'Tis the season...

BOX SCORE




Element

Current

Std. Range

Trend

Hemoglobin

11.4

13-17

^

Platelets

52

140-375

v

ANC

330

1800-8300

v

Thanksgiving is past, and now it is advent season.  As we ponder the wonder of the coming of a Savior a couple of thousand years ago, we have the opportunity to prepare our hearts to celebrate that miraculous birth and the even bigger miracle of the Creator of the universe coming in person to reconcile His creation, including the human race, to Himself. For many, the Christmas season is their favorite time of the year. Not always for the same reasons. Some love the pageantry. Some love the music. Some love the excitement of finding the perfect gift for a loved one. Best of all, I guess is when you love all of that stuff. And  of course, some people even hate this time of year. 

Many of us who were raised in the era shortly after World War II have fond memories of going to the department store and asking Santa to bring us "a real, official football helmet" (Did you ever watch 'Miracle on 34th Street?') or a Hopalong Cassidy cowboy outfit. Maybe it was “An official Red Ryder Carbine action, 200 shot, range model air rifle with a compass in the stock, and this thing that tells time.”(Name that movie!)

We had Christmas Pageants in school with shepherds and wise men and Mary and Joseph and an angel. And of course, baby Jesus. Sometimes, there were even some real live animals on stage. I won't go into all the political business that has resulted in those pageants being banned from public schools, but I will say that I miss those days. Today the Christmas story as it appears in Scripture has been replaced with Santa Claus and Rudolph and a Grinch and a kid accidentally left behind when his family goes to Paris for Christmas. The message has been changed from one of gratitude for a Savior for our souls to "you just have to believe." I'm not sure what it is that I just have to believe...that seems never to be specified. 

Nevertheless, there is something magical about this time of year. Somehow, we find ourselves thinking a little more about other people. We open up our pocket books a little easier. We all seem to have some kind of rituals or traditions we reenact every year; the kind of thing that, without it, well, it just isn't really Christmas. If you are fortunate like me, those traditions revolve around connecting with family, sharing meals and enjoying the beautiful lights that, nowadays, are omnipresent from Thanksgiving Day until New Year's Day. Tree trimming, decorating the house to within an inch of its life. Eggnog, feasting...it's all in there. 

This year, after missing out on a lot of that stuff for a couple of years, first because of the pandemic and last year because of my immunocompromised condition, we are hoping that we may be able to connect with family on Christmas Day. We had daughter Tara here with us for Thanksgiving, and we even had a surprise visit from our San Diego daughter Laura and her husband Tim and their three boys, Josiah, Judah and Malachi. Maybe our Christmas present will be that we get to see son Patrick and his lovely wife, Katie, and their beautiful daughters, Ryanne and Megan.

If you check out the Box Score above, you will note that my platelets and my ANC are both trending downward as of today's labs. In practical terms, that means that my immunity is more compromised than usual (ANC), and I am prone to a little bleeding here and there, especially from my nose (platelets). Worse is that I become a little less steady on my feet when my platelets take a dive. But thankfully, we were able to get a nice walk in this afternoon. We even upped the pace as we noticed a black cloud headed for Orchard View Lane, and we arrived home just as the sky opened up. 

We had a consultation with Dr. Brow (formerly Waugh) regarding my progress and some minor side effects I am having. She seems pleased with my progress and indicated that she will monitor my labs and make adjustments to my meds as needed. I am scheduled for a bone marrow biopsy on December 20th, which will tell her how effective the chemotherapy has been. 

"What's the bottom line?" you ask. I am feeling pretty darn good 99+% or the time. We miss being able to connect with our friends as much as we used to do, but since we are each other's best friend, we are pretty content. 

I pray that this season finds you enjoying your traditions and your family, and if you just have to believe, may I recommend you believe on the Lord Jesus Christ. He's the greatest gift I have ever received.

Every day is a present just waiting for us to open it and revel in the wonder of life.

 

 

 

 

 

 

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