Augmented Interim Maintenance

Anya was scheduled to start the next phase of her chemo treatment, Augmented Interim Maintenance yesterday. She was to be admitted for a spinal tap at 3pm but her counts, especially the neutrophils at only 490, weren't high enough so it has been postponed until next Wednesday.

So for this week, rest and healing are the only things on the treatment agenda. The nurse is very confident that Anya's counts will have recovered by next week so we should be starting this next six week phase at that time.

Anya has been such a frequent source of inspiration for me. The other night Israel and I were playing a game at the kitchen table and Anya came in to tell us that she just done something that Israel had told her not to do because she forgot that she wasn't supposed to do it. I told her that I appreciated her honesty and sent her back to play. But then we decided to call her back in to tell her how proud we were of her. When she came in Israel proceeded to shower his affection on her but she was teary eyed and somber. Their conversation went as follows:

Israel: Were you afraid you were in trouble?
Anya: No.
Israel: Then why are you teary eyed?
Anya: God.
Israel: What about God?
Anya: He loves me.
Israel: You are crying because you are thinking about how much God loves you?
Anya: Yes.

I am so thankful for a little girl who knows God's love despite her struggles. I am thankful that she understands true faith - faith that is not dependent on our circumstances but on God's faithfulness.