On a Plateau?

First I must apologize for not having written the past few weeks. At my blood draw on February 12 I was kind of bummed. There just wasn't the excitement as there had been. My white count had actually gone up a little to 5.8. I just wasn't expecting that. I should have been ecstatic with the rise and becoming normal but for some reason I just wasn't. Therefore I just couldn't get myself up to writing.

Last week my parents came to visit and were able to come along with me for my blood draw. They were able to see where I go and all that fun stuff. The nurse was suppose to do a test called a FISH test. I even talked to her about it. This test would show if I was in my second stage of remission or not. Well, for some reason they drew the blood for it but didn't get it sent off. This is a test that they send off to Mayo Clinic. Not sure what happened but nothing I can do about it. My white count was back down again to 3.4 but my hemoglobin was up to 10. I had thought my white count would continue to go up beings it was up the week before so that sort of surprised me.

I went in last night for my draw and they drew extra again for my FISH test and my white count was down to 2.6 and my hemoglobin is down again to 9.

Ya know when you are loosing weight and you have seen a lot of lose but then you get to that point when things just seem to sit for a while and stay the same and you start to get a little discouraged. I kind of feel that way right now. I cant complain though. I am in the first stage of remission already which I have accomplished sooner then normal. And any time now I could be in my second stage which is still faster then normal. I feel great and have not yet gotten sick from medicine or from any cold or flu bugs my kids and many others have had. I count myself lucky and must be satisfied with my number so far.

Continue praying for my numbers to become normal and that I don't over do things. I have taken on a new role. It is called Lamar. Actually, Lamar is an original character in the production of Godspell. Several community churches are coming together to put this on and it will be preformed April 3-5th. We have rehearsal three days a week. Craig is the director and you would think there would be extra perks there but trust me, there just aren't. (haha)

May God contiue to bless each and everyone of you for your dedication to prayer. It really does work and we just have to be patient and trust in God's timing.

Don't Waste Your Cancer

One of my favorite authors is John Piper who wrote -Desiring God

He writes this article which I believe very clearly states how Jody and I have determined to live into her current diagnosis. It is not always easy, but with God's help and a lot of love from each other, friends, and family, we are doing our best to let God shine through even this most difficult time. Enjoy these top ten. (Also find the link to his whole article below)

1. You will waste your cancer if you do not believe it is designed for you by God.

2. You will waste your cancer if you believe it is a curse and not a gift.

3. You will waste your cancer if you seek comfort from your odds rather than from God.

4. You will waste your cancer if you refuse to think about death.

5. You will waste your cancer if you think that “beating” cancer means
staying alive rather than cherishing Christ.

6. You will waste your cancer if you spend too much time reading
about cancer and not enough time reading about God.

7. You will waste your cancer if you let it drive you into solitude
instead of deepen your relationships with manifest affection.

8. You will waste your cancer if you grieve as those who have no hope.

9. You will waste your cancer if you treat sin as casually as before.

10. You will waste your cancer if you fail to use it as a means of
witness to the truth and glory of Christ.

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John Piper has been the Pastor for Preaching at Bethlehem Baptist Church in Minneapolis, Minnesota, since 1980. He has authored numerous best-selling books, including The Passion of Jesus Christ, Don't Waste Your Life and Desiring God.

Find this article at: http://www.crosswalk.com/1383847/

Phase One

Went to the Dr Sangha's on my own Thursday for my visit. It has been a month since I have been on my Gleevec. As you know my numbers have gone down drastically. Well, they continue too. My white count was 4,200. I did ask how low my count could go and he said without any hesitation 1,000 some. I am officially in the first stage of remission. (HIP HIP HOORAY!!) I will continue to go in once a week for my blood check and in two weeks I will have the FISH test (that I mentioned in previous updates) to see how close I am to being in the 2nd stage. I asked him when I may be in complete remission and he thought possibly in 3 months. HOLY COW!! Now normal remission has been about 12-18 months. We account my fast improvement on the high dose of Gleevec, Dr Sangha started me out on then maybe usual, and because of all your prayers. I will remain on the high dosage of my Gleevec until I am in complete remission. I however no longer have to take my Allopurinol. (Yeah! One less pill.)

I am still feeling quite good. My night sweats haven't been so bad, and my leg cramps have decresed, I haven't been as cold but still am wearing my three layers. Plus, it helps that the temperature outside is finally above freezing. As Craig mentioned in the last blog, it's hard not to feel quilty for feeling so good and things going so well. The advancements they have made with Leukemia is just amazing. Thank God for the Doctors and Scientist and their knowledge to figure all this stuff out.

Continue to pray for my advancements and for the doctors and scientists who work on finding a cure for this. I pray that all of you that may yourself be struggling with some form of cancer or have a loved one with cancer not to give up hope. If you need someone to pray for you let me know and Craig and I would love to add you to our list. Don't keep it from people. Talk about it and have others pray for you. God can and does work miracles. Don't give up HOPE.

Before I wrap this up I would like to update you on my brother Todd. His past surgery did not go quite as well as we would have liked. They were not able to help him out at the time due to too much infection in the bone and tissue. He will have to have two more operations in the near future which he is not looking forward to. I ask you please keep him in your prayers.

Survivors Guilt

With the most recent visit to Iowa City I have to admit I am experiencing a great deal of elation with finally understanding what the doctors have been trying to explain to us for a long time. This particular form of Leukemia has had a lot of advances made in the treatment process during the last ten years. And while we still have to go through the process of destroying the leukemic cells in Jody's body, and replace them with healthy normal cells, It almost feels too easy, and not fair.
Let me explain that... As a pastor I have seen many types of cancer many times. I have witnessed long term battles for life that have had long terms of remission and re-occurrences, and I have seen people diagnosed and then last only a month or few weeks. And I have witnessed the agony of radiation and chemotherapy and their "side effects" or "major effects."
Now I love my wife and as I said, I am elated with the news that her health can be for all essential purposes normal, and that she can live with this CML for a long time without ever knowing it is there. The expected benchmarks for her on this medication is to be in full molecular remission in a period of 12 - 18 months; that fact is astounding. From then on she will join a group of cancer survivors for the indefinite future. However, even in the peripheral role of husband I feel like I living in the midst of experiencing shell-shock, or survivors guilt or something along that vein.
I do not know if it was the fact that we had built ourselves up so much for the magnitude of devastating news, or that as a pastor I just witnessed two beloved members be diagnosed with cancer and live only a few months after their diagnosis. Maybe it is this fact that makes me feel like Jody's and my good news is unfair to those who have experienced such devastating news only to be followed up with the final blow known as death.
Of course as a pastor again I believe that death for those who have a saving relationship with Jesus is nothing to be feared and in fact it is the greatest news of life that one can hope for. However the reality of pain that we who remain experience is undeniably difficult despite the depth of faith and hope that we claim.
For now all I can do is say "Thank You God for gifting us with a treatable form of Leukemia, and thank you for the years of life, happiness, family, and ministry that we have in front of us."