The Unexpected Adventure Continues....

DEAR ADVENTURERS.....

So now after Ronalds official first post , I (stephanie) will give you all a few generalities of what we are told to expect starting today.....after 3 days of "kidney conditioning" and prep... Ronald will start CLAG-M Chemotherapy today... it will run for 8 days with the hope that the cancer cells will respond by getting lost!!! During this time and for the weeks to follow we are told that Ronald will feel very sick and weak.... He will also start hitting that neutropenic stage where he will have no immune system yet hopefully regain his numbers in about 3 weeks or so. If all goes well to that point they will administer an "obliterating" chemotherapy (meaning so powerful that is can hopefully ZAP every left cancer cell possible) and then a day later begin his transplant! WHEW!.... and then.... we are told he will get even a bit sicker and we wait for about 2 weeks to see if the transplant took enough to start grafting!... and then... since we plan on that happening (since he has a sibling match donor, his sister) he will then have to be watched very closely to monitor for any set backs, infections or complications for a very long time...but when his numbers all come back up for at least 3-5 days they will release him to stay within 20 min of the hospital for 100 days ( those days starting with the day of his transplant)! This is because at any time he could get a fever, infection etc, that would need to be treated immediately!!...WHEW!!! As we plan on all going well even to that point.... then he will be given the ok to settle back home but still very isolated for about 3 more months as he is still monitored very carefully! What an incredible adventure ahead huh??? NOT comfortable, NOT good timing, NOT planned, maybe may appear as NOT fair right!????.... we say to that... IT DOESN'T MATTER! It is what the Lord has allowed and He is in every detail and THAT IS WHAT MATTERS!

I gave a RS Lesson 2 weeks ago  and during the preparation for that lesson I felt like I wanted to play a song for them that I wasn't planning on playing since it wasn't a hymn or in the planned curriculum , it is actually comes from the movie "Joseph, King of Dreams"....but, I think now I know better why my spirit was drawn to that particular song, as the lyrics really express what we are feeling at this time.... The link with lyrics is below, if you want to just take about three and a half minutes sometime to put this a bit more into the perspective our family has chosen to place this adventure... Our challenge for ourselves and for you is to do what one of the lines of that songs encourage... to allow the Lord REACH us all personally, so He can TEACH us all personally!- We sure love you all and truly desire all the fasting and prayers that you are inspired to participate in .  We plan on keeping up this blog the very best we can to keep you all informed as I know how many hearts are investing in Ronald's well being!! For now, we are well enough off as this latest unexpected adventure begins!! LET'S DO THIS TOGETHER.... AGAIN!!
All our love,
Stephanie and Family
                                     
: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k4c7DaAAGrQ&list=RDk4c7DaAAGrQ

"I Know That He Loveth His Children, Nevertheless, I Do Not Know the Meaning of All Things!" 1 Nephi 11:17

Friends and Family!

I felt that I wanted to write this to tell all of you how grateful I am for your prayers and support since I found out that I have leukemia. This last year was quite eventful. I need to let you know that regardless of what happens in the future that I know that our Heavenly Father knows and loves each one of us.  I have been apart of and seen many miracles in the last year. I tell you this because I my cancer has returned. It is more aggressive this time, but we are going to pursue treatment. That means that I have been admitted to Huntsman for high dose chemotherapy, then in about 4 weeks they will prepare me for a bone marrow transplant. I am fortunate because one of my siblings is able to be the donor which improves my chances of survival.  I ask that you will continue to keep my family and I in your prayers and thoughts. I don't know the how and why We are chosen  for such a trial, but I do know that God loves us and each of you and knows us each individually. Stephanie and I know that it will be hard, but we know that if we are to have miracles again it will be up to HIM.  I will never be able to repay all of the love and support that I have and will yet receive, please know that I am eternally grateful and know that with out your support this would be a much more difficult journey.  I will not be able to have visitors as I did last time. The rules and treatment will be much more strict. I love you all and I testify that God and our Savior Jesus Christ love each one of us. Keep a smile and serve one another. 

Love Ronald Brent Simmons

Back to Recording the Tender Mercies.

We have felt that there is no better time to get back to informing you all on the tender mercies daily then on this memorial day of an angel. Today is Rylan's birthday and my mom wanted me to post a link to my blog that we feel represents how so many of us feel.


It's in the Small Things

Ronald's Road to Recovery

Hey there!
Wanted to just update specifically about Ronald current road to recovery:

Haven't updated much because not much to update really.... over a week or so ago Ronald had aquired two hospital acquired line infections which slow him down a few days until the specific antibiotics were identified and now he is on only one antibiotic to cover both infections and has responded just as doctors desired.... as far as his platelets, they are kinda at a standstill as they are not dropping but also not recovering too fast so like everything else he is just finishing up a few more days of medical observation and we hope to have him cleared and on to a closer rehabilitation facility by the end of this week!! All of his organs and labs have continued to trend the directions they were hoping and so it looks good!!

Thank you for your continued faith and prayers and all the love and support that is consistently showered upon our family!!! We welcome and continue to rely upon all faith and prayers in his and our family's behalf... especially our hope of no negative surprises as we move toward the next phase of recovery!! Please please please let us know how we can help and support any of you and your families!!!
WE LOVE YOU!!!!!!!!

Saturday's Warrior - Line Upon Line (Lyrics)

LINE UPON LINE....THAT IS HOW HE TEACHES HIS CHILDREN

So the words to a song from a  popular , stage play from the eighties SATURDAY"S WARRIORS has been running through my mind lately. The song is "Line Upon Line" and the lyrics go something like this:

                                             Line upon line, precept on precept.
                            That is how he lifts us, that is how he teaches his children.
                                            Line upon line, precept on precept.
                               Like a summer shower giving us each hour His wisdom.
                                              If we are patient we shall see
                                       How the pieces fit together in harmony.
                                      We'll know who we are in this big universe
                                          And then we'll live with Him forever.
                                                       But until it happens...
 
                                          Line upon line, precept on precept.
                          That is how he lifts us, that is how he teaches his children.
                                      Line upon line, precept on precept.
                             Like a summer shower giving us each hour His wisdom
           LINE UPON LINE UPON, LINE UPON LINE UPON, LINE UPON LINE..... UPON LINE!!!

     It is just crazy how I have heard and sung this simple little song a million times in my life and yet 
this past week as I have thought on those words its has been like I am hearing them for the very first time....I've decided that is because those words have gone from being just  lyrics to a fun song from a feel good play... to becoming serious doctrine that has been tenderly, intimately, patiently and personally tutored  and lovingly woven into my heart to the point that now the message brings me increased power of patience in the Lord's will but even more so in the Lord's timing! I have ALWAYS been the kind of spirit that will put the work in but I want the results, blessings, benefits  IMMEDIATELY, FAST, NOW, NOW , NOW!!! Strangely and obviously very "taken for grantedly" (i know thats not a real word :) I feel I have received so many desired result relatively quickly throughout my mortal infancy (of which I am including all of my 1-46 years thus far)
More recently, this has not necessarily been the case... I've searched for and wanted certain blessings, answers, results immediately and my way and my timing!! ... What could be wrong with that?? I've been willing to search, ponder, fast, pray, put in the time and work and yet .... not only have not the desired answers and results come the way and time I wanted but- while waiting, it appeared as though another helping of complicating challenge was added to the heap  of questions, concerns, confusions and the overall testing ground! SO WHAT HAS BEEN GOING ON IN OUR LIFE????.... Well, I think the simple answer is that  line upon line, precept on precept the Lord, like a summer shower, has been giving us each hour in all of his love and WISDOM opportunity for our family to strip away the layers of pride, selfishness, complacentcy, endulgency, independence ,laziness and "all is well enough" attitude that had distilled over time upon our family- and   is line upon line, precept upon precept helping us replace such with daily gratitude for the very simple, more humble reliance upon the Lord not only for our eternal life but literally for daily mortal life, true empathy, hard work, powerful unity, faith, and living daily with  more eternal eyes and perspective! This is how he has lifted us ( to a higher place) this is how He has taught us, His children, how to love more, give more, appreciate more, empathize more and just over all, become more!!! Although there is NO DOUBT that several prayers and pleadings have been responded to almost instantaneously, most of these such "spirt and character refinements" have  not come quickly, fast or on demand whatsoever, but over the past several months, like over 7 plus months!!... I am just now finally starting to maybe understand the wisdom of some of that timing... It is beginning to make sense to me why several of these answers, concerns, blessings, results, etc. have not been dispersed in large, immediate doses, rather in simple, small, even droplet size, disbursements!... For if having come too quickly I believe we would have not continue to search as deep, work together as intimately, learned to wait more patiently and appreciate as powerfully all the daily droplets and "afternoon showers" that have certainly come!... and as those same lyrics have taught... if we are patient we SHALL SEE how those pieces fit together in HARMONY"! I most confidently can say and absolutely believe that we have started to find where those pieces are starting to fit  and have begun to see the wisdom and feel the peaceful harmony that the Lord has mercifully attached to each piece that he HAS dispersed-- Now, I cannot honestly say that all the pieces have now fit together in harmony as of yet, so we will continue to submit to the Lord's will and timing ..... Until we finally and accurately and fully understand and KNOW WHO and WHOS WE ARE IN THIS BIG UNIVERSE and continue enduring to thee very end and then eventually reaping the ultimate reward as WE WILL LIVE WITH HIM and our eternal family FOREVER AND EVER...."BUT UNTIL THAT HAPPENS"...  LINE UPON LINE UPON, LINE UPON LINE UPON, LINE UPON LINE.....UPON SACRED, LOVING, MERCIFUL LINE!!!!

Sure love you and appreciate you allowing me to disperse bits of my imperfect yet tender heart in this way and through this medium as a record and remembrance of precious lessons taught and learned as well as hopefully a way to unite all our heart a bit more together!!! Love to hear from any and all of you and the lessons and wisdoms that you have and are experiencing as well!

_______________________________
Now, I haven't included really any photos of Ronald's latest unexpected health challenges mostly for his privacy
and have felt really no positive need to do so... UNTIL NOW! So...  To maybe put into a visual this LINE UPON LINE and through small and simple things/progressions... GREAT THINGS COME TO PASS I feel the desire to share the following pictures:
above: 6 weeks ago                               above: YESTERDAY just following Ryker being
                                                             ordained to the office of a Teacher in the aaronic priesthood
                                                             by..... HIS DAD!!! one example of how these very hard
                                                             challenges has magnified every joy, and enlarged our
                                                             gratitude for such simple yet powerful pleasures like
                                                            having your dad/husband not only alive but mentally and
                                                           physically able to use the Lord's priesthood power to
                                                            ordain his son! I am embarrassed yet so humbled to admit
                                                             that I have NEVER felt more sincere gratitude for any  
                                                            priesthood ordination let alone even father's blessing as
                                                            I did this time!!!.. so... something is working huh?? :-)
                             
                                                  TRULY, TRULY GRATEFUL!!
!

STARTING TO FEEL A BIT GREEDY... BUT......

We are starting to feel a bit greedy asking and drawing on all the love and collective faith that we have so freely been given power from these past several weeks, but....

We would love to ask you all to join prayers with us that Ronald's platelets will start producing on their own... all of his other past concerns and labs have only strengthened but for some reason his platelets are not growing on their own... he has been receiving platelet transfusions almost daily now for weeks and the physicians are somewhat baffled as to why all other labs are doing so well but platelets not so much! We would love for this concern to remedy itself before other more drastic measures may need to be taken, but if not we will deal with that for sure, just want to cover all the bases before that is entertained!!

oh, and we were JUST informed that apparently Ronald has somehow developed a "line infection" which means he has an infection that originated in one of his pic lines and will now need to be treated for that! Kinda crazy since he has not really had a fever to speak of and feels well, so just please include in your prayers this new concern as well.... if you feel comfortable!!

Hmmm guess we have more to learn before we are to move on huh? Thanks again for allowing us such a wonderful throng of faith- filled and loving family and friends to draw love , strength and power from!!

We love You!!