Jun 20, 2026: Plan D?

For our present troubles are small and won’t last very long. Yet they produce for us a glory that vastly outweighs them and will last forever! 2 Cor 4:17

Aug 2023 - The A.L.L. battle is on

Plan A: Stem Cell Bone Marrow transplant, Feb 2024 - gave me 8 months of remission. Ended Sep 2024

Plan B: Blincyto, Oct 2024 - 5 months of remission

Plan C: CAR-T, Sep 2025 - gave me 9 months of remission. Ended June 2026. Normal WBC is 4-10, My count Thu was 183.

Plan D: The Macgyver Plan, Jun 2026 - cob together various treatments including Besponsa and possible an experimental trial. 

God can take a child's small fishes and loaves and work a miracle. Nothing is beyond Him. I trust His plan to be good and perfect. 

May 25, 2026: Faith

Faith.

What is it? 

Now faith is the assurance (title deed, confirmation) of things hoped for (divinely guaranteed), and the evidence of things not seen [the conviction of their reality—faith comprehends as fact what cannot be experienced by the physical senses].

Faith has an object; otherwise, it's just wishful thinking. 

The object of my faith is Jesus Christ and His work on the cross for me.

Faith is not probabilities with statistics as its object, e.g. This probably won't happen...

Short term, my faith is that God will be with me, giving me courage and strength to face whatever may come. Acute Lymphocytic Leukemia and remission both have their challenges. 

Eternally, my faith is in the work of Jesus, His death and resurrection, His sacrifice that makes me right with God. 

If the Lord wills, June 9 will be the beginning of 10 months of remission. Today, I endeavor to live in the present for the steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; His mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is Your faithfulness. Lam 3:22-23

May 5: Where Does My Help Come From?

No leukemia reported at monthly oncologist visit. Maybe some GVHD/auto-immune things going on, but mostly minor.

Grateful for those that poured effort and life into developing CART-T. Grateful and praising God for His good and perfect plan for me.

Picture is about 50 yds from our old Limestone homestead in NC.

April 7: Artemis and me

So Artemis set a record yesterday as the furthest people to ever go beyond the boundaries of Earth. 

I crossed a boundary yesterday starting my 8 month cancer-free. Praising God and thankful. So I think the question we all should be asking ourselves is, "Why does God have me here on this rock?"

The big answer I believe is to love Him with everything I got and to enjoy Him forever and to love my neighbor as myself and thus fulfill the law of Christ. 

2 Corinthians 13:14

Jesus speaking... “I tell you, her sins—and they are many—have been forgiven, so she has shown me much love. But a person who is forgiven little shows only little love.” 

My ability to see how much I've been forgiven grows slowly, but steadily each day. 

The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ and 

                  the love of God and

                               the fellowship of the Holy Spirit

                                                   be with you all.

Mar 3, 2026: Mortgage-free Home

I have a place that's not here in Texas. Word has it, it's even better than NC. It's my eternal home that I will enjoy when God in Heaven decides the time is right. No tears, no pain, rent-free, new pain-free body, no sin-wrestling. Sounds really good to me! ...but, it does take faith in the One who died and rose again.

Here's what Jesus said. When everything is ready, I will come and get you, so that you will always be with me where I am. And you know the way to where I am going.”

and in the book of Hebrews - But they (people of faith in the Old Testament) were looking for a better place, a heavenly homeland. That is why God is not ashamed to be called their God, for He has prepared a city for them.

But, today, for now, God's decided leukemia isn't going to have its way with me. Starting 7 months cancer-free March 9. I am grateful and thankful for the time He's given me here on this celestial ball. We'll see what next month's checkup holds. 

May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God the Father, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all.

Feb 3, 2026 Deja Vu All Over Again...

... to quote Yogi Berra. 

If I understand Jesus's exhortation to us, it's to live in today, not yesterday and not the future. How hard that is for me. 

Last month - same song, different verse. 

Living in today, in God's grace & mercy. I have an eternal hope through faith in the One who loved me and paid for my failings. 

My counts were good today. WBC & Platelets in the low end of normal range. RBC's still low but didn't drop from Jan 5. No detectable blasts, aka cancer cells. Also did an IVIG infusion (3 hrs). 

Probably the 2nd most quoted verse besides John 3:16 popped up on my feed today and I found great comfort in it for where I'm at. His mercies indeed are new every day.

Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me. Psalm 23:4 ESV

May His blessings be yours in full for the coming days, along with the grace and mercy found in Jesus, the Messiah.  

G

Jan 5, 2026: Starting month 5 of cancer free

Living in today, in God's grace & mercy. I have an eternal hope through faith in the One who loved me and paid for my failings. 

My counts were good today. WBC & Platelets in the low end of normal range. RBC's still low but didn't drop from Dec 5. No detectable blasts, aka cancer cells. 

Also did an IVIG infusion (3 hrs). 

May His blessings be yours in full for 2026, along with His grace and mercy.

G

Dec 28: Ride the Rollercoaster!

Ride the Rollercoaster!

We got to talking about rollercoasters at our family Christmas dinner and there are those that love 'em and those that hate 'em. 

I love them. I'm not such an aficionado that I've gone out of my way to ride new ones or made it my mission to ride every coaster in the world. But, I understand why some don't like them at all. One that sticks out as my favorite was the Texas Giant at 6 Flags. It was built to be an old school, wood frame coaster with the clackity clack climbing every hill. The Texas Giant was originally opened in 1990 as the world’s tallest and fastest wooden roller coaster, featuring a 137-foot first drop with speeds reaching up to 62 miles per hour. 

2025 was a rollercoaster of a year, so to speak. There were a few times where I wish the ride had been over. As 2025 smooths out and pulls into the "station," I'm grateful I didn't toss my cookies too many times and am now feeling the best I have in 2025. 

Time and God's good and perfect plan will tell what 2026 holds for us all. He desires that all be saved; that none perish but gives us choice.   

Psalm 103 Bless the Lord, O my soul, and all that is within me, bless his holy name!
2 Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits,
3 who forgives all your iniquity, who heals all your diseases,
4 who redeems your life from the pit, who crowns you with steadfast love and mercy,
5 who satisfies you with good so that your youth is renewed like the eagle's.
Let us not live in fear or anxiousness in 2026, but live in Christ's perfect love, which casts out fear 1 Jn 4:18
Phil 4:6 do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. 7 And the PEACE OF GOD, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
8 Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things. 9 What you have learned[e] and received and heard and seen in me—practice these things, and the GOD OF PEACE will be with you.

Ride hands in the air and screaming at the top of your lungs with me in 2026.

In His grace, mercy and love, may the God of Peace be with us all today,

Gary

Dec 9: Thankful and Grateful.

 Another month of "cancer free" It's an interesting head and heart space to be in because it's not like a surgery. It doesn't have that finality of healing. 

My CAR-T was Sep 9th, but there's no spot on the timeline that the doc will say, "Free and clear for the rest of your days." If you read my previous blogs, you know my thoughts on statistics. So... doing my best to live in the moment and goodness of today - where God's mercies are new every day. Thankful and grateful.

I am thankful that the Word became flesh and dwelt among us for the ultimate healing of my sin and "broken" body by Jesus's death on the cross. 

John 1

1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was in the beginning with God. 3 All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made. 4 In him was life, and the life was the light of men. 5 The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it. But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God, 13 who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God.

14 And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.

Had supper with a Muslim couple who claimed we worship the same god. We don't. The God of Christians is triune - God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit, the Trinity. The second distinctive is Christianity is salvation by faith alone, through grace alone in Christ alone. Works are an outpouring of that faith, not the basis of our salvation. So, why do I bring that up? In this season, the significance of Baby Jesus is John 1 above. Jesus laid aside His divine rights for His time on earth and became God Incarnate, according to the will of God the Father. 

Blessings, grace and mercy be yours this Christmas season,

Gary

Nov 9: A Long Road Traveled

 Hello friends and family,

It's been a minute since I shared. My journey started over 2 years ago in August 2023. I did enjoy an 8-month respite after my stem cell transplant. However, I confess that I am weary of the daily pain management related to my GI tract, damaged from the chemo. My immune system numbers are still low but climbing ever so slowly. My WBC count is 2.1. It was 1.3 3 weeks ago. 4.0 is the bottom of the normal range. My GI tract healed after my stem cell transplant when my WBC count got to 3.5-4. I know others have struggled with pain; some for 5, 10 even 20 years. Pray for your friends with pain battles. We need your prayers. Let us all who struggle draw near to Him. Our struggle is not without purpose. Still, it is a struggle. 

2 Corinthians 1:3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, 4 who comforts us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God. 5 For as we share abundantly in Christ's sufferings, so through Christ we share abundantly in comfort too. 6 If we are afflicted, it is for your comfort and salvation; and if we are comforted, it is for your comfort, which you experience when you patiently endure the same sufferings that we suffer. 

In addition, I've been diagnosed with bullous pemhigoid, a skin auto-immune disease. My case has been relatively minor with itching and blisters on my arm and leg extremities, and a small bother in comparison to the leukemia battle, but still a bother. 

This is the level of faith I aspire to - like that of the young Hebrew followers of the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob in Daniel 3:8.

But if God does not save us from your hand, be it known to you, O king, that we will not serve your gods or worship the golden image that you have set up.” 

This world is broken, our bodies are broken, our relationships broken, but His love for us is unbroken. 

John 3:16 “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. 17 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. 18 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. 

Grace and Mercy be yours today from the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. 

Sep 26: Optimism

My Doctor is optimistic about CAR-T success. What is that optimism level for my doctor? 50-50% I would hope for more, like 90-10%. But, again, God is not bound by statistics. He is God. His plan is perfect; His plan is good. I am hopeful in His good graces. 

There's been challenges of pain, strength, Hopefully, this is a new phase with less pain. 

Grace and mercy be yours in full measure today,

G

Sep 1: Looking back; looking forward

2 Years ago, I didn't know what the next step was going to be, except what was immediately in front of me - multiple rounds of chem to knock back the leukemia. Like those imperfect saints in the Bible, your faith gets tested, strengthened, refined - eliminating the dross. I tend to think of it more like a blacksmith refining a fine blade - heated and reheated, beaten and folded into what can become an amazing blade. In the middle of that, you just have a lump of glowing red steel. 

As somber as the battle was 2 years ago, today, it feels more challenging today in some ways. There's not a lot of options beyond CAR-T at this point. But God... All along this twisty journey, it's always been God and His perfect and good plan. Maybe you're asking, "How can you say that, especially if your life ends soon?" Well, because my end is not in this world, but the eternal promise from Him that comes through faith in Jesus Christ. It always boils down to faith. Many choose to be their own god, even though they'd never admit to that. The object of their faith is ultimately in themselves. Faith always has an object and for me, it's faith IN Jesus Christ. 

I would ask you to pray for me, my faith, and His healing hand in all this. Pray my faith will not waiver, no matter what happens in the next weeks & months. I pray He would receive the glory in my walk of faith in this time. 

His Grace and Mercy be upon you and yours today. 

Aug 26: One Day at a Time

It has been a one day at a time journey since I got released from the hospital a month ago. 

Tough. 

I just now feel like I'm starting to climb out of the hole. Sometime this coming week, I'll get kicked back into the hole with a 3 day round of chemo for CAR-T. Hopefully the last cheno I'll ever have to experience again in this lifetime. 2 more rounds of dry heaves this morning to top it off. Hopefully, no more today. 

Please pray that CAR-T would be effective and successful. 

Grace be upon you all today. 

Aug 1: At home - yea!

 Tough ten days to get to here. Was all about the immune system recovery. An IV Antibody doesn't replace what the body does in the immune system. 

What are the types of white blood cells?

There are five types of white blood cells:

• Neutrophils: Help protect your body from infections by killing bacteria, fungi and foreign debris.
• Lymphocytes: Consist of T cells, natural killer cells and B cells to protect against viral infections and produce proteins to help you fight infection (antibodies).
• Eosinophils: Identify and destroy parasites, cancer cells and assists basophils with your allergic response.
• Basophils: Produce an allergic response like coughing, sneezing or a runny nose.
• Monocytes: Defend against infection by cleaning up damaged cells.++

The last 12" is the toughest and most critical for "going" comfort. When my white cells jumped up to half normal, I started healing that last part of the GI Tract. 

The GI tract is lined by various cell types, primarily epithelial cells, which play crucial roles in absorption and secretion. Key cell types include:

• Enterocytes: Predominant in the small intestine, these cells are specialized for nutrient absorption and have microvilli for increased surface area. 

  2
• Goblet cells: These mucous cells secrete mucus to protect the GI tract and trap pathogens. 

  2
• Paneth cells: Located in the ileum, these cells are involved in immune regulation and inflammation. 

  2
• Enteroendocrine cells: These cells secrete hormones like serotonin and gastrin, regulating gut motility and secretion. 

  2
• Tuft cells: These cells secrete mucus and are part of the immune response against pathogens. 

  2

  
  These cells work together to form a protective barrier that allows nutrient absorption while preventing harmful substances from entering the body. 

Blessings upon you all today. He loves you. He died for you. 

Jul 20 - A Very Hard Journey

 This journey, it's hard. Very hard. 

Constantly tied to an IV pole. Cycles of pain from 4 to 9, living a lot in the 7 and 8 zone. Asking God for healing and relief, Body functions not working used to having to manage Constipation and even at the best, still very painful movements. Living in the confusion of pain meds that  ,   clouds you're thinking makes it hard to have cohesive thoughts.

Living an exposed life, No privacy no modesty. Wanting to just be kind of normal again,

Really gives me pause for thought. Thinking about Martyrs in Nigeria and other places today and what they go through standing for their faith. I'm not standing for my faith. I'm just enduring pain. They face tough choices,

Blessings to you today.

Jul 9: The Dark Nights

 It has been a dark night of the soul this week.

My mouth pain (a sore at the base of my tongue) and "exit" pain at the other end of my GI tract has 3 and a 9.5 on the 10-point pain scale. The pain is grinding. Started losing my hair on Monday. My whole face is basically almost like a bad sunburn. Sleep at best has been fretful, even with Oxycodone. 

How do I deal with this pain? I see no end in sight. 

For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us. Romans 8:18

... not only the creation, but we ourselves, who have the first fruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies. Romans 8:23

Jesus is there with me. He suffered as man suffered, physically, emotionally, mentally and spiritually. Gentle and lowly is He who loves us and shows us mercy & grace wrapped up in His complete love. 

I hurt, but do not lose hope.

His grace be upon you all today, for He is God!

Gary

June 30: A Boost and the Warburg View

Today should be my go home day. They are planning to give me a stem cell donor boost of my cells that were held back from the original transplant. Hopefully, no complications or side effects. I didn't have any the first time. 

My "new" Metabolic Approach to Leukemia. There are 2 overarching views of cancer. Mutagenic (genetic problem) and Metabolic (energy pathways). I believe it's probably a mix of both. The metabolic view is you can "starve" cancer. 

• Regular, intermittent fasting
• Keto. I don't think long-term ketogenesis is in my future. It's such an extreme, but I can get closer. 
• No Sugar, glucose, No simple carbs
• No alcohol
• Starve it, don’t feed it.
• Some is better than none. NO all or nothing thinking.
• Alkaline “stasis”
• Warburg view

Foods to REDUCE

• sugary foods: soda, fruit juice, smoothies, cake, ice cream, candy, etc.
• grains or starches: wheat-based products, rice, pasta, cereal, etc.
• fruit: all fruit, except small portions of berries like strawberries
• beans or legumes: peas, kidney beans, lentils, chickpeas, etc.
• root vegetables and tubers: potatoes, sweet potatoes, carrots, parsnips, etc.
• alcohol: beer, wine, liquor, mixed drinks
• low fat or diet products: low fat mayonnaise, salad dressings, and condiments
• Sweet condiments or sauces: barbecue sauce, honey mustard, teriyaki sauce, ketchup, etc.
• unhealthy fats: processed vegetable oils, mayonnaise, etc.
• sugar-free diet foods: sugar-free candies, syrups, puddings, sweeteners, desserts, etc

God is my grace. Jesus is my firm foundation. He calls me to be in His presence, at peace, without shame. I am His, and He is mine.

June 25: Paradigm Shifts

Thursday: Living at home, rummage the fridge for meals, usual breakfast choices, lunch choices, ponder projects - how to fix the lack of insulation in front office bedroom, one more beam to treat in the gazebo with wood treatment, Walmart/Aldi run, harvesting the last of the Swiss chard, evening TV streaming distractions with the wife. 

Saturday: Hospital room, no kitchen, living with nice strangers who get you ice water, take your vitals and try to be nice about waking you up at 4a to draw blood, walking EVERYWHERE with the IV pole, including the shower, gearing up to shower (covering the port/IV mess), what you have is now what you carried in your carry-on suitcase and backpack, new conversations about Jesus, lots of time to reconnect with none of the home distractions, living in the moment. Isolated, but not. 

Jun 24: Tue not Sat

Boy, talk about scrambled up days. I woke up this morning and could have sworn it was Saturday. G

Going back into Pickens was not easy yesterday, despite God making the way smooth as possible. I was feeling depressed. Check-in was 5-star and I didn't have to wait for my room on the 6th floor. Staff is still as great as ever. Food is still hospital. God opened my eyes to His goodness.

Gracious rest and sleep last night despite waking up in a soup bowl of night sweats. Started chemo last night. My numbers had inched up to 92 yesterday. 

So many blessings since checking in. Encouraging conversations with brothers and sisters in Jesus. Prayers given and received. 

There really are 2 lenses to look at this world through. Hard to look through them both. We either look at them through God's eternal, loving lens, or our own corrupted-world distorted lens. 

It says this in Romans 1:

God’s way of putting people right shows up in the acts of faith, confirming what Scripture has said all along: “The person in right standing before God by trusting him really lives.”

But God’s angry displeasure erupts as acts of human mistrust and wrongdoing and lying accumulate, as people try to put a shroud over truth. But the basic reality of God is plain enough. Open your eyes and there it is! By taking a long and thoughtful look at what God has created, people have always been able to see what their eyes as such can’t see: eternal power, for instance, and the mystery of his divine being. So nobody has a good excuse. What happened was this: People knew God perfectly well, but when they didn’t treat him like God, refusing to worship him, they trivialized themselves into silliness and confusion so that there was neither sense nor direction left in their lives. They pretended to know it all, but were illiterate regarding life. They traded the glory of God who holds the whole world in his hands for cheap figurines you can buy at any roadside stand.

So God said, in effect, “If that’s what you want, that’s what you get.”

++++++++++

Are you getting the best of God or the "best" of your own world? 

God bless you all in the peace of His grace today.

Jun 20: Back to the beginning

The Battle heats up. God is my strength and shield, a very present help in time of trouble, therefore I will not fear.. Ps 46 

Counts didn't come down like we'd hoped. Still in the low 70's as of Friday, Jun 20, so no Besonza today. 

So...

Going in Monday for 4-5 days of chemo like I had at the very beginning, hyper-CVAD. CAR-T needs lower counts to work. also going to get a boost of donor cells next week. The high counts will overwhelm the treatment, otherwise. Hopefully, harvesting my cells in 3-5 weeks for the CAR-T. 

Tough weekend. The hydroxyurea they put me on Friday has given me non-stop Charlie horses in both calves since Saturday night. I walk like the Tim Conway old man character in the Carol Burnett Show.