What can happen in one day...

is mind boggling.

I woke up this morning expecting an average day in the Kintner household. I was hoping that Carissa's temp had returned to normal and that my plans for canning applesauce would not be disrupted by a sick child. I was hoping that during our morning errands the kids would sit quietly in the back seat singing songs and trading books back and forth. And surprisingly, they did. When my friends Julie and Stacy came over to make applesauce the little ones went down for naps like little angels.
I thought to myself, "This is turning out to be a great day!".

And then, I got the phone call.

It was my mom.

"Hello" I said. "Hi honey, do you have a minute?"
"Yeah, what's up?" (it had been less than 2 hours since we last talked)
She said, "I'm in the hospital"

At that moment my average day became not so average.
It turned upside down.

I began to weep while trying to listen and gather the basic information.
-In the Hospital, admitted yesterday by her hematologist
-White blood cell count is dangerously high
-Bone marrow test done last night
-More tests, more pokes, and hopefully a result by tomorrow.

The afternoon wore on. I was in shock.
My brain was trying to put the disjointed pieces together, replaying the conversation over and over -Trying not to jump to conclusions, not to think the worst. And thankful that my friends Julie and Stacy were at my house, of all things, to make applesauce.

The evening arrived, still no news. I called my brother and he said in a quiet voice "I'll need to call you back." I could hear other voices in the room and I had a gut feeling the hematologist, Dr. Verde was giving them news.

45 minutes later (about the longest 45 minutes of my life) my mom called.

The prognosis is not good.

She has been diagnosed with Acute Myelogenous Leukemia.

Apparently if you have leukemia this is the kind that you want to have. However, it is progressing rapidly and Dr. Verde is treating it aggressively. She will start chemotherapy tomorrow. It is expected that mom will be in hospital during the induction phase of chemo for about one month. After this time period Dr. Verde will be able to get an idea of how her body is responding to the treatment and then go from there.

Our hope and prayer is for full remission and a good quality of life. I so want this for my mom and for me, Jeff, the kids and the rest of our family and friends.

IT IS truly mind boggling what can happen in one day. Today's news makes the little bumps in everyday life (traffic, sick kids, fighting, challenges with potty training, not enough time in the day, etc...) seem like no big deal. It's all about perspective isn't it?
It is my prayer that during this difficult time that we will all have an eternal perspective. That our eyes will be fixed on Him, the author and perfecter of our faith. That we will rely upon our Lord and Savior for all things and be watchful for how He works.

Life is precious. Please, with all sincerity, pray for my mom and our family.