March 16, 2023 AM Post

       Today will be a day that I, nor some of you, will ever forget.  Yesterday afternoon’s blog focused on the grace of God.  I am about to experience His grace regardless of the news this morning. 
       If the news is Smoldering Multiple Myeloma, it will be by God’s grace that the illness has not yet manifested itself.  I will return home and life will return to some semblance of normal.
       If the news is Multiple Myeloma, then I am confident that God’s grace will be sufficient to help me get through whatever lies ahead.
       Either way it will be by God’s grace.  Either way I will see 100s of sets of footprints.  Either celebrating with a host of others who have faithfully prayed or gearing up to help carry me and Teresa through the next chapter.
       The moment that I get out of the consultation with the doctor, I am getting in the Explorer and heading towards home.  I don’t intend on writing another blog today, but that could change.  However, I will call Teresa with the news.  She will pass that on to Megan and to Sherrie so you will know the news.
       Today is a significant day for our family beyond the news for me. It is the last chemotherapy treatment for someone I love dearly. And it is a granddaughter's second birthday. Thanks for the prayers for the three of us.
       I want to thank those of you who have faithfully read these blogs.  They have become a source of comfort for me and I hope a source of faith for you, well beyond just the information I have shared about the medical treatments.
       If you have followed most of them, then you likely know more about me than you have cared to know.  In some ways I am pretty transparent; in other ways there is a side or two of me that I’d really just as soon no one ever sees.  You have seen some of those in these blogs.
       Will you please pray for Nick today?  He called me several days ago and said, “I have something to do in Rochester on Thursday, can you give me a ride home?”  I couldn’t turn him down.  Love has been expressed to us is such practical ways, but nothing any more than this, much like Larry driving me here the last time.
       It never ceases to amaze any of us how God works.  22 years ago when I got the news of the sarcoma, we had split the church’s leadership into prayer partners.  Nick was my prayer partner then and in a similar way he has been there for me during the last couple of months.
       But Nick needs lots of prayer to ride home with me.  No one ever rides in my Explorer except Teresa and no one is ever intended to, especially over 750 miles.  It’s very much a work truck, but it gets me where I need to go, hopefully back home today!  Nick might need some counseling after the trip back.
       I ate yesterday afternoon at the same restaurant for the 10th straight day.  I am 100% sure that is the first time in my life that I have done that.  I got the same thing every meal.  Steak, salad with French, baked potato with no salt, and water.  If I was staying another 10 days in Rochester, I’d likely eat there 10 more times.
       Why would I chance getting something different and me not like it when I know that I like that meal?  When Teresa and I started dating she said to me, “In a couple of months you will be tired of me.”  That was almost 45 years ago.  My getting something that I like and sticking with it has bode well for her.
       There has been some humor in these blogs.  I enjoy life and intend to do so as long as the Lord leaves me in this world.  I am pretty sure that I will regret sharing this story with you.
       One of the side effects of the radiation is that I make numerous trips to the bathroom.  The day after is usually tougher than the day of, as I have shared.
       That means that today I may need to stop as many as 3-4 times in an hour if history keeps serve.  It would take us three days to get home.
       I get it in my head that what I need to do is to get something that men often use so I won’t have to find a bathroom who knows where on the way home.
I go to the store at which I hate to shop.  It’s Wednesday afternoon and the place is pretty full.  I’d vowed not to ask anyone for help.  So I start walking up and down each aisle in the health and beauty section.  I knew it to be true, but there are far more aisles in that section for stuff for women than there are aisles with stuff for men.
       I’m thinking that this shouldn’t be all that hard to find.  I was wrong.  I perused every male stuff aisle.  But to no avail.
       Finally I asked a guy who was putting merchandise on the shelves.  To my chagrin he spoke little English and took me another guy who was shelving stuff.   I told him what I wanted.  He said, “Journal?  I think you are in the wrong section.”  “No, not journal.”
       With the help of his phone he finally located what I wanted.  It wasn’t in the men stuff aisle but the shelf with canes and walkers.  I held it down close to my side in hopes no one would notice.  Then I get to the self-checkout and every one of them was busy.  I am standing in the middle of the self-check out hoping no one will notice what I am purchasing.
       Finally, a spot opens and I head to the checkout.  I am determined to get the item scanned and into a plastic thank-you bag where no one can see what I have purchased.   I thought then I’d be home free.  In my haste to get it scanned, I ran it across the scanner twice.  And the only way to get one of them canceled was to call for an associate.
       I was in a crux of life decision.  Do I take the embarrassment and call for an associate or do I double pay for something?  It’s amazing what some people will do for $6.30.
       The data I gained last evening for the question about whether the calories are worth it in ice cream when celebrating came back rather clear.
       However, on the way back today I might need to do a little bit more research.