Our Friends be like the Sun

BOX SCORE



Element

Current

Std. Range

Hemoglobin

12.8

13-17

Platelets

165

140-375

ANC

3130

1800-8300

I am overwhelmed and humbled by the outpouring of love and prayer support I have been receiving. Among those who have contacted me are a friend and former ministry partner in Texas and my "little sister" in São Paulo, Brazil, not to mention many others closer to home. 

My "little sister" is actually the little sister of my "Brazilian brother," who was once an exchange student living in our family home, when I was in high school. Tinho's younger sister, Ireninha, was six years old at the time. I first met her face to face when she was 16, and I visited their family home in Brazil. Since then we have maintained a friendship over the years and over the miles. She grew up and went to college and then to law school, married and had children. She has been to the USA for a few visits, and I saw her once more in Brazil in 1994. It was my pleasure to be able to introduce my son (then age 10) to her on that trip, and he and Ireninha's son, who was about the same age, quickly made friends in spite of the language barrier. Soccer is an international language as surely as mathematics! 

I also have people in Oregon, Tennessee, Indiana, Wisconsin, California, Arkansas, Washington, and I'm not sure where else who have been supporting Jill and me through prayer and encouragement. And that doesn't even count "half of Dallas," as Jill puts it. We are truly blessed by so many loving souls. 

At the same time we have amazing medical support from our team. The nurses in the infusion center at Skyline Medical Office in Salem, the staff at the oncology unit at Sunnyside hospital, whom we met last year, the team that does my biopsies, the oncology case management team in Portland; every person we have met has been caring, professional and yet personable, and competent. Even Dr. Cook at OHSU, whom we have met once in person and twice on the phone seemed genuinely pleased to be in touch with us again in late July, after we had not had any contact since December of last year. 

And that brings us up to Tuesday just past. That day, I finished my injections for this cycle of my chemotherapy, and we had a phone consultation with Dr. Barnett, chief of oncology at Kaiser. She is standing in for Dr. Waugh (who, incidentally has married and is now Dr. Brow) while she is on maternity leave. We liked Dr. Barnett from the moment we met her last summer at Sunnyside. She called us Tuesday to review my recent biopsy results. She explained that the genetic workup of my biopsy showed that things are much better than previously. No signs of chromosomal abnormalities (at my previous biopsy, I apparently was showing signs of having an extra #10 chromosome, three instead of two) and no signs of the leukemia markers. This was all good news. Even more encouraging was the fact that she told me to stop taking the oral chemotherapy after 14 doses in this cycle. That will happen on Sunday. My biopsy results and blood counts look so good that Dr. Barnett feels there is no reason to continue the oral medication for the entire 28 day cycle. We will start that again when my next round of infusions begins, September 12th. 

The most encouraging thing of all, however, was that Dr. Barnett assured us that she, and all of the rest of the oncology team that we have met, clearly remember us and are pulling for us. You talk about personal care! 

I am indeed a blessed man. I have all of this support AND the world's most loving wife! Sorry, guys, she's all mine! My heartfelt thanks go out to each and every one of these people who care so much. Finally, I want to thank my friend and classmate, Brian, who is going through the same treatment I am. He and I have renewed a friendship that goes back more than 50 years. He knows what I am going through, and I know what he is going through. Likewise, his wife and Jill can relate to each other with compassion and understanding, because they are living parallel lives, medically speaking. Thanks Brian and Rita!

There is a line in Scripture that comes to mind. When the nation Israel was captured by the people of Canaan, Deborah, a prophetess, reminded Barak, a general, that God had commanded him to gather 10,000 soldiers and go up against Sisera, the general of the army of Jabin, king of Canaan. God promised to deliver Sisera into the hand of Barak, thus ending the captivity of Israel. Cutting to the chase, Barak, though unwillingly, obeyed the command, and Sisera was defeated. 

After the victory, Deborah and Barak, sang a song to the Lord in praise and thanksgiving. It is addressed to God, and it ends with this line: 

"But your friends be like the sun as he rises in his might." (Judges 5:31)

All of the prayers and all the encouragement and all the support and all the offers to "do anything you need" make me feel as if that line were written to me and Jill. Our friends be like the sun as he rises in his might. Thank you one and all.





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