Mar 30 25/100 When Living is the Challenge

 When Living is the Challenge

When daily pains become a daily challenge

When you get a third or half done of what used to be a "normal" day.

When foods are more filling than satisfying and you take another bite, hoping it has the taste and savor you expect. 

When pill taking drives a big part of your daily schedule. 

When the world today is not the world you knew 9 months ago. Maybe what was is not the reality we now live. In 1 Peter, we're reminded we're sojourners, strangers, aliens, exiles in this present world. As children of God through faith in Christ, we're not home yet. 

G

Mar 19: 14/100 The slow, steady slog

 The slow, steady slog

• 30 pills/day
• Fatigue that requires a rest between steps of activity in a project. 3-4 rests in spreading a bag of mulch. Using a 2-wheel dolly to move most anything. 
• Foods just don't quite taste right; appetite is hoping another bite will taste better. 
• Frequent mini naps. The ability to close my eyes and drop my head and almost instantly snooze. 
• Other bodily challenges. 1 Sam 5-6 (KJV)

This trellis project took lots and lots of rests and help from a couple of friends, Gary E and Keith M. 

O LORD, you are my God; I will exalt you; I will praise your name, for you have done wonderful things, plans formed of old, faithful and sure.

Isaiah 25:1 ESV

Faith, hope and love in Jesus to you and yours,

G

Mar 9: Day 4/100 The long, slow march begins

The 100 Day March to no immunosuppressants and "normalcy" begins. 

After being release Tue, I had 2 appts this week on Wed & Fri. On Friday, they ended IV antibiotic infusion, ended IV fluid boost and pulled my PICC line. If IV is needed, we'll use my port.

Went to 1 day/week appt starting next Friday. 
There will be a continued balancing of immunosuppressant drugs to prevent GVHD, but allow my almost newborn like immunity to mature. My immune system is like a newborn's system. It has no memory of that cut on my finger, the road rash from my motorcycle accident, the myriads of colds, flus, odd little sicknesses of 65 something years. 

In 6 months, I'll repeat most all my childhood vaccines to regain that protection. The immune memory of my Shingles vacc 4 years ago - gone. In that sense, it's like a new, second birth of my immune system. 

The spiritual parallel. 

Now there was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews. This man came to Jesus by night and said to him, “Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher come from God, for no one can do these signs that you do unless God is with him.” Jesus answered him, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.” Nicodemus said to him, “How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter a second time into his mother's womb and be born?” Jesus answered, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. Do not marvel that I said to you, ‘You must be born again.’ 
“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him. Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God. 

May your day be filled with the grace and mercy of God

G

Mar 7: +28 Anybody up for pill bingo?

 

I am VERY, VERY, VERY happy to be home. 

Fatigue is a big thing. They warned me, but it still a little bit of a surprise. I did a small project yesterday - made a little 45 degree mounting bracket for our ring camera. It was all I could do to get the tools put up at the end. 

I still covet your prayers, as the next 100 days is a constant monitoring for infections and GVHD (graft vs host disease.) The burden on me and Lesa to get me to doc appointments downtown 2-3 times a week is wearisome. The visits include labs and infusions and can last 2-4 hrs, Thank you all to those have helped with that. 

UPDATE: A Praise. After Friday's visit, they're cutting me back to 1 day/week lab/doc visit. Also pulled my PICC line and no more anticipated IV fluid or IV antibiotic push. 

I know how to be brought low, and I know how to abound. In any and every circumstance, I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need. I can do all things through him who strengthens me.  Phil 4:13-14

I am still learning this. 

Faith, hope and most of all, love, be yours in full measure today. 

G

Mar 4: +17 Take me home, metro roads

Take me home, metro roads, 

To the place I belong, 

Rowlett, TX, flatland Momma, 

Take me home, metro roads (Sung to Take me home, country roads)

Yep, Boom Ch Laka Laka, I might be just a little excited. 25 days in the hospital.

His love endures forever, and his mercies are everlasting.

Gary

Mar 3: +16 The Exit™

 WARNING - DISCUSSION OF BODILY FUNCTION AHEAD - The Exit™

Last chance to bail out and jump down to the bolded sentence. 

Today's discussion of The Exit™ is brought to you by Quaker State, a fine motor oil not to be used on or in the human body. 

Specifically, I want to discuss the product called PROCTOfoam. You can imagine where this is going.

  

 

As fine a Rube Goldberg device as ever was invented. It looks straightforward, but it takes some finesse to fill the syringe. The first pass, it's over-pressurized and will pop out the syringe from the pressure, as in shoot it across the room. After that, it's a back & forth of 2 secs of releasing foam, then 8-12 seconds of waiting on the foam to expand/fill the syringe for 5-6 cycles. That took several trial and error tries. Then, the filled syringe is used to fill The Exit™ as best you can. 

So, leaving The Exit™ behind (Dad pun)... 

A quick aside. The device below is a UV light room sterilizer. They use it between patients to blast the room with UV light. It's a full 360 blast. the black cover on the right side comes off revealing the same set of UV light emitting tubes as you see on the left. It's just amazing what people can come with using their God-given talents for good. 

Today's numbers were encouraging. 1.4 WBC and 1.16 ANC. Almost a doubling of both numbers. Based on this, barring any curve balls, Tue will be my go home day. 

Mar 2: +15 The Life is in the Blood

 There is a verse in the Bible that says life is in the blood. That's why Jesus death on the cross was key to our salvation. 

For me blood has been needed resource from time to time. Today, my hematocrit has dropped below 24, so I'm getting a blood transfusion of O+. My original blood type is A+. Eventually with my new blood donor I will become O+. Unfortunately due to my melanoma in 2001, I had to stop giving blood.

I would encourage you to consider blood donation if your life and time permit it. Is a very needed resource and a very big blessing to people like me.

Still looking like Mon or Tue wil be the mountain peak for this journey, more likely Tue. 

Blessings of grace and mercy be yours today in full measure. Hug your spouse and kids if you have them. 

Gary

Mar 1: +14 Corner turned, the cool mountain breezes are just ahead

 I'm pleased to report after I posted yesterday's blog, my blood check showed activity by my new bone marrow transplant!  Hooray and praise be to God

Measure        Thu    Fri

WBC            0.1    0.4        (White Blood Cells)

ANC            0.07    0.34    (Absolute Neutrophil Count ratio)

If things follow the normal course, that means I could go home as early as Monday, more likely Tuesday. 

Things continue to be painful at The Exit™. Prayers appreciated. 

Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.