Friends and family,
Our family needs your prayers.
Through the next few months my incredible mother-in-law, Lisa Mason,
will be going through a risky procedure that will hopefully cure her of her MS
(Multiple Sclerosis).
If you didn't know, Lisa has been diagnosed with MS for nearly 25
years. She used to love running, backpacking and just being active but
throughout the years, since she has been diagnosed with MS, she has slowly seen
her body and legs weaken. She now has a hard time getting around and uses a
cane most of the time. {But it sure doesn’t stop her from always being there
for her family! Or from traveling 12 hrs in the car to see us! Or from hosting
all of us at her house. Or from taking care of her granddaughter every day for
a whole year! Or from sewing a beautiful quilt for her daughters. Or from
becoming an incredible watercolor artist! Seriously, she’s amazing. And she
never ever complains, even though we all know there could be a lot to complain
about} There are a lot of times that she has to use a wheelchair because she
can’t be on her legs too long before they give out. {But again, it doesn’t stop
her} She knows that she is only a year or so away from being stuck in a
wheelchair for the rest of her life. {And we know it wouldn’t stop her
–but we want to see her walk again!! And we know God can do it!}
If you know her well you know that she is a silent warrior. She has
never, never complained about the MS weakening her body or questioned God about
why she has to endure this in her life. She is the strongest person I know. All
with a smile and a hopeful heart, she has tried almost every medicine and
procedure out there to try to slow down her MS or even cure it, but so far,
nothing has worked. They have spent tens of thousands of dollars on medicine,
procedures, equipment, doctors, etc. and so far, nothing has worked. But…. They
have now finally found something that really may work.
The procedure is a stem cell transplant. Its been done in
Europe and Canada for more than 20 years and has seen some incredible results.
There are cases in which MS patients who have had MS for ten years or less have
been completely cured!! Incredible. There are even cases in which MS patients
that have had the disease for more than 20 years that are cured. The likelihood
of the MS being cured is higher in people that have had it just a few years,
compared to the people that have had it for an extended period of time.
However, we are believing that it is still a chance for my mother-in-law to be
freed of the disease that has prevented her from doing so many things in life
that she wishes she could still do. That she watches everyone around her do so
easily.
The thing is, this procedure is a trial. Meaning it’s a little
risky. Lisa’s doctor is one of three doctors in the USA who will even do the
trial. And he lives in Amarillo, TX (where Lisa is). Total God thing, if you
ask me. He has done more than 200 transplants and did his doctorate at Oxford
in England on Campath - a drug listed in his protocol. He believes in this
procedure. But it’s still a risk. There are a small percentage of fatalities. These
kind if transplants for MS have been done for more than ten years in foreign
countries and in a few states as a trial, all with great results. Donny and
Lisa have been praying about this for nearly two years and feel God has
ordained every step. We’re all praying that the outcome will be “infinitely
more than we might ask or think.” Ephesians 3:20 This could be a break through
for not only my mother-in-law but also so many MS patients out there also. Lisa
already is such an encouragement and an example to so many people!
On April 22nd (this past Monday) she began a very slow
process of recovery by going through her first round of chemo. In this first
week she will lose her hair completely and the chemo will clear her body of all
her MS cells.
During week 2 the doctor will give her shots to help her body
produce an abundance of stem cells.
During week 3 they will then remove the stem cells from her body
while they are free from disease. (crazy that you can do that?!)
During week 4 or 5 they will then give her three more types of chemo
to again clean out her body and kill all the MS in her body. She will be very,
very weak and most likely very sick.
The following week is the beginning of what we believe to be the
scariest part of this procedure. On what they call Day Zero, they will
transplant all the healthy stem cells back into her body and at that point she
will begin a critical 90-day period where the risk of any kind of small infection
could be life threatening. (This will be in June) Prayers will be needed most
during this time. She will spend two weeks in the hospital where they can
monitor her closely until her white and red blood cell count is at an appropriate
level. When they release her to go home, we will be praying that God will keep
her healthy because any infection while her red/white blood cell count is still
low could be lethal. She will be in isolation at home where she and Donny, my
father-in-law, will have to be so very careful to keep her away from any kind
of bacteria or infection – no flowers, she can’t eat anything uncooked, she and
her husband will have to sleep in separate beds, she can’t have any visitors…
etc. for three months. Although the number of deaths is low in this whole
procedure, this is where it could happen. If a patient in her condition caught
any kind of infection or cold it could turn into pneumonia so quickly. And if
she isn’t treated quickly enough, that’s when it gets scary.
After 90 days her body should be able to fight off infection again
and for the next nine months her body will be healing. It won't be until almost
a year after the original transplant that the doctors will know if the MS is
gone. But she should see positive results after those 90 days of waiting- like
hopefully much better use of her muscles.
If the transplant works her body will be rid of the MS completely!
However, after 20+ years of the MS damaging her body, she may not regain full
strength in her legs. We, as a family, will be thankful for the MS to be
gone and for it to no longer worsen her condition. But another possible
outcome, after the MS is gone, is that she could begin therapy to regain muscle
from years lost. And that is the ultimate goal in all of this.
My mom and family are very aware of the risk involved with the stem
cell transplant but we are trusting in God because he is our only hope in this.
However, it is very strange and scary to know that there is a chance that this procedure
could take her life. The decision has been ultimately up to my mother-in-law
and we trust her. We know she has been praying about this for 18 months. She
has been seeking God, seeking wise counsel and listening to the doctors. She
would rather be freed of her worldly body then not take the chance to rid
herself of MS before it destroys her body.
So, what can you do?
#1 – Please pray for Lisa Mason!
Here is what we ask prayer for:
- That my mother-in-law would
healed, freed from MS, and be given the ability to regain strength and live a
normal life.
- For the doctors involved
and that God would work through them.
- For my moms 90 day period
where risk of infection is so big. That God would have His hands on her and
protect from all bacteria and infection that could threaten her life.
- Pray that death is not an
option. God is a miracle worker and we are trusting in that.
- For her spiritual and
mental health. Pray she trusts in God's will through out all of her
sickness, trust the doctors, and feel loved. She will be alone for most of the
three months and we pray that only hope and encouragement would fill her mind.
- For our family to trust in
God's will and that no matter what happens He is to be glorified.
- For our family to show
Christ to others by the way we love Lisa and the way we pray.
- For my father-in-law,
Donny, to have strength as he watches his bride get sick and for him to love
and serve her well.
#2 – This cost of this procedure is outrageous. They have already
seen incredible ways that the Lord is providing through His people. If you feel
led to donate you may donate directly to her account at any Happy State Bank
location or mail a check made out to:
For the Benefit of Lisa Mason
c/o Jane Austin
2604 S Lipscomb St.
Amarillo, TX 79109
Thank you for being a part of my life and for praying for my
mother-in-law. I will try to keep you all updated through out her
procedure here on my blog.
Love,
Elizabeth and Mark
and the whole Mason family
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