Wow!

Many of you know that my oldest Michaela is going on a mission trip to Chiapas Mexico. She contacted many of you for support. We are happy to announce that she has received all that she needs. In fact Global Encounters informed her today that she has enough for her expenses as well as her flight and possibly some discretionary money. Michaela has so much that we are wanting those of you who are still considering supporting her financially to know that she has all that she needs. Any extra now that she raises will go to support the general expenses of the trip. This would benefit her indirectly in that it would benefit all who are going on the mission trip. Please consider this as you seek God's leading. Having said this I will also state that none of you are "off the hook". We are expecting all of you to pray for her as prepares and goes to disciple the nations. I attached a prayer card you  can print off and put in a prominent place to remind you to pray. Thank you.

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.

Random thoughts

Recently our family was blessed with a new car ( a 98 Dodge Intrepid in good condition
with 200,000 miles on it) by the Charvat family, which I was allowed to drive. I also was blessed by the news that I received my IFSAC seals, which will hopefully allow me to use my firefighting certifications in other states. Please pray as I prepare to take two more tests one written and one physical.

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.