We have lots of news to share. 9-11 is going take on a completely different meaning than it has, at least for our family.
The day began with us getting some great news on Caryn. Three doctors’ appointments confirmed that the treatments have been successful! She has been released for 3-6 months. Hallelujah! I had an MRI on my head this morning to see what is going on in the sinuses. Results pretty much verified what was thought. I have had a of number MRIs on my leg. This one was the first one that I have had that my head went into the tube first. I got a haircut after the MRI. Without question, it is the shortest cut I have had since childhood. This afternoon I had a consultation with an endocrinologist to get some idea of the plan to deal with the thyroid cancer. The meeting with him was the best half an hour to that point that I have spent since getting to Mayo two weeks ago. As is often the case, the Mayo medical team wants an ultrasound done on their ultrasound machines to verify the ultrasound in the doctor’s office in Lexington. If their ultrasound confirms what the doctor sees in the blood work and the results of the thyroid biopsy, his plan will be to watch my thyroid and have another ultrasound at Mayo in six months. That is marvelous news. Last Friday after I met with the transplant doctor I had lots of questions. Over the weekend I sent a blog to my daughters and my sisters. In many ways I have borne my soul in these blogs, but the blog I sent to them was beyond what I was willing to publish. I will now share with you some of the questions that I raised with them: Was the myeloma’s response to chemotherapy a typical response? If not, how many patients have they seen whose myeloma cells were undetectable after chemotherapy? If not, was proceeding with the transplant the only option, or would consistent chemotherapy that has been more than tolerable be an option? I wrestled with those and some other questions all weekend. This morning I went to Dr. Leung’s office immediately after the MRI, asking if there was any way to see him today. They scheduled me at the end of his day. Here are the factors. As we shared, I responded well to the chemotherapy under Dr. Leung’s direction. 1600 myeloma cells were needed per million cells for the myeloma to register. Mine were less than that. He said that all of us have some myeloma cells in our bone marrow. Was it rare after the chemotherapy for the myeloma cells not to be enough to register? Not rare but not common either. I asked him what the benefits would be for me to go ahead with the stem cell transplant. He said that I would likely live longer. I asked him how much longer does the data show. His answer was one year. I told him that I would much prefer to live the life that I can live now rather than a life in a weakened body after the transplant. When He said one year, I was pretty sure that the decision had been made. He even said at one point, if quality of life is important to you, then it’s really nine months, because there will not be much of a quality of life for the next three months. Should the myeloma come back with vengeance in six months we could rethink the transplant then. Some other good news on the myeloma. In his words a stem cell transplant is one tool in the toolbox. Mayo is developing new tools right now. At some point stem cell transplant may not even be one of the tools that they will keep in the toolbox. More good news. The stem cells don’t have to be used only for a stem cell transplant; they can be used and infused should I get to a weakened state at some point. So believe it or not, we are on the way home after a couple more tests and the removal of the port. The variable in all this that is not on the Mayo charting of myeloma patients is the power of God through prayer. Has God healed me completely of myeloma? I can’t answer that. What I do know is that God has heard the prayers of many, many prayer warriors. God has brought His healing to me enough that we are coming home! I will resume the same chemotherapy next week that we have had the last five months. I will return to Mayo in six months for another bone marrow biopsy and an ultrasound of my thyroid. I have complained about this common cold that is still lingering. Without it I would have had the chemotherapy tomorrow morning. I may never again complain about getting a cold.
3 Comments
Brenda Bishop
9/11/2023 09:10:03 pm
Praise God!!!!
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Randy Nease
9/11/2023 09:43:33 pm
I received a peace the other day as I prayed for you brother. I have prayed every day for you and know without a doubt the Good Lord has everything under control. " He knows your name" PRAISE GOD!!!
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Tony Brewer
9/12/2023 07:05:58 am
Praise God for this report. Contending for more.
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Chuck Cooper
Pastor at Daybreak Community Church Archives
February 2025
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