Lots to Report

Woke up this morning feeling nauseated. It got me down for a bit, until I remembered that I had taken a "lone" Magnesium Oxide tablet at 10:30PM before going to bed. They're supposed to be taken with food, but I'd forgotten to take it...so I downed it. I felt lousy all night with it. I probably would have done better to throw it up and start over the next day. But I was determined to not have to report that I'd done THAT to anyone.

Worried that it might be GVHD (since I've started engrafting,) I called Chris, a friend I've recently made who prays over the phone and lives here in Houston. We prayed and I realized as we were praying that I didn't have anything serious going on. My team at MDA confirmed this. Mg tablets are my best way to break away from having to come in for IV infusions. But everybody has good days and bad days from taking them.

By 2PM or so, I was feeling fine. I'm sure it was a mix if prayer and an Ativan. It evening now, though, all the meds I would have taken to lessen the nausea are done. But I still feel excellent. I ate a RATHER ROBUST dinner that mom so kindly made for me.

I had an experience of God these last few days. I've been inspired by the Holy Spirit to read a verse I felt I'd been given back in the early days of my return from the first transplant. The verse was about Hezikiah, a king of Judah in the book of Isaiah who was healed from a skin condition that threatened his life. Interestingly, God used medicines and a treatment to heal him.

Of course, you may remember that from my experience with Ruth Reid I ascertained the same word concerning my healing through this transplant procedure. She, too, was healed of breast cancer (20 year-survivor...so far) by an aggressive treatment she received while in Argentine. Her belief is that God brought to that place in that time so she could receive the most progressive treatment possible. It was not easy...for she had to be for a time separated from Michael, her husband...just as I am separated from Kirk.

To add to this experience, early Monday morning I awoke at 4:30AM unable to go back to sleep. I turned on the television and there was Beth Moore (a bible study writer I've been told to check out many times) touting her most recent study. The show touched me, as the guest and hosts, The Robinson, shared parallel experiences with depression as I have experienced in my life.

The next day I found one of Beth Moore's books called Breaking Away. In the first chapter, to my amazement, there was the story of Hezikiah. Beth Moore noted, as did I, that this was an example of a king healed by God's intervention in a medical procedure.

That was a very wonderful confirmation for me concerning my choice to go on with the 2nd translant. And things are going well with it. I am probably going to get my 1st weekend off! That does not usually happen sooner than the first month. I am only two weeks into the procedure, so I am pleased with my rapid progress. Especially pleased and thankful to the Lord from making things go so well.

There are many things to be thankful for these days. Renee, an old friend who has a rare form of lymphoma that presents itself in an itchy rash, is finding her "dark splotches" lightening with every dose of the trial med she is taking. Praise God! Please pray for her to begin feeling warm again...she is cold all the time...and to remove the terrible night itch.

Also, a man at my mom's work who was in an unconscious state because of a stomach ulcer gone bad woke up today. He is now his old self, laughing and making jokes. I am so glad for him!

Chris and I decided to re-schedule until next Tuesday, since that is when it will be just me and Jacob. I look forward to getting to meet her.

Please pray that my counts will continue to rise...especially my Magnesium. It fluctuates and, as a result, I must continue taking the Mg infusions and tablets, which upset my stomach, make me hot all over and give me a brief but distressing rash. It is a common side effect of Cyclosporine to have a reduction, which can become serious, of electrolytes. Being low on Mg also feels bad...leg cramps, soreness, inability to relax my muscles...etc. I want none of this...so please pray.