It's official

We had a consultation with Dr. Waugh, our oncologist, yesterday. Bottom line: I'm officially in remission. Praise the Lord!

My latest bone marrow biopsy (BMB) showed no sign of disease in my marrow and the KIT16 mutation that was associated with my Systemic Mastocytosis is gone. In fact all of the mutated genetic markers that were previously found are gone. There is one genetic factor that is of mild concern, but whether it actually causes leukemia is unknown, and it sometimes shows up after chemotherapy and in people who never develop any disease. Dr. Waugh will consult with Dr. Cook at Oregon Health Sciences University (OHSU) to get her opinion in the matter, but for now no further treatment is currently recommended, except for monitoring my blood counts. 

Even the blood draws will be reduced to once a month, providing they continue to be good by the end of this month. That really boils down to how my labs come out on February 21st, my last scheduled draw this month. Less frequent blood draws and stable blood counts mean that I can have my PICC line removed on Monday the 14th, a fine Valentine's Day present, in my humble opinion!!

So, today we are worshiping the Creator for His mercy and His providence. He allowed me to have leukemia for some reason that I may never know, but in the Apostle Paul's letter to the church in Rome, Paul wrote: 

And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose. (v. 8:28)

In His mercy, God has brought me to this point of being free of the cancer in my bones. In His providence, He has given the world the medical knowledge that allows for treatment of this disease. And if I read the verse above correctly, God will use my experience in some way that will bring glory to Himself, and His kingdom will in some way be the better for it. I consider that to be a rather big honor, and I intend to glorify Him in thought, word and deed. As the Psalmist wrote: 

...for me it is good to be near God;
    I have made the Lord God my refuge,
    that I may tell of all your works. (Psalm 73:28)

 

 

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