The stem cell transplant itself took place yesterday (Weds).  Once they got the bag hooked up, the infusion itself only took about 30 minutes.  They kept me an hour afterwards for observation and then released us to go back to the Hope Lodge.  It was really wierd for both Kim and I knowing everything that we'vre been through leading to this dinky little bag that looked just like about a half a pint of dark blood which contained the donated cells.  Our nurse said that there's not much chance of anything eventful happening in the next 5-7 days so I've got today off, labwork tomorrow (Fri), and then if everything checks out, the weekend off.

BTW, 31 years ago today I was a 17 year old high school senior literally freezing my butt off at the coldest NFL game in histrory.  -59 wind chill but a great Bengal win over the Chargers and a birth in their first Super Bowl.   There's NO WAY I'll ever do that again!!!

And now over a year later and so much has happened.  The rest of my 2011-2012 school year was better than I could have hoped for health wise.  No unplanned trips to Cleveland and I taught my first full year after 2 years interrupted by my stem cell transplant in December, 2009 and the spinal meningitis in the Spring of 2011.  My summer of 2012 was a bad one.  Very[ low blood counts led to weekly transfusions and cancelled vacations.  They couldn’t pinpoint what was wrong with me.  I had my spleen removed in late July but the counts did not go up.  Finally, it was determined that my stubborn lymphoma was back and in my marrow and blood system.  More Chemo started turning things around and my doctor recommended we try another bone marrow transplant but one using someone else’s cells and not my own like the first one.  Doctor Dean soberly explained to Kim and I the high risk of such a procedure.  The risk isn’t in the process itself which actually takes place as an outpatient, but after the process as my body will naturally try to reject the donor’s cells.  The key to the process is allowing a “good” amount of rejection that actually helps my body hopefully reprogram itself to kill off cancer cells while keeping the rejection at a point where it’s not life threatening.  Doctor Dean, while aware of the risks, also shared his firm belief that without this process, traditional means of chemo could not continue to hold my cancer in check.  The decision was not hard as from the beginning Kim and I have told our doctors that I want to be as aggressive as possible in fighting the cancer and don’t want to leave anything on the table.  We decided to go ahead with the transplant.   

The first step was finding a suitable donor.  My sister was tested but didn’t prove to be suitable so a search was made of the international databank of marrow donors.  Kim and I are actually part of this database as we were tested as part of a church drive years ago for someone in the community receiving a transplant.  Shortly after my search was initiated, which is done with my information anonymous, I received a notice from the donor bank that I was a possible match for someone looking for a match.  I realized right away that I was actually being matched to myself and called the databank number to let them know.  My search turned up a really close match of a 42 year old European man who has graciously agreed to be a donor.  I don’t know who he is and don’t know whether I will ever know on this earth but am so grateful that he agreed.  With a donor in place, we began the road to the transplant.  More treatments followed to get my cancer as much in check as possible, scans were made, the insurance company was consulted and all this has resulted in a green light to proceed.  We were able to get into the Hope Lodge where we stayed before during my last transplant (Kim and I together in the prep phase and then Kim here by herself when I was in the hospital for a month).  The Hope Lodge is a blessing.  A cozy room to ourselves and shared kitchen and laundry facilities and all of it donated.  Kim and I moved up here on New Year’s Day and the next day I began more chemo.  On Monday the 7^th I start full body radiation and on Wednesday the 9^th the transplant is scheduled. 

With all of that in mind, Kim and I covet your prayers and again want you to PLEASE spend the vast majority of your time for us, if not all of the time, praying that God would help us see the truth of this trial.  That it is a blessing from Him and that we are to rejoice about the opportunity that God has graciously given us to grow in His grace.  Seeing this as a blessing and focusing on the wonderful truths of his Sovereignty and eternity with God (amongst many other things) does not come naturally to any of us which is why Kim and I believe that this is where prayers should be centered.  I won’t repeat a lot of what I’ve already written in this blog about that subject but do ask that you go back and read it if you desire.  

Pray as well for a study I’ve started on the book of James (appropriately!).  I contacted our pastors with my desire to begin teaching Sunday School again and requested a list of what has been taught and preached on during the last few years.  James has not been touched recently and that is what we decided would be a good one to focus on so I’ve begin using my time up here in preparation.  We’ll leave you with the following verses that I’ve been focusing on the past 2 or 3 days in James.

 

James 1:2-8 

² My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, ³ knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. ⁴ But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing. ⁵ If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him. ⁶ But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for he who doubts is like a wave of the sea driven and tossed by the wind. ⁷ For let not that man suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord; ⁸ he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways.