September 6, 2023 - The Blood

      I am never looking for sympathy in these blogs.  Just trying to let you know where we are in the process.
      The harvesting of the stem cells has been tougher than I thought it would be.  I am not sure why I thought it wouldn’t be a big deal to force stem cells from the bone marrow into the bloodstream.  I have found that it is a pretty big deal.
      Someone who donates stem cells for someone else does a very loving thing.
      I guess the closest feeling is like I have the flu.  My major bones are like they are in a press.  The socks on my ankles feel like they are too small even though my ankles aren’t swollen.
      Really good news on the harvesting.  My target is 6 million.  It looks like 5.92 yesterday.  I have been told that today will be the last day of harvesting the cells.   I think I heard a hallelujah. 
      I was tested for covid and the flu.  Both negative.  I have an old fashioned cold.   The medical team still doesn’t think it will affect the transplant.
      Yesterday I simply didn’t have it in me to write about more than the medical stuff.  Here are a couple of things I should have written yesterday.
      Nurse Cindy was my nurse yesterday for the harvesting and she is again today as I had hoped.   She has been at Mayo for lots of years and is a magnificent nurse.  I am her only patient for 5-6 hours.
      As I have shared in these blogs, the medical staff makes such a difference.  Cindy could hook me up and sit at the computer overseeing things.  She chose to have lengthy conversations with me—many on my end and several on her end.  It made the almost six hours go much more quickly.  We both shed some tears.
      She answered a number of questions that I had.  She has a great laugh.  I can tell where she is in the unit by her laugh.  There’s not a lot to laugh about on the three floors of the stem cell transplant team.   Hearing her laugh is a welcome change.
      As the stem cells were being harvested yesterday, from time-to-time Cindy would hold up the bag of blood and say something like, “These look really good.”
      I had no clue.  I did notice as the bag continued to be filled.
      About the last hour or so I was getting a bit weary of it all, as you might expect.  I had worked very little on the laptop.  Even the attempt to write a blog didn’t flow.
      Listening to worship music has helped me from the beginning of dealing with cancer.  Worship gets my mind off my troubles and on to the One who can help me deal with the troubles.
      I slipped in the earbuds and clicked on one of the songs that I have bookmarked.  From there the computer randomly picks the next songs.
      The second song began.  It was a song I love that Charity Gayle sings.   We have sung it at church.  It was quite in the moment.
      “Thank you, Jesus, for the blood applied.  Thank you, Jesus, it has made me white.  Thank you, Jesus, you have saved my life.  Brought me from the shadows into glorious light.” 
Then bridge has these words, “There is nothing stronger than the wonder working power of the blood.  The blood that calls us sons and daughters.  We are ransomed by our Father through the blood.”
      I couldn’t help but smile as I listened to the song.  I might even have raised my hand once or twice.
      I know the blood of Jesus that has been applied to my sin and heart.  It is wonder working power.
      Looks like those stem cells might just be a new wonder working power, too.  I might be saved twice in this life by the blood.