The longest day

Well, not quite, but yesterday was one of the longest days I've had in a long time. Monday night, I drove myself down to Claremont and spent the night with Lisa's folks. Yesterday, I was up and out the door just after 6am in order to arrive at DHMC by 7am for my PET scan, followed by a full day of appointments with the social worker, surgeon, & Dr Hill, my transplant doctor, as well as a chest Xray and another pulmonary function test to check up on the effectiveness of the surgery. I left the building just before 5pm, stopped for dinner with Lisa's sister, Rachel, and her family in Loudon, and then hit the road again about 7pm, and arrived home here in Waldoboro about 10:30pm, about as tired and exhausted as I remember feeling. I did enjoy some "solo time" in the car, both on the way down and the way home, listening to several sermons and some good music. One of the sermons I listened to was by John Piper, titled Christ and Cancer, and was incredibly encouraging, challenging, and good for my soul. I'd encourage you to listen to it if you find the time, or at least read through the transcript, available through the link above. If you haven't read Piper's article "Don't Waste your Cancer", I'd recommend that to you, as well.

The surgeon was pleased with the healing of the incisions and the results of the Xray and the PFT. Dr. Hill was pleased with the results of the PET scan, although he was a bit confused about a "bright spot" near my belly button, which had never been seen before. As I was reflecting this morning on all of this, I realized that I had left a pen in my sweatshirt pouch pocket - hence the bright spot near my belly button; it was seeing the metal from the pen in my pocket! We are waiting for the "final report" of the PET scan either today or tomorrow, but all looks good and things are a "go" to begin the transplant a week from this coming Monday, on Mon. Feb. 25.

We will move down to Claremont next Thu. Feb. 21, as we've been planning, and I'll complete all the necessary paperwork at DHMC on Fri., then relax over the weekend and begin 3 days of outpatient chemo treatments on Mon. Feb. 25. I'll have the "day off" on Thu. Feb. 28, which is also the day that my donor will have his cells collected, and then I'll be admitted on Fri. Feb. 29 (yes leap day!) and have the donor's cells infused that same day. I'll then remain an inpatient there at DHMC for about 2 weeks or so, hopefully getting discharged sometime during the week before Easter Sunday.

For now, continue to pray with us for:
1) continued good health for all of us, as well as the donor.
2) smooth plans and preparations over the next 10 days or so.
3) safety driving, both next Thu., as well as during the following week as we travel back and forth between Claremont and DHMC for appointments and treatments.