Dang!

My latest lab is completed for keeping an eye on my cancer indicators and other things. My oncologist was looking over my lab results mumbling things like "good", "yes" etc. when all of a sudden he said "Dang!". I said is that a good "dang" or a bad "dang". Then he said "I'm going to start attending your church because their prayers are really working". My immune system is not only in the normal range but continues to improve. Next came "Wow!" and "Amazing!". The indicators for myeloma were as normal as any other person. To God be the glory. Thank you for your prayers.

Confidence

My latest checkup continues to indicate that I am in remission! My appointments have been 6 months apart. The farther apart the appointments, the greater the confidence that the cancer is going to stay in remission. This next appointment is 6 months away. After that my oncologist is considering  appointments to be a year apart. Not only that, my kidney numbers have always been higher than normal and one said nurse that maybe this is my new normal. This last checkup showed my kidneys just .08 of a point above normal. Best numbers yet. We praise God for these blessings and your prayers.

Why are you doing so well?

This is the statement by my oncologist said after my checkup today. Also after looking at my labs he said "Man these are good!" His final quotable statement was "You have been incredible since Day 1." That last statement refers to the fact that my indicators were the highest he had seen in his career. He's about my age so that would be a long time. It also refers to the incredible turnaround we have been experiencing. Now to get a little technical, he also said that we will see if I am on the flat part of the curve. Multiple myeloma is a rare cancer and there is still a lot to learn about it. Because of this no one is ever declared "cured". Usually, right after treatment, the numbers start creeping up and eventually another bone marrow transplant (BMT) is needed. this usually happens in 5-15 years. Occasionally some people stay on the flat part of the curve. Basically there is no change in the indicators since the BMT. He's being very cautious but so far there is a possibility that I'm on the flat part of the curve. If that is true he said he will be kicking me out of the clinic. It is the closest thing he can say to being cured. We praise God for this and also for the incredible amount of support from all of you.

New Frontiers

Since I have been in remission I have been on a regimen of a small dose of chemotherapy in the form of a pill as a safeguard against the cancer recurring. During this time I have been praying that I could stop taking pills. I told my oncologist that my first desire is to maintain best practice but a second desire was to stop taking pills. A factor about the chemotherapy is that it suppresses my immune system causing me to get sick frequently. I asked him how long I would be taking the chemotherapy and he said "Indefinitely". I accepted that but the next check up he did a reversal and suggested that I try a season off the pills. He said one of three things would happen: 1) I would stay in remission and my immune system would return to normal 2) I would stay in remission and my immune system would not change making its compromised state my new normal 3) My cancer would come out of remission. He didn't think #3 was likely which is why he removed the chemotherapy from my regimen. That was started in October last year and it looks like option #1 is what I'm experiencing. I feel great and am experiencing fewer bouts with viruses and bacteria that would keep from school and occasionally landed me in the ER. I apologize for not keeping you up to date. I will try to do better in the future.

Almost Normal

For those of you that have doubted the validity of the title of this blog when referring to me, I now have documented proof. I have just had my latest check up and my oncologist used the word "normal" for a few of my indicators! Not all the indicators are normal but the two that are in the normal range are huge when considering the state of my remission. One cancer indicator is actually deeper in the normal range than the last checkup 4 months ago. My hemoglobin and immune system are the ones that are below what they should be. My hemoglobin is normal for a woman so I should be able to do about the same amount of work as Velda, which means a lot. I'm riding my bike to school (3+ miles one way) and have also started walking 1.25 miles in the evening (~19 minutes and quite sweaty when done). The doctor describes the hemoglobin as "swell" and the immune system as "adequate". The small dose of chemotherapy that I'm taking is the reason these last two haven't reached the normal range. I was hoping to stop the pills after this checkup but things are going so well that it was decided to keep up the present regimen. We are slaying the fatted calf (a figurative way saying "Woo Hoo!") over this news and are grateful to God and to you for your prayers.

Maintaining

I had a checkup today and the results were as follows. In the words of my doctor "No evidence of multiple myeloma". My remission numbers "remain the same". Everything looks "very good". I have been taking a small dosage of chemotherapy since the bone marrow transplant two years ago. At the last checkup in April he hinted at taking me off the pills completely. Today he decided for me to continue taking them because they prevent the cancer from returning. He is also going to consult the doctors at KU Medical Center as well with respect to the pills so there is a possibility that I might stop them. We are rejoicing in the results and thank God for all His goodness.

The Latest on My Condition

I haven't updated for awhile because the news has been the same. Let me put your mind at ease by saying no news has meant good news and that is still the case. Today I saw my oncologist and as far as the cancer he said I looked very good! I asked for a translation and he said that the indicators for cancer continue to show no evidence of activity. I haven't done a bone marrow biopsy because he said that multiple myeloma is patchy and a biopsy could come up clean (all of mine have) but there could be a spots in other places. Conversely a biopsy could show some cancer and it could be the only place. He is using the indicators as his primary source for evaluation. Thank God! On another front, I am taking maintenance chemotherapy to encourage the cancer to stay in remission. The side effect of this chemotherapy is that it depresses my autoimmune system. I have been getting sick more often than usual and the episodes are of greater severity than normal. The plan is to remove me from the chemotherapy completely this summer to see if my body can suppress the cancer on its own before school starts. Another reason to get off the chemotherapy is that it has a chance of causing other types of cancer the longer it is in my body. So here is how you can pray for me. That I get sick less often and that my body will fight the cancer effectively without chemotherapy. Thanks for praying and I will update this summer.

What's Up Doc

Today at my monthly checkup in Salina my doctor said "You are amazing". To which Velda replied "It's not him". It is God. Remission is when indicators are within a certain range. One of my indicators improved since last month. So I am in a better complete remission! To go along with this news, my kidney indicators improved since last month as well. My appointments have been quite short lately which is a good thing. Respectively this blog is short for the same reason.

Latest Checkup

Two weeks ago I had my monthly checkup with the Salina oncologist. There were not a lot of the exclamations that accompanied the last two monthly checks. The results seem to have leveled in the complete remission stage for which we are offering abundant praise to God. He is also interested in any anomalies in my general health so I shared a couple with him. I have had a cough since early March that would nearly go away, get worse and then repeat the cycle on a monthly basis. To this he said let him know if there is a fever. I also have a ache in my right side and back that also waxes and wanes in intensity. To this he first gives me a look that seem to imply A-G-E. Then he said call if I go up a flight of stairs and am out of breath. I have had neither. It has been hard to get a grasp on this age thing. Two years ago Joshua and I were working two jobs that added up to over 50 hours a week of manual labor. We also rode our bikes to work nearly everyday which was 6 miles one way. When it comes to bike riding it is about the only area that I was still superior to Joshua. I would let him lead so that I wouldn't leave him too far behind. Last summer was the bone marrow transplant. I made an acquaintance with a man who had a BMT about 8 years ago. He said that he didn't feel completely normal until one or two years later. I, of course, thought I would beat that schedule. Well I'm approaching a year later in August and I feel 60%-90% normal depending on the day. The quandary is that I am aging and I wonder is what would be normal from two years ago. I siding with the notion that the change is still to precipitous and that I have still some more strength to gain. Now Joshua lets me lead on the bike so that he doesn't leave me behind. I am only working a 15 hours a week and I sometimes am wiped out after one shift. Velda has declared that this summer will be as low an activity summer as possible so that I can focus on recovering and being ready for the next school year. Last year I started teaching on December 9th and hardly missed a day until the end of the year. After my last day I nearly slept the entire Memorial Day weekend and was barely able to move. I must have been teaching on fumes and adrenalin. I have slowly worked back to my present energy level and have recently added mowing the lawn to my activities. We are not gardening this year giving the ground its sabbatical rest. This helps keep me idle. We are working on flowers and simple landscaping around the house (plans developed for us by Dan Fiorillo) but that really is mostly done by the girls. Joshua is not motivated on working on things that cannot be eaten. I am doing a lot reading and also working on the next school year. We are giving all high school students and teachers chomebooks so I am working on making my class as paperless as possible. My kidneys are still not in the normal range so I appreciate prayer for those two little guys. Thank you.

New Policy

In my last blog I said that no news meant no change. I have reconsidered that and have decided a change of policy is in order. Even though there is no change I think I will post to you after periodic checkups how things are going. My last appointment at KU was March 21 about which was the subject of my last blog. About a week later I had a checkup and review of the KU data with my Salina oncologist. When viewing the results he said "Wow" three times very emotionally. At first Velda asked if that was a good "Wow" or a bad "Wow". He assured us that it was good. After discussing with us what all the information meant he said "I never thought you would get to this point". God is certainly at work in my life. In the April meeting in Salina he again gave a few enthusiastic "Wow"s and again said "I never thought you would get to this point". I am getting biweekly blood tests in Salina and monthly visits with the doctor. He said if the results stay steady, the tests will become less frequent and less complex. I will visit KU in August for my yearly checkup and then they will just see me every year after that. Much of the maintenance is being turned over to the Salina staff. Thanks for all the prayer support and encouragement. It is because of all that you have done that I decided to give all the news. (good, bad or indifferent)

6th Month Check

Complete remission!  I had a different doctor this time at KU than the two I have had before. This is his report. He said that I had a complete remission again. That is not the same thing the last doctor said about the last report. (see here) Well here is how he broke it down. He pointed out three indicators. The first is a ratio of cells in my blood. He said that my ratio of some specific cells indicate that the activity of myeloma was in the normal range (i.e. the ratio of my cells in the blood is as it should be for a person without cancer). Next, when a person has myeloma, the body expels aberrant cells in the urine and there were no cells present in my urine sample. Lastly a biopsy of my bone marrow was taken and there were no cancer cells in the sample of my marrow. Before Velda and I  left for this checkup my family prayed that the doctor would say that it looked like that I never  had cancer and God answered. The Creer home was fairly jubilant yesterday at the news. I also am happy to say that I am taking 18 fewer pills per week. I received 7 immunizations that a baby would normally get. (I didn't cry). There is still room for prayer though. First, this treatment is a not a cure. There are no cases of this cancer not returning. Please pray that it doesn't return. (I would like to be one of the first cases) Second, a side effect is my myeloma effected my kidneys. My kidneys are not functioning normally but are in the "OK" range. Yesterday the doctor said that the kidneys are on the verge of the "Not OK" range. (my interpretation of what he said, not his exact words) Please pray that my kidneys will go back to functioning normally. Praise God with us for this incredible news. I will be having monthly checks. I don't plan on posting each time unless there is a change in my status, so no news means "no change". Thank you for a being a part of my recovery.

More Normalness

We got about 3-4 inches of snow according to the Creer gauge last Saturday night. Sunday morning I went out and shoveled snow for an hour before leaving for Church. I experienced a slight back spasm mid way through but as I continued shoveling it went away. I finished strong and we drove away to church with a clear driveway. Some of you may be wondering "Why didn't you use your snowblower?" Well I am glad you asked that question. Our snowblower (Joshua) was still asleep and I wanted to see if my energy was really close to normal. Well the verdict is that it all went about the same way as before my bone marrow transplant (BMT) including the back spasm. I don't even feel sore today after the little workout. I still would appreciate your prayers as I am now in the post BMT/remission stage. I am taking ant-viral pills through March. I am taking a weekly IV treatment for the next 2 years that helps in preventing the cancer from returning. I am taking calcium to replenish what the cancer removed from my bones. I also am supposed to take a daily pill for the rest of my life that is a mild dose of chemotherapy which is also for the purpose of preventing the cancer from recurring. I have learned through this adventure that with all the advances in the medical field it is still not an exact science. I hear a lot of "usually", "most of the time" and even "hopefully". Through all of this uncertainty I am anchored by the knowledge that God is in control, nothing caught Him by surprise and He has provided me with His promises on which to rely. I still need your  prayers as we rejoice in passing into the maintenance phase. Thank you.

Back in the Saddle

I have just completed my first 2 weeks of teaching and am now on Christmas break. I was quite nervous the first day because of many factors. I was a brand new face to the freshman and new students. I also didn't know whether to give my first day talk or to jump in and continue preparations for the impending performances. My principal, Linn Exline, wisely advised me to lay the groundwork so I mostly talked to my classes on the first day. Another interesting twist is that the students knew the songs better than I. There were a variety of interesting cues and tentative singing until we got acquainted with each other and I became acquainted with the music. I had 7 school days before the Winter Concert not to mention New Dawn performances and the start of musical rehearsals (musical = on average an extra 18-20 hours of work/week outside the classroom). I really hit the ground at a dead sprint compared to relative inactivity in the months preceding my return. The concert went exceptionally well thanks to the preparation done by my long term sub John Luce. John was an incredible blessing in that he taught many years of music before changing vocations and entering the ministry. During my treatment and recovery I was free from having to do lesson plans or worry how the classes were functioning because I knew that John was there and was skilled in vocal music instruction. John even cleared his schedule for the month of December just in case I started teaching and ran out of gas so that he could come and relieve me if needed. And as if he hadn't done enough, he came and assisted me in the final rehearsal and took attendance at the concert. Thank you John! The classes went very well. I realize that I am in that "honeymoon" season similar to the beginning of the year when students don't show their true selves but all in all I am enjoying a great start. On another note, we have had a wonderful winter storm and feel confident that we will have a white Christmas.

In our back yard is a bird bath that serves also as a snow gauge because it is level and and flat. The Creer's unofficial count was 11 inches. We are looking forward to sledding and tobogganing (we own a 6 footer) on Monday.

I feel nearly 100%. I plan on shoveling, sledding, working at school, visiting, eating etc. in the days to come. Thanks for praying. God is good.

VGPR

Very Good Partial Remission (VGPR). My cancer is in remission! VGPR is the type of remission. I am constantly learning things. To give you perspective, the doctor pointed to just one number this time and he called it the "mother-lode" of indicators. This indicator started out at around 33,000 when I was first diagnosed (check here). It should normally be no higher than 2. Today it registered at 3.04! The doctor said that I am a "hair away" from complete remission. Now I am  into a maintenance routine. The doctors told me from the beginning that a bone marrow transplant (BMT) is not a cure for myeloma but a treatment. I knew that maintenance was coming if the BMT was successful (which it was in a big way). My cancer is now classified as a chronic disease similar to diabetes. It will not do any damage as long as I am faithful to the routine that is prescribed and as long as it doesn't awake from remission. We are praising God for the results and also for the clearance to resume a somewhat normal schedule. I am returning to work and I have no dietary restrictions. I still have to protect myself from diseases and infections so I won't hug you if you are sick. Thank you for praying.

P.S. I will be getting bi-weekly test for awhile to keep an eye on things so there will still be occasional updates ahead as well as the 180 day check up (mid March) which will be as comprehensive as today's.

Day 100

Some of you have mentioned that you haven't checked my blog in a while and I confessed that I haven't blogged for a while. Today being a milestone of sorts I decided to update today. Ordinarily I would be getting a check up today but the clinic isn't open on Sundays. The closest they could schedule me was this Friday so my 100 day check will be on day 105. I have had a few labs along the way and I am progressing quite nicely. My energy feels near normal and my appetite continue to improve. The 100 day check is the most comprehensive of the latest ones. Up until now the tests where making sure that I was recovering from the trauma in good fashion. This time the tests will determine if the cancer is in remission or not. I am pretty hopeful because of the way I feel. I am also hopeful that my immune system is in good enough shape so that I can return to teaching. The Winter Concert, which is next, is my favorite concert of the year. I have also experienced the return of a hairline. (Click here to see a contrast from earlier "hairless" days)

This  past week we travelled to Dallas to spend Thanksgiving with Velda's family. The nearly eight hour drive Wednesday left a little to be desired as far as excitement.

When we arrived in Dallas we went straight to the American Airlines arena to watch the Dallas Mavericks defeat the Golden State Warriors 103-99. For you non-sports fans, it was a professional basketball game (i.e. NBA). We had purchased nosebleed seats but Velda's sister, Sherri, arranged for us to have "party suite" seats through a friend who worked at the arena.

After a fabulous meal hosted by Sherri with additions from Mrs. Crawford, Velda's mom, we visited the holocaust museum of Dallas on Friday. Sherri is pictured in blue below next to Michaela. Joshua is facing away in a green shirts that says "Grrrrrroundhog!" Salina South Musical Theatre alumni will understand the significance of the shirt.

You should hear from me in about a week. Thank you for praying. We plan on praising God no matter what the doctor says and are quite hopeful that the news will be outstanding.

Good News with Lessons

I had my 60 day checkup today and all looks good. I was told that the indicators seem to be pinting to the possibility that the cancer isn't active. The lesson I'm learning is patience. Erring on the side of caution, the doctor decided that I can't go back to school until the first week of December. Velda had to remind me that all the news we received today was good even if all my expectations were met. Let's face it, I am still alive and the cancer seems inactive. We rejoice in the news and rejoice that the journey is not over. More good news is that I can take over the counter drugs to stave off the excess amount of gastro-intestinal fumes I (and my family) have been experiencing. It has quite uncomfortable for me in public at times and quite unbearable for them at home at times. Now that I am clear to take some drugs to remedy the problem, I suggest you buy some stock in GasX because it is going to experience an increase in sales. My mustache and eyebrows are also making a nice comeback. The fuzz on top of my head is coming along but it is not worth a picture yet. You will just have to settle for a thousand words. I can go just about anywhere and do anything except go to school. So you may see me (some already have) around town riding the bike or walking to get exercise as I run errands. You might also pray for Joshua because while he is home he gets all the jobs Velda asks me to do. Thank God for his servant attitude and work ethic. I am also looking forward to 100% energy (about 75% at present) so that I can do more around the house while I have the time. Again, thank God for the good report and the lesson on patience. And thank you for praying.

Another Step Forward

On September 23rd the doctor gave me limited freedom to move about the country. I no longer wear a mask in public and can shake hands and hug as long as the person in not sick. It was just in time because we had planned to see Joshua graduate from International ALERT Academy on Thursday the 26th. He finishes tomorrow by going to Hutchison to take a test that will certify him nationally as a firefighter/EMT. Next on his agenda is getting a job. Anyway, we left on Wednesday the 25th and didn't return until late Wednesday night October 2nd. It was just what we needed. We stayed about 30 minutes from the campus at Holly Lake Ranch. Some friends of Velda allowed us to stay in there lodge on the lake. We ignored all alarms. There was fishing (Grace and Michaela were successful), canoeing, paddle boats, biking and hiking. We also read books and watched DVD's. Since then I have noticed enough energy to go bike riding myself. I have ridden around town a couple of times with Velda. I'm not full strength but moving in the right direction. Next checkup in a couple of weeks. We are hoping the doctor says that I can return to teaching.

Thanks for praying.

Big Jump

I had my Day 30 checkup today (even though it was Day 31). We had a premonition on how it was going to turn out based on my weekend. On Friday night I declared I wanted a Braum's burger, fries and a cherry limeade. That really turned some heads in the Creer home. I hadn't had an appetite for quite some time. We were praising God for that even though Velda couldn't honor the request. I cannot eat out. So she bought some burger meat and made me a great meal. The second answer to prayer was that I tasted everything I ate that evening. I have been eating normally and tasting everything ever since. Lastly is a sudden increase in strength. I had been walking for 10 to 15 minutes around the first floor of the house for exercise and then sitting down to take a rest. This weekend I started walking around the block (~.6mi) twice a day. So we were expecting good lab results and weren't disappointed. Velda is the lab tech for the family. When she read the lab she unashamedly let out a shout that might have been foreign to most of the ears of the staff at the KU clinic. we thank God and we thank you for your prayers. Caveat. These are not indications of the effectiveness of the transplant. The check up on Day 60 (3rd week of October) will begin that process as they start to take tests that measure if I still have any cancer since the transplant. Right now we are enjoying how I feel and that most of the restrictions on my lifestyle have been lifted. The doctor also said we will discuss returning to teaching on Day 60. This is also incredible because that is 40 days sooner than he originally estimated. Returning at this time seems perfect to me because it will be right after the first concert and the beginning of the 2nd quarter.

Please pray that Day 60 will show complete remission.
                   that the doctor is given the knowledge of the best time for me to return
                   (hopefully Day 61)

Thank you.

Mixed Blessings

Today is Day 25 since completing the bone marrow transplant. I had a check up on Day 21 in Kansas City. My numbers are roaring back to normal! Many of the blood components and chemistry of my body are in the normal range. (e.g. white blood cells, platelets, potassium and magnesium) This is in stark contrast to before the BMT. My body responded so slowly before the BMT that the transplant was performed 4 months after it was originally scheduled. Now my body is making a great comeback. The doctor at KU was quite pleased. Physically my body is taking its sweet time to recovery. The process cleaned out my gastro-intestinal tract as well as my bone marrow and I feel fairly weak. The stems cells are taking care of the bone marrow, my GI tract is getting little or no help to rebuild. I need to eat but have very little taste and no appetite. My digestion is not quite normal and uncomfortable at times. Our strategy is that instead of trying to eat three square meals a day that I snack (i.e. graze) all day. The most important thing is that I maintain a discipline of appreciating each day the Lord gives me while looking forward to when I will feel better.

Please pray that I eat and drink even though I can't taste the food and have no appetite. I will help my body keep pace with my internal numbers.
Please pray that I start each day with the thought that it is a day that the Lord has made and that I will rejoice and be glad in it. No matter how I feel.

Thank you.

Horse Latitudes

Back in the heyday of sailing ships there was a place in the Atlantic Ocean where there was rarely any wind. The ships would drift for long periods of time before getting free. While waiting, it was common for the sailors to throw overboard the livestock because they had become a detriment. It was common to see horses and other animals floating from previous vessels in the water hence the name "Horse Latitudes".

I feel like I am in the horse latitudes of the post bone marrow transplant (BMT) experience. I am fairly lethargic. I have no appetite. My taste buds are still shot. I am in a "tight bubble" meaning I cannot leave unless for a very good reason. I do laps around the first floor of my house for exercise.

On the bright side, I am at home and enjoying Velda and the girls. One of my main contributions to the household is shelling black-eyed peas from the garden. I have time to read the Bible and other things as well as pray. We've watched some interesting videos together as well.

I met with the Salina doctor today and sang his old song "Why aren't you sick?" I told him I may look fine but I don't feel so good. He assured that this was all normal transitions for post BMT. He said my numbers looked good and that things seem to be going in the right direction. It is too early to tell how effective the BMT was. We go to KU Med on Friday and will update at that time.

Please for the effectiveness of the BMT
My ability to rejoice during this time
I accept the best time to return to the classroom (and that it will be soon :D)