July 12, 2023 - Some Info

     I wrote this blog late on Tuesday evening.  It wasn’t posted until Wednesday.
 
Tuesday, July 11, 2023
     I was contacted today from the Stem Cell Transplant Appointment Coordinator at Mayo Clinic.  I still don’t have specific dates, but I did get some insight into how things may progress.
     Scheduling depends on the doctors’ schedules, availability of tests that will be required, etc.   It is still my hope that the testing will be done the week of August 20th.
     I also learned that they intend to harvest enough stem cells for two transplants, in case the first one doesn’t do what they hope.  The cells will be frozen and can be available for 20 years.
     I did get some unsettling news.  He said the stay in Rochester after the stem cell transplant would be four weeks at a minimum but could be as long as three months.  We obviously hope it is the former.
     I was told that it will take several days before the schedule is completed.
     Today was a full day.  It started early with blood work.  The nurse did more seeking than finding and the place on my arm still hurts as I write this late at night.
     I met with the doctor and then had two infusions.  It was the next to last time that I will have two infusions on the same day prior to the transplant. 
     For some reason being in the cancer unit was difficult for me today.  Because I met with the doctor I was at least an hour later than I have been lately for the treatments.
     I encountered several people today who were struggling with their cancers.  I thought about some of them as the day wore on.  As I pondered during the day, I decided that going forward I would lift those patients to the Lord as I encountered them.  I haven’t done that as much as I should.
     After two hours at the hospital, Teresa and I headed to Taylorsville Lake with four of our five grandkids.  Becca was the spiritual one and stayed home to attend VBS in Cynthiana.
     It was a sweet day to be with them on the lake.  One of them would have slept on the boat—all night.  I told her that maybe her dad might be willing!
     The boat ramp is near the marina where a number of boats are in slips.   There are several houseboats in the row next to the ramp.  Many of them are named.  One of the houseboats is named “Blessed.”
     Blessed.  With all that is going on in my life, I am a blessed man.  If I followed the advice of the old song to count my blessings one by one, it might take quite a long time.
     Your willingness to read these blogs would be on the list.