.

God continues to provide even in the lowest of times, short waits for lab work and tests even with a room full of waiting patients, admission into the hospital w/o complicated paperwork or red tape, meals for our family from friends in Houston, Jodie's mom and Joyce caring for Tyler and Elizabeth are just a few reminders of God's neverending love and faithfulness.

My dad was also released from the hospital today, he will be admitted into MD Anderson on Thursday. But he is feeling well and is enjoying being at home for now.

MD Anderson is an amazing place to see. I've only really seen it from the outside all these years growing up in Houston, but I really appreciate the work that goes on here. There are some really sick people getting cared for at this hospital, unfortunately we are one of them right now.

In His care,
The Gee family

Gee Family Update 11/15/2008

Thank you everyone for lifting up our family in prayer and holding us close to your hearts. We praise God for the friends, family and even complete strangers that are praying for us.

Here is an update and some prayer requests. Also, below is an email from my brother Brian on specifics on our dad.

Our whole family is headed down to Houston this week along with Joyce (Jodie's sister) and their mom. The plan is to meet with with Dr. Richard Champlin and his team at MD Anderson.

Jodie
-Pray for a supernatural healing from God
-pray for wisdom and clear understanding from our doctors on the right treatment and care for Jodie
-pray that Jodie stays free of infection, sickness and any cuts and bruises.

The Family
-Tyler and Elizabeth adjust well to all the changes
-Tyler and Elizabeth and Alex stay healthy and strong
-PTL for Mrs.Lin and Joyce, they have been caring for us keep them strong and healthy
-If bone marrow transplant is the path, that Joyce or Joann would be an exact tissue match and that God's care is over them during the process.

PRAISES.
-God has given our family peace and a strength that can only be from Him.
-Family, friends and even people we do not know are praying for us and are walking beside us, near and far.
-That Tyler has been able to experience some normalcy this week by going to preschool twice and celebrating the end of his soccer season with a pizza party with his soccer team.
-Our friends and family in Houston that are helping us with housing, meals and general love and care.
-Your messages and emails, they continue to be a key source of strength and encouragement.
-Psalm 121, this passage has been extremely comforting for us these last couple of days.

God is Good!

-Alex, Jodie, Tyler and Elizabeth

Our Hearts are Broken, But Our Faith is Strong

posted by Gee Family on November 13, 2008

I don't really remember dates very well, but November 10th and 12th, 2008 will be hard ones to forget.

One Monday the 10th we found out Jodie is battling something called Aplastic Anemia (http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/aplastic-anemia/DS00322/DSECTION=causes).

And then on Wednesday the 12th our family received more devastating news, my dad Jon Gee has cancer (Kidney)

Both events were sudden and unexpected (like being able to prepare for them makes it any easier).

But we send this note today to give glory to God. Although we are devastated and broken, we feel a peace, comfort and strength that can only be from God. Our faith journey is just beginning, but we trust in God's sovereignty and will for our lives.

We'll send more updates and prayer requests for sure, but we wanted to take this one moment of complete brokenness to give praise, honor and glory to God for his promise to never leave us or forsake us.

Thank you all for your love and concern for our family. We continue to covet your prayers.

-Alex, Jodie, Tyler and Elizabeth

"For this reason I kneel before the Father... I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God." Ephesians 3:14-19

Aplastic Anemia - The beginning of it all

Aplastic Anemia - The beginning of it all
posted by Gee Family on November 10, 2008

This is our original email that explains how we have arrived at this point in our Faith Journey:

Last Wednesday I had to make a trip to the ER due to a low platelet count. Backing up a couple of weeks ago, I had a routine physical done and my doctor had asked me to come back in for a follow-up. He told me that I may have an issue with my thyroid and that he wanted me to get some extra blood testing done. Also, my platelet levels were slightly lower (113000 -- normal is a minimum of 150000) than they should have been and since I had been experiencing some abnormal bruising, he wanted me to see a hematologist.

The day after my follow-up blood test (done for my thyroid), my doctor called and wanted me to go immediately to the ER for a platelet transfusion because my platelet count dropped to 6000 in just two weeks. I thought I'd be back at home that evening in time to make Tyler's lunch for school the next day, but I was wrong. I ended up being admitted into the hospital for safety (low platelet levels = blood not being able to clot). The hematologist also decided to start me on steroids to help my body produce platelets on its own instead of the platelet transfusion.

Initially, the doctors were thinking that I had something called ITP (idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura), where antibodies produced in my body attack my platelets. However, the following morning, not only did my platelet levels go down to 1000, but my red and white blood cell counts were down. My understanding is that with ITP, only the platelet levels are affected. Due to the decline in my platelets, red and white blood cells my doctor decided to do a bone marrow biopsy for more comprehensive test on what was going on. Basically he wanted to find out if I had Leukemia or aplastic anemia.

By Friday morning my body had responded well to the platelet transfusion, rounds of steroids and a round of Neutroplast (to build up my white blood cells) AND we found out that I am not fighting Leukemia. I was able to go home for the weekend and spend it with family. However at my follow-up visit today, we were told that I have severe aplastic anemia (my bone marrow is not producing any blood cells). Initially, we were going to go the route of medication to see if my body would regulate itself and then a bone marrow transplant if the medication did not work.

After my doctor consulted a colleague at MD Anderson, he wants me to go ahead and pursue the bone marrow transplant ASAP. We will most likely be traveling to Houston in the next day or two so we meet with the doctors there.

My family and I would cherish your prayers as we embark on this journey. We know that God is in control of all of that is going on in our lives and that His plan is perfect. A few prayer requests that we have are:

- Praise for God's perfect timing in all that is going on (going in for my physical - which I had been putting off, my mother is here from Taiwan and has been able to help watch our kids) and friends that God has put into our lives to encourage us and help us through medical questions we have.

- Thankfulness that the prognosis is 80% survival.

- We would find a bone marrow match for me ASAP. The two most likely matches for me would be one of my two sisters, JoAnn and Joyce.

- That he would keep me healthy since my white blood cell count is low and my body would not be able to fight any infection.

- Strength and peace for Alex as he has the extra burden of caring for the daily household tasks and Tyler and Elizabeth, as well as work stress.

- That our children, Tyler (almost 5) and Elizabeth (1), would be healthy during this process so I may be in contact with them. Also that they would have a peace about any changes will occur, even though they may not understand them.

We cannot thank you enough for lifting us up in your prayers!

In Him,
Alex, Jodie, Tyler and Elizabeth