Anticipation

When I was a kid, I went to a frontier dentist who happened to practice in downtown Atlanta. I remember that you never went for an appointment that you didn't wait for hours in the waiting room, and then another hour usually in the chair (he had five or six) before he walked in. Even in the waiting room, you could hear that unmistakable sound of the high speed drill. Often followed by a moan or grown from the patient. By the time the dentist came in, I was so nervous I was about ready to jump out the chair and hit the fire escape! 

That is sort of how I have felt the last few weeks. Knowing the Stem Cell Transplant was ahead, and  knowing it has the potential to be the roughest part of all the treatment, I found myself getting tired of waiting. Well, the waiting is over. April and I spent several hours at the clinic at Emory yesterday, and I get started with the whole deal on Monday, February 8. I'll get a central line (lines actually) and then they will start me on some intense chemo to kill off as much of the remaining disease as possible. More fun will follow that. April and I were very impressed with the transplant team. They are straightforward, encouraging, helpful, and really seem to know what they are doing. 


I'll have another post to put up in a day or two, but for now, please continue to pray that God will be glorified in it all, and that I will be a witness wherever I am. I'll get some new drugs and heavier doses of some of the "older" ones, so please pray that side effects will be as mild as possible while the medications are doing their necessary work.  


If you are in the Atlanta area and want to visit, that would be great. The best thing would be to call April and find out if it is a "good" day or not. Right now, this is all new territory. If you need April's number, drop me an email or leave a comment and we shall try to get it to you.


Even if I cannot see it all yet, there is a purpose in this. 2 Corinthians 1:3-4 says,
Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received from God.

I take great strength and hope that my God is the "God of all comfort." 

Oh, and if you see me Sunday, I might already have a lot less hair than normal. Some of you will respond, "what hair?" I say, the little bit that is left is going to leave me, so I am going to go ahead and get it removed before it starts coming out. 

Thanks for your prayers.