Status Day -4

The process is still being pretty good to me. I have survived the worst of the chemo without nausea, but expect that as it reaches its goal of wiping out my immune system, the worst is yet to come. I have great support from many people; family, church, work and old friends. I cannot remember all the prayer chains that people have told me about. I have had six visitors today. I sincerely appreciate all of your support and my prayers go out for you as well.

My brother, Jim, stops by every morning after his growth factor injection at the BMT clinic. It will be interesting to hear from him in the morning about any pains from his bone marrow responding to the stimulus. It is great to visit with him, one on one, after years of just seeing him at special occasions, mostly with other relatives. He used to ride me around in his bicycle basket when I was young, but left home for college when I was 8. I lived with his family for a year while I was going to college. His strong faith and devotionals help to uphold me through these trying times. See the CaringBridge website in the sidebar.

Seems like everyday, I get a sign from God that he is still watching over me. For example, just I was typing this and listening to KTIS radio, a Newsboys' song, named "Something beautiful", started playing. The first words of the song are "I want to start it over, I want to start again. I want a new beginning, one without an end. ... It's the voice that whispers my name. ... Something beautiful." We saw them in person at the Target Center last Fall. As I checked my iTunes music list for my Newsboys album another song was at the top of the list, "Everthing is going to be alright".

Yesterday, I was visited by a total stranger who appeared something like angel in my room. She was distributing a care bag from the Care Partners and Club Butterfly of the Children's Cancer Research Fund. Inside the bag where many little snacks, reading materials and even a pre-paid calling card that I used last night to call my younger brother, Bob.

But the one thing that caught my eye was a butterfly pin on a card with the saying "From the cocoon of treatment and isolation, a child emerges - beautiful and ready to take flight. The butterfly is significant to me since back in 2001 as I reported on my Story2tell web site. Again when in the hospital in 2004 during the first days of my current ordeal, my friends at work sent me flowers with a butterfly as part of the arrangement. I will come out of this situation as the butterfly does out of a cocoon, either renewed for further life and purpose here on earth or in a totally new heavenly body.

Now, "Just the facts, Ma'am" as Joe Friday said. My Hgb was 9.3, expected up since I got rbcs yesterday. Platelets up some to 155 up some probably due to the Anagrelide wearing off. I did not see a reading on white cells, but expect that to drop as the treatment continues. They will give me more rbcs and platelets to keep me alive while giving antibiotics to prep for any infections that the wbcs would have taken care of.

Sometime in the next two weeks you may see what I look like bald.