Monday, June 10, 2013

Playing Hardball

No more Mister Niceguy. Velda and I went to KU Med concerning chemotherapy and a bone marrow transplant (BMT). We prayed that the doctors would have wisdom and be in agreement. Well they are in agreement. The chemotherapy is being taken to a higher level. This Wednesday I will be admitted to Salina Regional Health Center (SRHC)  for four days. They are going to be administering strong chemotherapy that is going to make me very sick. When I sufficiently recover, possibly 3 weeks, they are going to do it again at SRHC over a 4 day period. When I sufficiently recover from the second one I will go to Kansas City for the BMT. The BMT will be different than a typical BMT in that it will be preceded by yet another strong chemotherapy. This they say will cause my hair to fall out. (I just hope that I will look as good as George Stavropoulos) The BMT would have caused the hair to fall out anyway. It will now happen a few days earlier. The doctor at KU said that it was time to get aggressive and my Salina doctor wholly concurred. This is all quite overwhelming emotionally. After further reflection, it really sounds kind of normal for people who have cancer. I have seen many people with or without wigs in the treatment rooms in which I have been. They all have lost their hair. It grows back. I told Velda in the car that this could be like a first pregnancy. She had heard lots of stories of what it could be like but there was still a lot of uncertainty. The doctors painted a pretty grim picture for the next few months but the worst part is really the uncertainty. If I would have gone through something like this before, I would have an idea of what to expect, similar to a woman's second delivery. There are some things that are constant. We know that all things are working together for good because we love God and are called according to His purpose. (Romans 8:28) We are considering it all joy because of the incredible tool trials are in God's hands for developing our character. By the way, anything in the past that I may have considered a trial pales in comparison to this. God must be doing some major reconstruction on me. (James 1:2-4, Romans 5:3) We are also continuing to glory in my infirmity because it is a way for God's grace to be manifested in our lives and to perfect His strength in my weakness. (II Corinthians 12:7-11) One other constant is your prayers. Thank You.

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