Gee Family Update 12/4/2008

Because of the LORD's great love we are not consumed,
for his compassions never fail.
They are new every morning;
great is your faithfulness.
I say to myself, "The LORD is my portion;
therefore I will wait for him."
The LORD is good to those whose hope is in him,
to the one who seeks him;
-Lamentations 3: 22-25

God reminded us of this passage through a friend the other day and it came at the right time.

Since our last update we had GREAT week of Thanksgiving, Jodie felt well and we had a nice Thanksgiving lunch at home with her sister Joyce and a couple of friends. But this week has brought us some new challenges. Monday, we found out that neither JoAnn or Joyce are a bone marrow match for Jodie. Also on Monday, Jodie started to run a fever and her throat started to feel sore. It turns out she has tonsillitis.

Because we have not yet found a match and the process could take months or even longer, Jodie will start a drug treatment next week called ATG/Cyclosporine. We hope it helps her bone marrow recover and start producing new blood cells, but ultimate cure is still a bone marrow transplant.

We fight every minute of the day to try and keep Jodie and our family healthy. Limiting visitors, frequent baths and hand washing and attention to the food we eat. Plus the other concerns of finding and unrelated donor, care for the kids during all the doctor and hospital visits, trying to work when I can (Alex). All of this is overwhelming at times, BUT that is why God sends us his Word like the passage from Lamentations. It sustains us and reminds us that God alone is sufficient.

An update on my Dad: He and mom are doing well. Mom even returned to work earlier this week. Dad started a drug called Sutent which is supposed to reduce and kill the cancer cells in his kidney, lung and ribs. The hope is to treat all the cancer and remove the diseased kidney. They will evaluate his progress after 6 weeks of treatment.

We thank you all, family, friends and even strangers for your prayers and support. God continually uses his Word and you all to encourage us and lift our spirits.

Here are a few things you can specifically pray for:
-Jodie's immediate health.
-Dad's (Jon Gee) Suntent treatment, pray that it is effective and side effects are minimal
-Jodie's ATG treatment works quicker than normal (typically 2-3 months)
-Health for my mom, Tyler, Elizabeth and Alex.
-A bone marrow match for Jodie
-A fun birthday for Tyler, he will be 5 years old on 12/5

We are deeply touched by the overflow of your love and care, from preparing a simple meal to wanting to be a bone marrow donor. Look for a couple of follow up emails, one on "Helping Hands" an online calendar and resource we've set up for local folks to help with meals, grocery shopping etc. and the second on what to do if you are interested in becoming a bone marrow donor.

Thanks for taking the time to keep up with our family.

In His Care,
Alex, Jodie, Tyler and Elizabeth