Tag Archives: Leukemia/Cancer

Top Ten List: Benefits of Being a Patient at Mercy Oncology

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There is nothing funny about cancer. It is a tough and deadly disease to fight. But I am fighting hard and am reminded daily of God’s great mercy. I also love to laugh and find that looking at the light side of life is sometimes good medicine. With that in mind, let me offer my Top Ten List: Benefits of Being a Patient at Mercy Oncology. (I hope YOU don’t have to be here to appreciate the humor! I’m sure the nurses will understand! 🙂

10. With all the fluids they give you there is NO CHANCE of getting a urinary tract infection!
9. Overnight vitals, bed checks, pills, IV changes, 4 a.m. Daily Blood draws… NO ONE complains of over-sleeping!
8. On chemo days you can order good food whenever you DON’T feel like eating.
7. About the time you lose your appetite completely, they give you a beautiful room…with a kitchenette.
6. Those stylish hospital gowns.
5. Chemo makes ‘bad hair days’ a thing of the past!
4. Getting blood marked “VOLUNTEER Donor,” not the stuff taken from unwilling donors. (Credit to son Mike for that observation.)
3. Anti-infection procedures designed by Michael Jackson.
2. Coupon for a free haircut…after you lose all your hair.
1. NOT having a “red slippers” day! (See December archive, “Life in the Hospital” for explanation)

I’m thinking I might write a book about this experience someday and already have some of the page numbers done.

Life is serious stuff. Don’t forget to laugh along the way. And help others do the same!

“He will yet fill your mouth with laughter and your lips with shouts of joy.” Job 8:21

The Secret of Living Forever

I think it was Steven Covey who told the story of the man who climbed a Tibetan mountain in order to ask a wise sage, “What is the secret to living forever?” The (reputably) wise man replied, “Keep breathing.” Well yes, that might be helpful if we could actually DO that, but of course, it is quite beyond our control.

I was reminded today of how fragile is life and how we all are dependent on God for our very next breath. Paul speaks of Jesus when writing, “And he is not served by human hands, as if he needed anything. Rather, he himself gives everyone life and breath and everything else.” Acts 17:25

Concentrated breathing can be a form of meditation and worship. Breathe out your concerns and natural self; breathe in the freshness and restoration that is God.

I was also reminded of the dangers of transfusions and the vulnerability that Leukemia presents. Just minutes into starting platelet infusion I developed a severe allergic reaction: Itching and hives quickly appeared all over my body. My throat started hurting and to close up, along with my nasal passages. Lips swelled and became numb. Breathing became so difficult that the thought of an emergency tracheotomy strongly came to my mind. (And to add to the pain, I couldn’t contact Marcia because she was in Newton and her cellphone had just died!)

My nurse was present through all this and knew to immediately disconnect the platelets and commence emergency response protocol. Ultimately I had four nurses working on the situation including one from the Emergency Response Team. If my body hadn’t responded, I would have been minutes away from being transferred to ICU…Or elsewhere. However with 75mg of Benadryl, oxygen, and a steroid, an hour later my allergic symptoms started to reduce. Four hours later, I was almost fully recovered. Just a little swelling at the back of my throat remains. Tomorrow, I will make another attempt to get some needed platelets, and maybe blood.

Wow, life can turn VERY quickly…in either direction. This could have happened to any of us through toxic reaction food, medicine, environment, chemical, etc. It is a reminder that:

Life is fragile. Handle it with care AND prayer.

Oh, the real secret to LIVING FOREVER?

“Very truly I tell you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life and will not be judged but has crossed over from death to life.” John 5:24

Waiting

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There is apparently is a lot of waiting with Leukemia treatment:
Waiting to complete first round of chemo – 7 days
Waiting for the chemo to finish it’s work – another 7-10 days
Waiting for your digestive system and energy to return – (unknown)
Waiting for the immune system to ‘start’ itself again -7 to 10 days+
Waiting for the bone marrow biopsy test results – couple days
*Repeat process as needed*

We are about ten days from learning whether the second round of chemo knocked the cancer down. The goal at this point is simply remission. There will be more waiting to determine next treatment steps if/when remission is achieved by this attempt.

Today was one of those days when you walk across the room and lie back down. Then later there is enough energy to take a short walk. I got off unit privileges today so was able to get a breath of fresh air for the first time in 39 days. That was pretty special!

The Bible is filled with true stories of waiting. It seems a prerequisite for everything good. And we don’t need to worry because the Bible is a manual for practical living by faith. I think some of the best instructions the Bible gives is to keep on believing and to put that faith to work; to set yourself apart from the way the rest of the world responds to things (worry, fear, speculation); and to seek the peace that Jesus offers in the middle of any storm.

If you have to wait for something, it seems that holding on to your faith is an essential strategy. What do you think?

“Fight the good fight, holding on to faith and a good conscience which some have rejected and so have suffered shipwreck in regard to their faith.”
1 Timothy 1:18b-19

Staying Healthy

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As a Leukemia patient, a significant part of my energy each day is spent keeping myself healthy. Having finished my second round of chemotherapy, my immune system is again on its way down to zero. It seems at this point at least that infection, not Leukemia, is my biggest threat. As well as I am doing through this treatment, a single infection or common cold can drastically change things quickly. And that is true for each of us in this severe flu season.

I have always strived to live a healthy life, but never have been THIS focused on protecting myself from infection. (I’m not quite to the Michael Jackson phase.) We love having visitors but ask them to come only when completely healthy. We ask them to wear masks when they enter my environment and I always wear a mask when I leave my room.

Apart from that, the elements of my regime are beneficial to all of us in this flu season: Wash hands with soap and use hand sanitizer frequently throughout the day. Keep the skin moist. You know the drill.

But are we as careful to practice other essentials of maintaining a healthy immune system?

  • Maintain consistent and quality sleep patterns 
  • Avoid useless (and harmful) worry
  • Cultivate a sense of humor and find reason to laugh
  • Enjoy time with family and friends
  • Encourage others
  • Take short breaks throughout the day to refresh your mind and spirit
  • Pray
  • Find reason to give thanks throughout the day, regardless of how crummy the day seems

    “Be joyful always; pray continually;
    give thanks in all circumstances,
    for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.”
    1 Thessalonians 5:16

    Stay healthy…in body, mind, and spirit!

Belief Trumps Attitude

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I am learning some important lessons in this journey. For example, as strength varies throughout the day and when appetite diminishes, I learn to eat my ice cream FIRST! 🙂

I have heard many folks say we have good spirits or a strong attitude in the face of this cancer. The simple truth is this:

“Our gospel came to you not simply with words, but with POWER, with the Holy Spirit, and with DEEP CONVICTION. The word of God is AT WORK in you who BELIEVE.” 1 Thessalonians 1:5,13

None of us get this right all the time. We all get distracted. (For example, getting up the courage to eat was sometimes a struggle for me during the chemo, as was forcing myself to walk at least a half mile on my weakest days.) But God’s Word promises there is real power available to those who believe it…power to live out our moment by moment lives according to what we believe.

I remember teaching a values clarification class on stress management years ago to a group of adults with mental illness. In the middle of the discussion, a young man raised his hand and asked, “So you are saying that whenever we act in ways that contradict our true beliefs, we will always experience stress?” Exactly!

Belief is an active word. It doesn’t just refer to an historical discovery of some principle. True belief drives us to present action despite what circumstances may present themselves. We choose to love in unlovable moments. We keep quiet when we are tempted to complain about someone. We reach out when we are inclined to withdraw. We believe even as doubts cross our mind.

When the Bible says ‘believe’ it actually means “Keep on believing.” We can’t simply rely on a past decision or experience. We have to keep believing in the midst of each circumstance, the great ones and the challenging ones. True belief reminds us of our passion and purpose and doesn’t let the storms of life distract us. True belief keeps us focused with eyes firmly fixed on our goal, so we can continue to press on toward the prize we seek.

Dealing with this Leukemia requires all the prayers that many of you are offering on behalf of Marcia and me. (It matters!) And it requires believing and acting on belief, in what is and always has been true, and always will be true.

Reflecting On The Gift Of Life

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One of the Leukemia patients on the unit is dying tonight.

Appointments are God ordained. As we talked ever so briefly with a family member, we find that the end has come quickly. Severe infection set in suddenly before a bone marrow transplant could be performed.

Sometimes a hug speaks what words cannot.

The staff carry on, but it is obvious this is not just their job. They become involved and attached as they walk a difficult path along side patients and their loved ones.

We pause for reflection on the gift of life and the relationships that make it worthwhile.

Living Beyond Circumstance

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In our daily walks through the two hospital units, it is evident that everyone here has an important and often tough job. The needs of many patients are very intense. Some days are just busy while others are crazy-chaotic. You can see it on the faces of the caring workers, even through veiled smiles.

As we interact with the staff, we notice that none are immune to the pressures of caring for others, learning a new documentation system, and just coping with life. But even with this commonality, there IS a noticeable difference:

Some people make their day; for others, the day makes them.

Life happens TO some people and determines how their day goes, like a boat being tossed from wave to wave. Others view life through a different lens, one that sees circumstance as ever-changing, but without the power to sink their ship. An inner truth, not circumstance, guides their response to life.

This is not some sort of “master of my own fate” concept. Personally, it seems that such control is illusionary at best. Rather, it is being fully-persuaded that God’s purpose and power supersedes the ‘stuff’ life throws us; it is the discovery that there is reason to give thanks IN (if not for) all circumstances. None of us become perfect masters of our daily perspective. (That is why we need each other!) But when we discipline ourselves to pursue truth and grace and let those be our guide, then mere circumstance loses its power over us.

What controls your life?

“Give thanks in all circumstances for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.” 1 Thessalonians 5:18

A Time To Run – A Time To Be Still

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We just realized that I’ve completed my first “Leukemia Marathon” here at Mercy Hospital, over 26.2 miles. And it only took me 30 days to finish the job, one very slow quarter-mile at a time! 🙂

The second round of chemo is more exhausting than the first, I suppose because my body didn’t have opportunity to really bounce back before getting knocked down again. Some days are made for resting, not ‘running.’

Knowing how tired I’ve been getting, one of my dear nurses gave me a huge mug with just the message I needed for today:

Be still and know that I am God. – Psalm 46:10

This has long been one of my favorite verses and one of great encouragement. It reminds me that God is more than enough when I stop striving and just be still before Him. Resting does not come easy to me, in fact it often fights against my nature. But God’s solution for us often does go against our nature.

Don’t we all have areas of our lives where we just need to be still before God?

Live life!

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There are some words you never tire of hearing:
“I love you. I forgive you. Be my friend.”

There are others that are less inviting to hear:
“You have Leukemia.”
And after 27 days of treatment… “You STILL have Leukemia.”

We learned yesterday that there were more “blasts,” though only 10% compared to my original 96%. And so in the last 24 hours we have been contemplating two possible scenarios: 1) all is well (blasts might be normal); go home today or 2) the Leukemia is more resistive than anticipated and we basically start over with another 7 day round of chemo and another month hospital stay. It has been a day and night of pursuing faith in the midst of honest questions and human emotions.

Today’s news: The Leukemia remains.

But before anyone responds with, “How terrible,” we were instantly reminded that another month stay here means more opportunity to grow relationships here at the hospital, and that wherever God places you is a good place to be. My devotion for today is from Colossians 1:10-13 (summarized):
Live a live worthy of the Lord.
Bear fruit. Grow. Be strengthened. Have great endurance and patience.
Joyfully give thanks.

With the opportunity to continue to grow relationships here, I was not surprised to wake up this morning with this song on my mind, Mighty To Save…Let the words speak deeply to you today as they do to me:
V1
Everyone needs compassion, love that’s never failing, let mercy fall on me.
Everyone needs forgiveness, the kindness of a Savior, the Hope of nations.
CHORUS:
Savior, He can move the mountains
My God is mighty to save, He is mighty to save.
Forever, author of salvation
He rose and conquered the grave, Jesus conquered the grave.
V2
So take me as you find me, All my fears and failures,
Fill my life again.
I give my life to follow, Everything I believe in,
So I surrender.
(Repeat chorus)
Chorus 2:
SHINE YOUR LIGHT and let the whole world see,
We’re singing to the glory of the risen King!
(Repeat chorus 1)

A Funny Thing Happened On The Way To Bolivia

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You know the experience… you plan and work toward a goal, and just when you think you are close, life throws you a curve ball and changes the plan. In our case, we were following the call we received to pursue full-time ministry in Bolivia, when a week ago Bryan (who never gets sick) was unexpectedly diagnosed with a rare form of Leukemia.

Disappointment or HIS Appointment? One letter makes all the difference in the world! We are of course heart-broken at what we believe is a delay in God’s call to Bolivia. But almost immediately we understood that had we pushed this door open more quickly than we should, we could have been in a third world country without the ability to quickly diagnose or treat this condition. Disappointment was replaced with HIS appointment …God’s plan to protect and provide for His children.

God has also reminded us that EACH of us has a mission field right where we live. We have always stated this on our Go Light Your World website, but now it has become a reality. What does it mean to shine light into the darkness of others’ lives right where we live…to bring hope and encouragement where it is desperately needed every day?

These posts will reflect our journey. We invite you to add your thoughts so we can learn from each other.

Bryan and Marcia Thayer