April 26, 2007

Today is day+84. It’s hard to believe that day +100 is just around the corner. It seems so long, so very long ago that I started my love affair with chicken. I have been feeling pretty well off and on. I’m supposed to “be active”, which means do very limited projects or exercise, but not too much. I went out into the garage and just bending over and grabbing stuff to throw away was enough to cause me to rest again for a couple of days. I understand better the delayed effect of exercise and am getting a better handle on how much I should do.

As I mentioned in my last update, I saw my doctor, Michael Mauro, last week. We had a great discussion about what to expect, progress, where I’ll be when. By the end of the conversation I sensed that Dr Mauro was ahead of me with a carrot just out of reach and I was the mule following the carrot.

Dr Mauro basically said, “Art we brought you out of a very, very bad place with great success. We then found a donor and performed a stem cell transplant. We knew that there would be GvHD issues because of the donor we chose. We didn’t tell you about the surety of GvHD because you were facing enough trauma facing the transplant. You are coming through the GvHD splendidly. The next hurdle is the bone marrow biopsy. From your blood counts I’m confident we are going to find good results. We need to get you off the steroids before you will get any stronger.

By the way, the +100 day mark is not anything magical. You will probably be right where you are now. Your life may not ever be as you hope it will be. There is the possibility that the leukemia will return within the first year. We expect to see a small amount of negative PRC for the first few weeks/months. Then we want to see the PRC turn from negative to positive during the first year. All indications say the leukemia has been severely eradicated and you’ve got a great start on beating the disease. You need to do your part now, which is do some exercise and don’t overdo it. And you need to quit expecting to know what’s next. What happens next is what will happen next. (In other words, be happy I’m alive because there was a much higher chance I should be dead right now and I should be content I’m alive.)

Of course being the kidder I am, I thanked him for the info then I immediately asked him when he thought I would be strong enough to go play some golf. He gave me the look!!!

All kidding aside, I’ve been meditating on all God has done me and how I’ve been blessed through this process so far. Dr. Mauro reminded me how spoiled, controlling, and impatient I really am.

Psalm 33:20
We wait in hope for the LORD;
he is our help and our shield.


Isaiah 30:18
Yet the LORD longs to be gracious to you;
he rises to show you compassion.
For the LORD is a God of justice.
Blessed are all who wait for him!


Lamentations 3:25
The LORD is good to those whose hope is in him,
to the one who seeks him;


I love you guys. Thanks for your prayers.