Get Your Hopes Up

Ashtyn’s in the ER tonight. She had a bone marrow aspirate and biopsy this morning. After the procedure we went back to the apartment, took a nap, and woke up to a decent amount of blood on the shirt, sheet, and mattress pad she was laying on. I took off the saturated dressing and found blood was still coming out of the biopsy site after five hours. We were told to go to the ER, check her platelet count, and get a platelet transfusion. We are still waiting to get lab results and talk to the doctor. Ashtyn has had countless bone marrow biopsies in her lifetime and not once has one bled. My son Chandler emailed this quote a week ago. “Hope is manifest in confidence, optimism, enthusiasm, and patient perseverance. It is believing and expecting that something will occur. When you have hope, you work through trials and difficulties with the confidence and assurance that all things will work together for your good." I’m grateful Ashtyn perseveres through everything with remarkable optimism and patience. I have hope and confidence that this is her last fight with cancer. I believe miracles will continue to occur. I believe she will get stronger with each week. I believe she has a beautiful, healthy future ahead of her. I believe there is a purpose to all of this. I believe all the difficulties we have faced will work together for our good. I don’t know any other way to live than to believe.