Lynn Gleason

On January 1, 2017, Lynn went into the hospital after complications from a  cancer she has been fighting since the summer of 2016 called Waldenstrom's.  It is a rare form of lymphoma (blood cancer) that affects approximately 3 in 1 million people.  Although in most cases it is highly treatable with some oral medications, Lynn resorted to chemotherapy, which  landed her in the hospital last winter for approximately four and a half months, fighting for her life as her white blood cells were almost non-existent.  She had further setbacks when she contracted sepsis, an infection in her blood.

Thankfully, Lynn was finally released from the hospital on May 19 after her white blood cells started to return.  However, with continued blood transfusions and a failed effort of chemotherapy to wipe out the lymphoma, Lynn now needs to have a stem cell transplant on December 28 to eradicate the remaining lymphoma.

This transplant requires a donor, who will be her daughter Katie, and three to six months of very close monitoring by the hospital that is doing the procedure.  As Atlanta is the closest hospital to their South Carolina home that specializes in these transplants, Lynn, her husband John, and Lynn's mother all moved to an apartment in Atlanta for the duration of her treatment. 

 Lynn will begin chemotherapy on December 22 to wipe out her complete immune system, including the 10% of lymphoma which continues to linger in her body.  After 5 days of chemotherapy, she will get full body radiation on the 27th.  After that, she will  receive stem cells from her daughter Katie on December 28 that will begin to replenish Lynn with a new immune system.  It will take about 100 days before knowing if the transplant was successful or not.  In the meantime, Lynn will be quarantined from going to any public places (except to the hospital), unable to eat any fresh produce (due to possible contamination), and daily monitoring from the hospital staff.

We appreciate daily prayers for Lynn, John, Mom, and Katie as they journey through this next phase together.  There are so many details to this journey that are too numerous to include in this post, but we hope to update everyone as much as possible, especially in the next few weeks.

Thank you for all those who have already prayed for them, and we cherish every thought, prayer, note, and card you may contribute in the future.

With Love,

Joyce (Lynn's sister)

"May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit."   (Romans 15:13 )