Transplant is on the Calendar.

Now I finally have all the “skinny.” I have been waiting to get test results from both Linda Joan and myself.

Let's see, I left off with my finishing my 3^rd round of chemo and Joan’s testing. All went well there. My sister’s test held to their original status, “10!” We actually had a great weekend, the testing was less stressful than imagined, except for the 14 vials of blood, but the good news is they did that first. I wasn’t able to stay with her, because I had to go to chemo, but I left my phone number in case I had to come pick her off the floor after giving blood. (she doesn’t do that well)…afterwards we went out to the cemetery to honor Daddy on what would have been his 80^th birthday. And later that evening AJ took us to Ruth Chris for a big, bone-in rib eye! We couldn’t leave without recognizing that perfect “10” one more time, ~ chocolate mousse pie.

I had a meeting with Dr. LeMaistre, transplant man, last Wednesday. For those of you that don’t remember, I was “clean” and ready for a transplant after only 3 rounds of chemo. So he thought I could be ready, he just wanted to run one more blood test that would measure the amount of “Light Chain.” This tell him the percentage of abnormal cells, myeloma, are in the blood. Good report! Dr. Dice said, “your light chain looks BEAUTIFUL!” So there you have it…I am ready.

Joan comes to SA this Friday night and she starts her 4 days of shots (the ones that will multiply her stem cell) on Saturday the 13^th . By Wednesday, she will be harvesting her stem cells at the bone marrow clinic and I will be starting my 5 days of intensive chemo to prepare for the transplant on March 23^rd. It all is happening very quickly! In a matter of two weeks.

Without a doubt, there is power is prayer. I was really praying for God to get my body “ready” ASAP. These cancer cells are very aggressive, they lived through the first transplant and even though they appear to be “gone” we just don’t know. I don’t have to do this transplant now. I could keep using treatment but I would just have to start using stronger and stronger stuff to keep the cancer “at bay.” I also run the risk of the cancer getting really strong and treatment resistant…in other words, the treatment would cease to be effect against the myeloma. Who want that? So my decision to move ahead with this aggressive approach, allogenic transplant is solid.

The old adage, “be careful what you ask for…”, now I just have a few days…office to clean, closet to clean, and of course those left over Christmas stuff in the garage that AJ has been so great at ignoring!

Keep praying and sending good, positive thoughts. The road trip is just beginning. I love you all for being so vested in my recovery, just know that I am vested in my faith, my Lord, my God and all of his glory. Amen.

Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. Hebrews 11:1