A reason to give thanks

For those who haven't heard yet...

Just before Thanksgiving, Alan's 12-week test results for hepatitis C came back. We were pretty anxious to hear these, since we had discovered that, based on the results so far from others who have gone through his drug treatment, if he was clear now, we were basically out of the woods. (Only one out of hundreds has re-tested positive after being negative at 12 weeks, and that person might have been reinfected or something). So when the nurse called me with the news that he was virus-free, I was thrilled.

I guess sometimes you don't know you're holding your breath, until you can breathe...

This year is truly a season to be jolly, for us! Instead of facing a life expectancy of 2-5 years (and 20% chance of dying this year), we have hope of a long life. One doctor even told him this may not affect his longevity at all.

We still have to deal with Alan's cirrhosis, which we have been told is probably mild and may largely be reversible by lifestyle. We continue to eat a largely organic, vegan diet, and will hopefully be doing more juicing again when we get past the hectic holidays. He will continue getting ultrasounds of his liver every six months, probably for the rest of his life, to watch for cancer. But despite all this, considering what we were facing two years ago, this feels glorious.

Thank you all for your prayers. We are so blessed. May we all remember to be grateful for the gift of life this year, and to use it for God's glory.