I haven’t given an update in a while because nothing much has happened.
I continue to be healthy. All my check ups and tests come back positive. My aches and pains continue but are improving.
My days are spent on the sofa or doing small chores around the house. The weather here has been cold and snowy so we only walk when weather permits, but I am increasing my endurance and distance.
Now we prepare for a quiet Easter (we get a nice long Easter vacation here in Norway). We send the kids to Tanzania tomorrow morning to experience a Salvation Army orphanage. Please pray for them, their trip and their traveling companions.
I hope you all have a peaceful and blessed Easter. I’ll update again when something happens. Right now no news is good news.
I thought I’d check in and let you all know what’s going on.
The pain in my arms is mostly gone. It has turned into achy shoulders and shaky hands. But I am improving a little every day.
I was at the hospital for a control yesterday and everything is looking good. My blood is healthy and my liver function is improving with every check up. The big news yesterday was that my blood / marrow is now 99+% from the donor. I now have two different DNAs in my body, one in my meat, one in my blood. That is exactly what is supposed to happen and I’m very happy about it. I’m just a little disappointed that the Brian Howard marrow rolled over and died so quickly – I would like to think that he put up at least some fight. I guess I understand though – we have worked hard to break it down and kill it over the past year and a half.
So that’s where I stand now. Lots of DNA, still a little pain. As always your prayers and encouragement are greatly appreciated.
I’ve tried to keep this blog blue-eyed and smiley for the most part. I share the good and the bad but try to mostly focus on the good. But the truth is that recently there is almost as much pain as happiness going on. This process has many facets to it. All of them are equally true and real.
Fact 1: Most importantly is that the transplant so for has been a success and my blood levels and prognosis are very good.There is every reason to belive I will remain cancer free.
Fact 2: The past week I’ve been in horrible pain as my body adjust to the medicines I have to take in order to not reject the new bone marrow growing inside my bones. My arms have been in a lot of pain and almost unusable. It’s been one of the most difficult weeks of my cancer experience. But that said, the doctors say this is a normal side effect and not at all unusual. I will be dealing with this and various side effects for the next 6 to 12 months.
In the big picture everything is good and should be fine in the end but the road getting there is going to be long and difficult. We take it one day at a time and I continue to need your prayers and encouragement. Even though my levels are good I am still in the thick of it.
