Home.
Is there anything better than the feeling of being home?! Home. A word that I have dwelt on in these past few weeks. I have had to pivot between the needs of work, hospital, and ‘home’; however, when I was on the phone with Nat the other day, I used the word ‘home’ as a reference to hospital unknowingly. It was after the fact that I stopped to consider what really makes a HOME? Nat, Calista, Hugo, Teddy and Murphy. They are my HOME. My heart has been broken over the past three weeks because I have wanted to be there for Murphy, yet I have wanted to still care for and be present with our other three champions and now the constant juggle can settle for a while. We are all HOME together. Nothing compares to being under the same roof, in our own beds, and waking to the sounds of the kids chatting. Bliss.
We’re home.
Murphy’s home.
8 long, tiring, exhausting, sickening and horrific months of Chemotherapy have come to an end. This week marks the end of Two cycles of high dose chemotherapy, 5 rounds of Chemotherapy, Stem Cell Harvest, Major Tumour resection surgery and Tandem Stem cell transplants. DONE.
Murphy has endured a move to two different cities, met dozens of nurses and doctors who have administered over 100 different medications through his tiny and frail body, and he has done so with a strong and vibrant smile and a FAITH IN A GOD WHO HEALS. Murphy knows his miracle is coming.
After the harrowing realisation that things get worse before they get better, Murphy had a terrible crash within his body before his stem cells found their home in the Bone Marrow and accelerated the growth of fresh new white cells. Last week Murphy’s white cell count jumped from 0.0, to 0.2 then a day later, then to 1.0, and 2.9 a day later. Within a matter of days Murphy was taken off a half dozen pain medications and he rapidly improved! Isn’t it interesting that white cells are God’s design? Our human bodies need dozens of medications to replicate what God has given us all from birth, white cells. It was these new white cells that helped Murphy get home. Murphy’s treating oncologist for the week said his recovery was “GODSPEED!” Murphy was wheeled out of the ward in his pram by a very teary mum, and after not walking for 14 days, when they reached the ground floor, Murphy got out of his pram and walked out of the hospital all by himself. Nat and I believe this was a clear demonstration of his sheer determination in wanting to not take the easy path but make a statement by walking out of the hospital, He is on his way to victory! As Nat says daily, “Murphy is an inspiration.”
This most recent hospital stay has highlighted the resilience of our boy, and the endurance of our other three kiddos. Calista, Hugo and Teddy didn’t pick this to be their life (none of us did!). What we have seen in our kids though has been a beautiful willingness to not let this season of life defeat them. Calista has had her 12th birthday in recent weeks, and rather than selfishly being angry about her family not all being with her on her birthday at home, she chose to have her birthday dinner in the parent kitchen on the children’s oncology ward. Things just look a little different for our family this year, including Mother’s Day. Nat has sacrificed everything she has to care for her boy, and her Mother’s Day this year was spent in a hospital room with Murphy, who was fighting for his life. Nat’s love for all our kids is unending. We absolutely made the most of the day, the kids and I getting to love on Nat and choosing joy as a family instead of despair!!
. . .
Next Treatment
Late June will see the beginning of a 6-week course of radiation treatment for Murphy. This comes with further issues because Murphy will need daily general anaesthetic for 42 days. It seems unimaginable, but the accuracy and precision of the Radiotherapist is crucial to its success. Therefore, he is likely to become extremely fatigued. Following radiotherapy is immunotherapy. This form of treatment will last 6 months and hopefully finish early 2024. In the coming months I will explain more about this phase.
Biggest Prayer Point To-Date:
JUNE 9th, 2023. On this day Murphy is going into hospital for his third MIBG test. I have written about this in earlier posts. This test is unique to Neuroblastoma and helps to grade the level of cancer within a patient’s body. Murphy’s first MIBG was conducted in Brisbane in September and resulted in a Curie score of 23/30. This is how he was diagnosed as Stage 4. Nat and I purposely did not ‘Google’ this at the time, but we knew this was labelled by the doctors as ‘Stage 4, high-risk, unfavourable Neuroblastoma’. Our precious four-year-old boy had cancer everywhere, from his scull to his feet. After 5 rounds of chemotherapy, Murphy was tested a second time, and received a Curie score of 10/30. Praise God. However, we need you to pray for this next test on the 9th of June. I am believing that Murphy will be given a Curie score of zero. All cancer removed. Psalm 103:3 “(The Lord) Heals all your diseases.”
Dear Lord, great is Your name, and in that name, the name of Jesus Christ, we pray your healing power of Murphy’s body.
Other Prayer Points:
· Murphy’s recovery. Murphy has lost some weight, and it would be great for him to see an increase now gradually in weight gain.
· Murphy’s joy.
· Calista, Hugo and Ted. Pray for their endurance over the coming months.
