God of All my Days

I received this card from a young boy at my church who has been praying for me. It made me smile and touched my heart.  😌  I responded to him that both cancer and Coronavirus are bad, so let’s keep praying for those affected!  🙏 I was admitted earlier today for my next round of chemo, but unfortunately it needed to be postponed a few days cause I mistakenly took a few meds which I was supposed to have held.  🤦🏻  Too dangerous on the kidneys along with the chemo. So, I came back home and will be returning on Sunday. Thankfully, we don’t live too far away from HUP. They didn’t want me staying in the hospital if at all possible cause of the increased risk of infection esp. with the Coronavirus. I was able to get my first of two spinal taps done though while I was there... that way I only need to get one more when I go back. Due to COVID-19, the updated visitor policy at HUP now does not allow for any visitors, including family members...

Will this term be in the history books one day when they talk about Coronavirus?  Or will there at least be an emoji for this greeting we’re becoming accustomed to using these days? (Interestingly, though recommended over a handshake of course, I’ve heard that health officials are also deterring the elbow bump too, but encouraging folks to keep their personal distance to 6 feet if possible.) So, at this time, sticking to a simple “Hi” with a smile and a gentle wave may be the best and safest means of greeting those around you esp. for the welfare of those in our lives that are elderly, vulnerable, or immunocompromised.  🙋‍♂️ Grace and I met with my transplant doc today. Due to the Coronavirus, my transplant will unfortunately need to be postponed for a couple of months cause of the risk of infection. That was hard news to swallow but we are trusting in God’s sovereign wisdom and timing in all of this.  In the mean time, I’ll be continuing with another few...

https://www.caringbridge.org/visit/ryansmith-relentless/journal/view/id/5e6b8c338a4667c17d1ca869 Here’s the link to Ryan’s blog.  I was touched by his mother, Kim’s, heart and perspective in the midst of this difficult time esp. as she anticipates Ryan’s imminent transplant. Here’s a snippet from her most recent post:  We are in times of uncertainty now. May we try not to get caught up in the panic and fear our media provides on a continual basis. Turn each fear and worry into a prayer. Lift up those who are undergoing treatments that need to continue no matter what is happening in our world. Lift up the incredible doctors, nurses, and medical staff that continue to care for those needing care. Offer prayers of protection to our donors and transplant recipients. Love, serve, and be the happiness that people need to see as we navigate uncharted times. 

Today is Friday the 13th and my transplant date is set for April Fool’s Day. I’m not really superstitious but with everything going on right now, things sure seem pretty surreal.  🤔 Yesterday, I was at Perelman all day with Grace and Chloe (my representative caregivers! 😘 ) for my transplant class as well as another chemo infusion. It was a long day but it went smoothly overall and we got home just in time to meet my home care nurse in the evening! What a day!   The class was very informative and we realized that the course after transplant will be quite involved with a bunch of new meds, potential complications, and risks.    After probably about a month in the hospital, I’ll be discharged home once my levels are safe and I’m feeling ok.    I’ll be very immunocompromised for about a 100 days post transplant so will be in a “bubble” to prevent the chance of infection. Life in general will look very different. For example, they said to enjoy...

Wanted to give an update on how some of these dear friends have been doing. We’ve all been keeping in touch as well as in prayer.  Please continue to keep them and their families in your continued prayers. Thank you. I am blessed to know these fellow fighters. Their courage and perseverance despite and in the midst of setbacks have been an inspiration to me.  Tabitha We praise God that Tabby’s labs miraculously returned to normal levels a few weeks ago! And she was finally able to return to school which she was so excited about. But she was even more happy that she didn’t have to do any more blood draws for another few weeks. We are so thankful for God's healing work in her in His time. Tabby was such a trooper through this trial as well as her sister Deborah and her parents, Dan and Judie. Please continue to pray for her complete healing and full recovery.  In her journey and in all of ours, we are reminded of the frailty of life but also that Go...

Recovery from this past round of chemo has been rough especially with fevers and just feeling so fatigued. So as we approached today’s planned admission for my next round of chemo, I was afraid that I just wouldn’t be ready. But thankfully, God has given me renewed strength these past few days and I’m ready to fight this next round.  🥊 Exciting news! We’ve set a transplant date for April 1st. Yes, it’s April Fool’s Day. My daughter Chloe said wouldn’t it be a funny joke if we found out that my brother was NOT a donor match?! Hmmm, we weren’t sure if that would be very funny at all!  🤔 . Thankfully, the reality is that my one and only brother Dan is amazingly a 10/10 100% match! Still can’t believe it! With that said, this morning was filled with various tests to prepare for my transplant including PFTs (pulmonary function tests) and 13!! different blood labs. I was lucky I didn’t have to do a bunch of other tests like a cardiac echo, chest X-ray, EKG, and another bo...