DECEMBER 30

Gary saw his doctor this morning and we received bad news. The cancer has progressed further and is now in his cerebellum. There are no other options, but to do more of the Methotrexate treatments.

They admitted Gary to the hospital today and will start to give him heavy amounts of fluids and sodium bicarbonate to prepare ahead of time for the MTX. Hopefully, by doing this, we may avoid the toxic effects of the MTX on his kidneys. They also called in the Nephrologist ahead of time. The Nephrologist have started the paperwork for the rescue drug out of England that they started to use during his last treatment. They are trying to anticipate ahead of time any problems Gary may have with his kidneys.

As written in previous posts, this drug has wrecked havoc on Gary and his kidneys and we have almost lost him twice, so he is in much need of your prayers as he goes through this.

Gary asked his doctor if he was going to beat this. Dr. Johnston said he would do all he could to make sure he did. He said that if he did not think Gary had a chance, he would be calling hospice right now, but he still feels there is hope. He said he would be offering extra prayers for Gary and then later asked us to pray for him as well.

Please pray:

*For Gary's physically healing. That he will not have complications with the MTX treatment and he will get relief from the pain.

*For his emotional well being. That he will be encouraged and will be strong and not give up in this fight.

*For me, as I care for him, to stay healthy and strong, both physically and emotionally.

*For our children and other family members. Our son Brian just left to go back to work and is on the road travelling today and tonight with his wife. Gary's parents and our daughter, Becky will be travelling tonight from Oklahoma and other family members may be travelling this week, so please include them in your prayers for their safety.

*And, for Dr. Patrick Johnston and his team of doctors. That God will give them wisdom in dealing with Gary.

DECEMBER 29

Gary started the day very sick and has stayed that way. He had to go into the hospital for a MRI, so I have learned to carry around a Ziploc bag just in case. The pain in his head is back to being severe. My heart just goes out to him. We will see his doctor in the morning, so hopefully it will be good news and maybe we can discuss the pain issue further. Brian and his wife, Kristina will leave early in the morning. We have enjoyed having them here for the holidays. When you pray for Gary, please include them in your prayers as they will be driving back to Georgia. Thank you for praying and for the cards and emails that we get. We appreciate it so much!

DECEMBER 28

Gary started feeling the pain in his head early this morning and has not felt good all day. He does feel that the increased dosage of Morphine is making a difference, so hopefully the pain levels will not be as bad as they were last week.

It is hard to calm my heart knowing what the last week was like for Gary. I just pray that it will not be so bad this week. A verse that came to my mind this evening was Philippians 4:6,7 ...

"Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus."

Another version says, "Do not be anxious about anything". Ok... alot easier said than done! But this will be my goal for the week. I am so thankful for the many who are joining me in "prayer and supplication" for Gary.

DECEMBER 27

Gary has felt pretty good today, at least pain wise. The day after the Rituxan treatment is always a good day for him. It sure gives him something to look forward to when he starts feeling bad later in the week. Thank you for praying for him!

DECEMBER 26

Gary finished 4 hours of treatment this morning and did well. He is beginning to look forward to this, knowing that he will be pain free for a few days. I did notice this morning while getting started with his treatment that he has some swelling on his right cheek bone. I commented to the nurse and she mentioned that she also noticed swelling above his right eye. Since this is the area where the Lymphoma has showed up, I am concerned as to what this swelling could be. The nurse said I should just watch it and if it increases, to let the doctor know. If it is still there in the morning, I will call the doctors anyway. Once again, I want to express my gratefulness for your prayers for Gary and our family. It is a great comfort to me to know that we have people praying all over the world.

DECEMBER 25

MERRY CHRISTMAS! We want to thank all of you for your prayers and words of encouragement for our family! God has truly blessed us with wonderful friends... old and new!

Gary's pain levels were manageable today and he felt alot better. He will go for another treatment in the morning and if it goes the same as before, he should be pain free for a few days after that. Thank you again for your prayers! I means alot to Gary to know that so many are praying!

DECEMBER 24

Gary has tried to put on a good front today, not wanting to spoil any of our celebrations, but I know he has been in alot of pain. Today, was our daughter-in-law, Kristina's birthday. We gave her presents and surprised her with a cake at noon to keep her birthday separate from Christmas Eve. Gary joined us for a time and then went back to bed. He came back out for us to open presents tonight, but was not able to stay up for long. I knew that he has been experiencing numbness on the side of his face along with the pain in his head, but I didn't realize the extent of his paralysis until this evening. He really struggled with getting his medicine taken.

This has been a sad Christmas for us, and tonight I was talking to the Lord about how hard it was for me to see Gary suffer and how I didn't want to share any of this on the blog because this is the season for JOY and I did not want to put a damper on everyone else's happiness. Then, I checked my email one last time before going to bed, and there was an email from a friend that said just what I needed to hear! At the same time I was voicing my fears and sadness to the Lord, she wrote:

I’m writing to let you know that on this Christmas Eve, I’m thinking of you and Gary and praying that in the midst of cancer, pain, and sickness, you both will feel the presence of God, once again rejoicing in the miracle of His birth. I pray that the medicines will work, that the pain will be alleviated, and the sickness will stand still for a few hours so Gary can have a joyful Christmas – and you can have some peace, seeing that his face isn’t grimacing with pain.

Sometimes you may feel that no one is praying at “this particular moment,” but that’s the joy of being partners with many others as we pray together for a common cause – and right now GARY IS OUR CAUSE. Just know that you are loved and are in our prayers once again this night.

Wow! God gave me a special reminder just when I needed it the most... that He is present... He knows how I feel... He spoke to someone else's heart to prompt her to write these words.... knowing that it would bring the comfort I needed tonight.

I know we have so many friends and family praying for Gary and appreciate it so much. I can't imagine what he would be going through if it wasn't for those prayers!

DECEMBER 23

Gary has continued to have severe pain and nausea today. After a restless night, I called the doctor to see what we should do. The nurse said she would give the message and get back with me. Shortly after lunch, she called to say the doctor on call wanted me to bring Gary into the emergency room so they can make sure there is nothing more going on. We spent over three hours there as they administered a higher dose of morphine, called Fentanyl. It was fast acting and took the worse of the pain away, but only stays in the system for an hour, so they administered it 3 times. Gary is home, but still not pain free. Hopefully, this stint in the emergency room will help take the edge off of the pain and he will be able to rest tonight. He does not want to be admitted in the hospital, so will try to manage the pain as much as he can. We appreciate your prayers so much!

DECEMBER 22

My heart is heavy tonight. I had hoped Gary would continue to have good days this week as we celebrate Christmas, but if today is any indication of what is in store for him this week, then it will not be good. He has been in terrible pain even with all the pain meds. In the past, he would get some relief except for 30-45 minutes of every 4 hour period. Today, he has been pretty miserable all day. He needs your prayers!

DECEMBER 21

Today Gary has felt pretty good ... compared to last week, it is like night and day. He started to have pain in his head, but the increased dosage of the Morphine was taking care of it. Please pray with us, that it will continue to do so. Gary felt well enough to get in some exercise as well. He walked up and down the hallway and even some of the stairs a few times. This may not seem like much, but it has been over a month since he felt well enough to walk up and down a hallway. Our son, Brian and his wife Kristina arrived today and will stay until the 31st. It will be good to have them here with us for awhile. Thank you for your prayers!

NEW CELL PHONE NUMBERS

We have new cell numbers:

**JEANIE - 918 606 7622

GARY - 918 606 7822

** preferred number to call, since Gary is not always able to talk

DECEMBER 20

Thank you for your prayers. Gary has been pain free today. Doing so much better. Hopefully it will continue. In the past, after a Rituxan treatment, he would be pain free for about 2 days. This time, however, he has an increased dose of Morphine, so we are praying that it will help when the pain does return! Today was a good day to just stay in and watch it snow!

A GIVING HEART

Okay, this really has nothing to do with Gary's health, but about my grandchildren and what a blessing they are to Gary and I ... AND a special surprise they are about to receive.My daughter is a single mother to our three grandkids. Tyler, 11, Brandon, almost 9, and Brianna, 7. Like most kids their ages, they have given their "wish list" for Christmas many months ago. Actually, they each only wanted one (expensive) "toy".At the same time, they have been asking Becky when she would be taking them to buy Christmas presents for their Papaw and Bamaw (Gary and I) and even asking if they would be buying a present for the Angel Tree...http://helpangeltree.org/index.jsp?gclid=CLfXwc2U0JcCFQZlswodx2T8DQ... like they have done in past years.

Well, because finances have been tight for Becky and the fact that her car finally "gave up the ghost", she wasn't sure if she would be able to buy presents for her children, let alone anyone else . The other night she sat them all down and explained how she would be needing to put a down payment on a car, and that if she bought them the gift they wanted most, there would be no money to buy presents for anyone else. All three told her that they would rather buy gifts for others, than to get the present they wanted. *Big smile*

I could end this post right here and it would still be a blessing to share. How wonderful, to see our grandchildren learning that it is much better to give, than to receive!

But it doesn't end here .... The next day, a lady who would like to remain anonymous, called to ask if Becky had already bought her kids the big items that they wanted. Becky told her that she hadn't and explained why. This lady told her that she had just sent her daughter to buy those "toys" for the kids! WOW! Both Becky and I cried over the phone when Becky related all this.

I can't wait to hear how my grandkids react, when they find out on Christmas Day, that because they first gave to others, God led someone to give them the very thing they really wanted.

"Give and it shall be given to you: good measure, pressed down, and shaken together and running over..." John 6:38

DECEMBER 19

Gary went to the hospital early this morning for blood draws and then for his weekly Rituxan treatment. They have a special section just for those receiving chemo treatments and separate rooms. Gary lays on a bed and they hook him up to an IV. First, they give a dose of Tylenol, then Benedryl to offset any side affects of the Rituxan. The next step is to infuse a bag of prednisone, then the Rituxan. They have to administer this slowly and have a system for it, but I won't go into that here. (you can google it if interested, *smile*) This takes, on average 4 hours from start to finish. During that time, Gary can watch TV or read.... but most of the time, he sleeps due to the Benedryl. *big smile* The treatment came at a good time. Because of the steroid that is given, Gary usually has a few days without pain and now that he has his Morphine dose increased as well, he should do well at least for a few days. We appreciate so much the prayers and outpouring of encouraging words. Just a simple note saying that you are praying for Gary means so much!

DECEMBER 18

Gary has continued to struggle with the fatigue and the pain today. I called his doctor to see what can be done and they are going to increase his dosage of Morphine, so hopefully he will have a restful night. The fatigue could be due to his platelets dropping and maybe even his red blood cells. They ordered a blood test for in the morning to check on that. He will go early to have that done before getting his weekly Rituxan treatment. We appreciate every one's prayers so much! I can't imagine Gary having to go through what he has without the prayer and support of everyone.

DECEMBER 17

This week, while reading articles at Insight For Living, I came across an article that was a blessing to me and I wanted to share it with you. The author, Wayne Stiles, graciously has given me permission to copy and post it on this blog.

LOSING OUR TRAINING WHEELS

The fall season often reminds me of the day when one of my daughters learned to ride her bike without training wheels. (The “fall” was an appropriate time for this event.)As she sped down a hill toward a huge ravine, I saw written all over her face the message: “I’m not in control!” So as she flew by me, I reached out and lifted her off the bike—saving her from the ravine but causing her to fall. As the bike launched into the abyss, my rescued daughter hopped up hotter than a hornet!“Why did you do that, Daddy?!” To answer, I pointed to the bottomless gorge I saved her from . . . but she still couldn’t believe that I would cause her to fall.Years later, I pondered how we can carry this attitude into our relationship with God. The words of one woman make this clear:

I was raised in a conservative church where we were taught to seek God’s guidance. But I’ve concluded that all that teaching was a crock! Where was God when I needed Him? Why didn’t He give me a better family? Why Didn’t He let me marry better men? God knew what was going to happen to me. He could have stopped it. But instead He’s letting me wallow in misery. It’s not fair.

The Christian life should bring the good things in life, right? God’s powerful love should protect us from having awful families, from miserable marriages, from losing our jobs, from losing a child, or from having accidents only “other people” have. So when reality hits, God becomes the scapegoat—because He could have stopped it all.“How long, O Lord? Will You forget me forever? How long will You hide Your face from me?” (Psalm 13:1). King David’s honest prayer reflects our own cries, doesn’t it? Nothing aches so badly as God’s apparent apathy.

Our culture points to our pain as proof that God doesn’t exist; but the devil uses our pain to convince us that God doesn’t care. (Take a moment and read that again.) And if Satan can get us to doubt God’s goodness, we stand on the edge of a life that uses our anger to justify sin.

But notice, David not only expressed his feelings of abandonment, but he affirmed his faith in God’s goodness—even though he could not see it: “But I have trusted in Your lovingkindness; my heart shall rejoice in Your salvation” (v. 5). Even within the blur of seeming betrayal, David clung to God’s good character.As parents, we can all understand why I jerked my daughter off her bike. But as a child, she lacked the capacity to understand my actions as coming from a heart of love. She couldn’t see past her pain toward the reason I allowed it—and even caused it.

As God’s children, we often lack this same insight.If we acknowledge our Father’s goodness only in the pleasant things He allows, we yield to a childish nature that misses an astounding part of God’s love. We miss the wonderful growth we can experience from praising a good God who uses even our pain for our advantage.

www.waynestiles.com

DECEMBER 16

I am at a loss for words tonight. I feel like each post lately is a "broken record" of Gary not feeling good, or Gary is in pain. At yet, I know there are many that check in daily to see how Gary is doing. All I can say is.... Gary has not felt good all day. He woke abruptly to throwing up and has spent the day either in bed or reclined in his chair. He did not complain too much of the pain in his head, so either he is getting used to it, or the pain meds are doing their job. His main complaint was severe fatigue and just an overall feeling of nausea and "not feeling good". So far, he hasn't quit eating all together, just does not eat much. Just pray for him. He told me today that he is just so tired of being sick.

DECEMBER 15

Gary had a relatively pain free weekend..... something that always happens after getting a large dose of steroids as he did on Friday. He has just been very tired and weak. It did not help that we were abruptly awaken at 3am to the fire alarms going off. We had to evacuate at least to the lower floor by the door until the firemen gave the green light. I can tell you that, at 3am, 20 below temps and the wind blowing something fierce, it would not have been pleasant to have to leave the building completely!

Today, the pain in Gary's head is back. He can get relief from the pain meds to some extent, but they usually wear off 30 to 45 min. before he could take another pill. Those minutes can be very hard to handle at times. We were hoping that after the second Rituxan treatment, he would not be in pain, but doesn't look like that will be the case. We appreciate you praying for him. I truly do not know how he would be able to handle all this, if it wasn't for all the prayers! Thank you!

DECEMBER 12

Gary had to be at the hospital bright and early this morning for blood draws. Then after lunch, he saw his primary doctor. Needless to say, the doctor was not happy with what had transpired with Gary in his absence. He walked in and said, "Hey troublemaker!" (see? He knew Gary's name! -- see previous post) *smile*

Gary asked "what happened?" and the doctor very seriously explained that there was enough time between chemo treatments, that the cancer just grew. Wow! We are only talking a week or two!

The doctor will continue with the proposed treatment plan of getting a large dose of Rituxan once a week (which he did this evening) and the Temodar once a month. They will do another MRI toward the end of the month to see if it is having an effect. If not, there are a couple other chemo drugs they can try. They will probably stay with this plan for at least one, maybe two months before considering the stem cell transplant again. We appreciate and NEED your prayers!

RANDOM THOUGHTS

Sometimes, in my dreams, I dream songs. Has this ever happened to you? I think God brings certain songs to my mind as a way to bring comfort, remind me of a promise or just to bring a smile to my face when I awake. Sometimes the songs are not familiar, as if it is a new song that I am writing . Too bad I never can remember the melody or words clearly enough to write down once I awaken.

This happened to me last night. This time, I recognized the song and knew the words, so I ended up humming the melody all day today. This song is not one that I would have thought I would be singing in my sleep, but made me ponder on it today nonetheless. See if you can recognize it ....

"Making your way in the world today takes everything you've got. Taking a break from all your worries, sure would help alot. Wouldn't you like to get away? Sometimes you want to go.... Where everybody knows your name. And they're always glad you came. You wanna be where you can see, our troubles are all the same. You wanna be where everyone knows your name."-- Gary Portnoy & Judy Hart Angelo

Now, I could probably look into alot of reasons why those words would come to my mind, and some of you may frown at me, making reference to a song about a bar (TV show Cheers). The truth is, I recently have seen a new Dr. Pepper commercial that is using it, and I always laugh out loud at that. (I know... it doesn't take much.)

In spite of how the song is being used, it made me think of our life in the Philippines. Since being in the States for nearly a year now, we are very homesick for our home. One of the cultural adjustments we deal with, is always being stared at. It was very hard to get used to that when we were new missionaries, but now that we have been there 20+ years ... I kind of miss it. *sigh*

I have become used to walking into a restaurant and not only have everyone greet me, but they "know my name". When I go to a supermarket, the cashiers and bag boys will try to out do each other, calling after me in hopes that I will choose their lane. In the small provincial town we used to minister in, the policeman directing traffic near the main Plaza, would stop all the intersecting lanes to allow us to pass through .... every time. Even though I wouldn't seek out any special treatment, these acts do make me feel special.

So, I guess that is why the song came to mind... I miss being special. *embarrassed smile*

Come on, admit it.... wouldn't YOU like to go where "everyone knows your name, and they're always glad you came?" And like the Dr. Pepper commercial, everyone screamed and cheered and threw confetti? Well.... maybe not all that, but you get what I am saying. We all want to feel special and know that people are always glad we came. Just think what heaven is going to be like! The welcome crowd that we will see when we arrive! Who knows.... we might even get confetti!

WHAT $1000 LOOKS LIKE

1 dose of Gary's chemo drug, Temodar. Tonight was the last of a 5 day treatment.

DECEMBER 10

There is no real change with Gary. He is still feeling extreme pain on the side of his face and head, but so far has been able to take the edge off with the pain meds he has been given. He absolutely does not want to be in the hospital, so unless it becomes unbearable, he will deal with it. The chemo drug side effects are starting to show. Making him very weak and just an overall feeling of "blah". He does not have to get out until Friday, so is able to rest. I want to thank those of you that have called recently. It always lifts his spirit. We thank you for your prayers!

NO MORE NIGHT

I came across this video this week, and although it is not a new song, nor sung by a new singer, it still was a blessing to me. It is wonderful to be reminded that "we live in the light of the risen Lamb" and one day there will be no more night, no more pain, no more tears! What a great promise we have as believers in Christ.

DECEMBER 8

Gary once again started experiencing severe pain on the right side of his face/head. I called the hematology unit to ask if they should see him and they said yes. We went in shortly after lunch and met with one of the doctors on the team. He said that if it progressed to the point Gary could not stand it, they would once again admit him in the hospital, but it would be Gary's call. If the tingling and numbness on his face gets worse, then we would call as well. As of this writing, Gary is able to take the edge off the pain by adding Loritab to his present pain medicine routine and really does not want to go in the hospital. So please pray that he can manage it and be able to stay at home.

I asked the doctor to explain further what is going on with this new relapse, since the medicine they sent him home with says it is for brain tumors. He said the Temodar is the only drug that will get into the brain itself, even the chemo will not do that. This does not mean that there is a different development as far as a tumor in his brain, but that the main nerves that run along side his face are infected with the Lymphoma and the nerve that really lights up, goes into the brain.

This explained alot to me. I could not fathom why this new manifestation had not been taken care of with the chemo treatments as the other places in his body had. It just shows how very nasty Lymphoma is and very unpredictable it can be. Until Gary's main doctor returns later this week, the plan is still for him to take this Temodar for 5 days and then the Rituxan and steroid treatment once a week.

This new development has hit Gary hard. He really had his spirits up going into the process of the transplant, thinking that most of the cancer was gone and the transplant was just an extra insurance against it coming back. This fight will not be an easy one and will not be over any time soon. We really appreciate your prayers and I would ask that you especially pray for not only the pain tolerance, but also for Gary's emotional and mental state.

DECEMBER 7

Today has been pretty uneventful. Gary spent the day resting. The new drug they sent him home with, Temodar (Temoxolomide), caused him to throw up during the night. Hopefully, it will not be the same tonight. He had a slight headache this morning, which could be a symptom of the new drug also, and still has tingling and numbness on the right side of his face and lip. Really notices it when he eats. Tomorrow, we will be able to find out when we will be meeting with his primary doctor to find out the new strategy of treatment. Thank you for your prayers!

DECEMBER 6

Gary is out of the hospital! The Rituxan and steroid they gave him last night helped tremendously with the pain. The doctors were even surprised. They sent him home with a prescription for a chemo drug to be taken for the next five days. Almost $5000! At this point, there is no real schedule for the stem cell transplant. They have to get rid of the active Lymphoma first. He will receive the Rituxan and steroid treatment once a week and the chemo drug once a month. We will know more this next week after we talk with his doctor. I appreciate so much your prayers and words of encouragement! I have no doubt that the prayers work and gave Gary the relief from the pain that he needed.

DECEMBER 5

Today, we received confirmation that the pain in and around Gary's right eye is the Lymphoma in the nerves. There are tumors in around the nerve bundle. This is the same as it is in his brachial plexus. I just can't quite get my mind wrapped around the idea that the chemo treatments Gary was receiving seemingly took care of what was on the left side of his face and now 3 weeks later, it is manifesting itself on the right.

The doctors started Gary on a treatment of Rituxin and a steroid, which they hope will also give him relief from the pain. At this time, they are still discussing among themselves the next best course of treatment. They are hesitant to give the Methotrexate for 2 reasons... 1 being that it is so hard on Gary's kidneys and 2, there is a national shortage on the rescue drug Loucovorin. They have other options with that, but because of Gary's past experiences, they do not want to take any chances. They are leaning toward giving him a chemo drug that is in pill form which he could take at home and then come in once a week for the Rituxin.

The main issue right now is giving him relief from the pain. I can't explain to you how bad he is suffering. It is very hard to watch and not be able to do anything. The drugs they are giving him in the hospital are helping take the edge off for a few hours and then he has to suffer for about an hour and a half before the next dosage takes effect. Hopefully the steroid they gave him tonight will start working. Until he is better with the pain, they will not release him.

I appreciate so much the comments, emails and phone calls from all of you letting me know you are praying. This afternoon I met another patient who was commenting that his treatments are going very well with his leukemia. He smiled and said, "But I have an amazing prayer support that would be the envy of all and that is making the difference for me."

I thought about that as I walked back to Gary's room. My first thought was, "well, WE too have an amazing prayer support and things are not looking so good right now." *with a slight tinge of sadness*. And then almost immediately God spoke to my heart. The thought came to me... Who is to say that all the prayers are not working? Without the prayers, Gary might be worse by now or even gone on to heaven. Why do we always think that when we get the answers WE want or things go how WE think they should go... that God answered our prayers? And when WE don't get what WE want, He didn't? God's plan may be different than our plan and it is all being worked out according to His purpose. For whatever reason, God in His infinite wisdom, has chosen to give Gary a terrible disease, and for whatever reason, He has chosen to not give us a quick "fix". What God wants me to do, is to rest in His plan and trust Him in whatever the future holds.

DECEMBER 4

Today has not been a good day for Gary. He has been having pain behind his right eye for a little over a week now. During Thanksgiving weekend the pain progressively became worse and more frequent. His doctor had already scheduled him to have a MRI of his brain this morning, so Gary waited to say anything to the doctor about it getting worse.

After the MRI, he was scheduled to see a surgeon to talk about the central line that will be put in for the blood harvesting. After talking with the surgeon and the nurse assigned to him by the transplant team, they called in another Lymphoma doctor, since Gary's doctor is away. The results from the MRI had not been put in the system, but the doctor called to ask them to rush and give us an initial reading.

He explained that there is a large nerve that runs along side your face (see photo below) and the initial look at the MRI shows "something". Right now, they do not know if it is the Lymphoma showing up in this nerve or something else, so they are postponing further preparation for the blood harvesting until they can run some more test. They also have called in a neurological oncologist to see him in the morning.

Because his pain is not manageable at home, they admitted him to the hospital so they can control it better. They also did another lumbar puncture tonight. We will know more after the test are all in tomorrow.

This is a disappointed to say the least. Please pray that Gary will get relief from the pain and whatever this new development is, it will be something that can be treated.

BLOOD HARVEST

The first step in collecting cells for the transplant is to get the bone marrow to produce more blood stem cells. This process is called "priming." Before and during apheresis, Gary will get daily injections of growth factors. Growth factors cause the bone marrow to increase the production of stem cells and move them into the circulating blood so they can be collected. The most common side effects of growth factor injections include muscle and joint aches, and fever.

Stem cells are obtained from your circulating blood through a process called apheresis. Aperesis separates blood into its different parts (usually red blood cells, platelets, white blood cells), and, in this case, separates out the stem cells. Gary's stem cells will be harvested through a central line.

Blood is drawn from the vein and circulates through a machine that removes the stem cells. The remaining blood is then returned to your body through the central line. The collected stem cells will be frozen until Gary has completed the chemo treatments.

Gary will start getting the growth factor shots tomorrow if all goes as planned. These are administered to his stomach and he may have to do this twice a day. He will do this every day through Sunday. At that time, they will test to see how many cells he is making. If the number is correct, he will then start the blood harvesting on Monday. He will go to the hospital every day for 5 days and spend 5 hours on the machine. We appreciate your prayers for Gary during this time. He will also have a MRI on his brain tomorrow. Please pray that the pain in his eye is not a new development.

SLIDESHOW

As some of you may have noticed.... I have placed a slideshow on the right side of the blog. For those of you that are new to blogger, you can click on the photo and it will take you to a different page where the photos will be larger and easier to see. You can also click on album and download pictures if interested. (Although, I have posted them in a lower pixel for the slideshow and they are all in black and white to match the layout of the blog.) I have tried to delete the pictures I took of the Mayo Clinic buildings and my Picasa site says they are not in the album, but they keep showing up on the slideshow.... so if any of you are familiar with blogger and the new slidshow application... let me know. *smile* I will add new photos to the slideshow the first of each month so check back again!

DECEMBER 2

We are back in Rochester, after spending a wonderful Thanksgiving weekend with all our family! I was not sure Gary should make the long trip, but he promised to rest as often as he needed to, and I am so glad we decided to go. We both needed the time away and to be with family. Thanksgiving is one of our favorite holidays. As missionaries, living outside of the States, we can appreciate and be grateful for the country that we were born into. It truly is a time of giving THANKS for all God has done for us!All our immediate family was present for this holiday and we had a wonderful time with them! Being with our children and grandchildren was the "shot in the arm" we both needed.

We shared the day with both sides of our family, Day and Phillips. My sister, Debi married Gary's brother Perry and since both our parents live in the same town along with another sister, we usually do our holidays together. I think sometimes, we forget who is on what side of the family. *grin* Everyone was present on both sides except for one nephew and his wife, who needed to be with her family this year. Two sets of grandparents, 8 children along with 7 spouses, 16 grandchildren with 2 spouses and 2 girlfriends, and 5 great grandchildren present. 40 in all!

Part of the tradition my sisters and mother have done every year at Thanksgiving, is head out to the stores on Friday morning. I have never been able to join in on this event, so even though getting up at 4am was totally against any common sense, I went. We had a great day just enjoying each others company!Several of the men decided they would go fishing and took my grandsons along with them. On the way home, my second grandson, Brandon said to his great-uncle Perry, "You know... my Mom, and your wife, and my Bamaw went shopping at 4:00 this morning! ... That's just stupid!" *big grin* But I wonder, who really was the smart ones? Those that went shopping, or those who braved the cold to go fishing with 4 little boys, two of which are of my blood and like to talk! *bigger grin* I love our family!

Even though Gary really enjoyed his time in Oklahoma, he was feeling bad the whole time. The pain in his right eye has been excruciating. I drove the 12 hours yesterday with him sleeping on a makeshift bed in the back of the van. It was a rough trip for him and so he is resting today. He needs your prayers. On Thursday, he will have a MRI done of his brain to see if there is something else causing the pain and will start the growth factor shots to prepare for harvesting his stem cells. My prayer is this transplant will take care of the cancer and he will not have to go through any more treatments after this!

NOVEMBER 25

Gary finished all the test necessary for the screening process. His PET scan showed little improvement from the last one, which means there is still cancer in his nerves. As the doctor says, that is the purpose of the stem cell/bone marrow transplant.... to get rid of the remaining cancer. There is still no cancer in his bone marrow which is great. He passed the lung test with an A+, which the nurse said no one hardly ever does. My guess is... it is because he has spent so many years preaching.... but it may be due to the fact that he is younger than most going through this. The echocardiogram showed up something irregular with his heart, but the doctor seems to think that it could just be something with the way the test was done and is not too concerned. He is scheduling Gary to see a cardiologist sometime next week to be on the safe side. They will probably do a stress test. Gary will also have a second MRI of his head done next week because for the last several days, he has been experiencing significant pain behind his right eye. They want to make sure they are aware of anything and everything that is going on in his body before starting the transplant. I will be giving more information about the process Gary will go through for the transplant in the next few days for those that are interested. We may hear tomorrow if the insurance will be approving the transplant. Please pray with us that they will and there will be no delay. This is Gary's best chance of beating this aggressive Lymphoma.

NOVEMBER 22

Today was a day of rest. After two days of getting up early and spending most of the day going from appointment to appointment... it was nice to sleep in and not do anything! (Waking up to snow on the ground had nothing to do with our lack of desire to leave the apartment.) We did, however, venture out this evening to meet with Rev. Ival Robinson (Southeast Baptist Church, Tulsa, OK) and his wife Linda. They were in town and we met for dinner. It was an enjoyable evening, in spite of the cold, to visit with friends. We appreciate the Robinson's and Southeast. As a sending church for Gary's parents, they have taken very good care of them.

NOVEMBER 21

Today was an easier day as far as test go, but Gary is very sore from the biopsy he had done yesterday, so walking and getting in and out of the car was difficult. One of the appointments today was a visit with a social worker. She basically was seeing if Gary was mentally and emotionally ready for the the transplant. One of the questions she asked, was "How have you handled or coped with all that is going on?" Gary responded, "With my faith in the Lord."

We were able to expound on that a little more with her. We talked how, it did not mean that we have not had some bad moments, or even days, but that we are able to go to the Lord when things are tough and could not imagine going through something like this without our Faith. I thought about our conversation as we came home. This has definitely been a hard year for us, especially Gary, and we have definitely had our moments. There have been times when I was not too happy with God. I felt like this was not "fair".... in fact, just a few nights ago, I asked Gary if it was wrong for me to feel that way. Gary, of course, said what I knew already... that it was normal and that even David in Psalms was not always happy with God and yet God said that David had a "whole heart" for Him. I just shouldn't stay in that frame of mind.

As I went to bed last night, I opened my Bible to Psalms and was just going to do a quick glance through to see how many times David was upset with the Lord. I did not get through all of Psalms, but read enough to realize that, yes, David had cried out to the Lord many times. In fact, Psalms 6:6 and 7, David says, "I am weary with my groaning: all the night make I my bed to swim; I water my couch with my tears. Mine eye is consumed because of grief..."

Boy! That was just how I have felt many times! But in verse 8, David says, "...for the Lord hath heard the voice of my weeping." And countless times in the Psalms, he says "I will trust in the Lord..." Even when I can not control my emotions, God hears my weeping and He knows my heart. I just need to trust Him.

I hope today, we were able to give a good testimony to this young lady. That even though we are "just human", we are still trusting in God and He is getting us through this. She asked if we had any support other than family and we shared how many people from all over the world were praying for us and giving encouragement by sending cards, writing emails, calling and making comments on Facebook and this blog. I think she was impressed! We do appreciate it all! Thank you!

NOVEMBER 20

Today was a long day for us. Gary had to meet at the Transplant Center at 7:45am for a consult of all the test he would be having done in the next few days. The nurse handed him this bright orange backpack to hold the folder of all the test instructions. It was kind of a slap in the face to have something so tangible, bringing it all into reality that this is really going to happen.

At 8:15am, Gary went in to have a Bone Marrow Biopsy done. This is his second one, so he knew what to expect and was not looking forward to it. The next few days will be painful until the puncture wounds heal. From there, slightly woozy from the sedative, we walked to another building to have more blood drawn and other laboratory work done. Then on to yet another building for an electrocardiogram. After that, and another long walk, Gary had another PET scan done. Finally, at 1pm, he was able to eat after fasting all night. After lunch, we walked again to another building for Gary to have a sinus x-ray, and by this time, I was afraid I would have to carry him to the car! Not only exhaustion, but being sedated for the biopsy and later given a Valium during the PET scan, he was starting to fade fast. All of this is part of the screening process for the bone marrow transplant. Tomorrow will be another full day of test.

KING ABDULLAH BIN ABDULAZIZ

There was a little excitement around town this weekend. King Abdullah Bin Abdulaziz was getting a check up at Mayo Clinic. He arrived with an entourage of 800, flying in on two 747's, and occupied two whole floors of the Kahler Grand Hotel . The royal family and personnel spent the weekend dining and shopping in Rochester, estimating to have spent millions of dollars.

I told Gary that King Abdullah

may be able to arrive with 800 family and staff,

but Gary has thousands around

the world praying for him!

NOVEMBER 11

Gary really enjoyed having Lance and Jason visit, but was pretty worn out today as we had a full day of doctor visits. We started the day with blood draws, then visited with a Nephrologist to discuss his kidneys, then on to his Oncologist. The good news is that his creatinine level was down to .09 so this showed that whatever damage his kidneys received during the last treatment.... they have recovered. Gary's Oncologist came in smiling once again and mentioned how pleased he was to see that his kidneys were doing well. He told us that the other doctor looking at the results with him, is also a Catholic and he turned to her to say, "I guess God loves Baptist too!" This is the second time he has been surprised at Gary's progress and made a remark about God. We know it is not a coincidence, but the fact that so many are praying for Gary. How wonderful a testimony this is to his doctor and others that are following his progress. Gary will start testing for the screening process on the 20th and then, if found to be medically safe to go through the transplant process, and if approved by our insurance, they will start harvesting his blood cells shortly after Thanksgiving. We have made plans to return to Oklahoma for Thanksgiving since they will not be able to do much during that time anyway. It has been several years since we were in the States and able to spend Thanksgiving with our family and we will miss being with them during Christmas due to the transplant process, so this will be a special time for us. I will say, that we will miss dearly our fellow missionaries in the Philippines during this time. We always have such a wonderful day, celebrating our thanks for our country and for what the Lord has done for us. Words just can't express our gratitude for all our friends and family that pray daily for Gary. We love you and thank you for it!

GOOD FRIENDS

Our good friends, Lance Gotcher and Jason Harmeyer flew up from Texas to see Gary. They wanted to give him a "pep talk" and encourage him. We had an enjoyable evening catching up on each others families and playing a card game that we have played together for years as missionaries in the Philippines. We spent the evening laughing and Gary went to bed saying how wonderful it was to have his friends here. God has truly blessed us with good friends!

NOVEMBER 7

As I awoke this morning, I commented how it must have got colder during the night and climbed out of bed to shut our bedroom window, only to be surprised that it was SNOWING! Big fat fluffy flakes of snow. Just beautiful! Our little dog, Charlie is fascinated! He keeps begging to go out onto our little balcony to watch the snow fall. He has sat most of the day at the window completely mesmerized. Just seems funny to us that our little Filipino dog knows that something is different.

I wrote last month about Gary having an appointment to see the Genetics department. They were interested in gathering information about his family and the many instances of cancer. We spent this morning going over all the info and then the Genetics counselor conferred with other Geneticist to discuss Gary's case. The conclusion they came to was...... no real conclusion. They explained that Gary's diagnosis is not sporadic, but also can not be considered genetic since they are unable to find a gene that has been passed down from generation to generation. They would place Gary in between sporadic and genetic since there are so many instances in his family. This did not give us any answers for our children or grandchildren necessarily, but by giving our information, it may help in the research for the future development of preventive medicine. Gary did well today although still very weak and just the amount of walking he did going to the appointment, wore him out. Thank you for your prayers!

NOVEMBER 5

Gary met with his doctor this afternoon after having blood work done this morning. His kidneys are healing and doing well, so the doctor was pleased. Today would have been the start of treatment #4, if Gary had not stayed so long in the hospital for the last treatment. The doctor mentioned that he was debating whether or not to schedule one more treatment before doing the bone marrow transplant (BMT) and Gary immediately spoke up and said, "I had my answer to that before walking in the door.... I don't want another treatment!" The doctor smiled and said he understood. So, the plan now is to let Gary rest and recuperate for a few weeks. He will start screening for the BMT on the 20th. If all goes well and he is cleared, then they will start harvesting his cells the first week of December. This is not going to be an easy time for Gary, so we are relieved that he will be able to rest and not have to go through another Methotrexate treatment. Please pray:

• That the damage that has been done to Gary's kidneys, will not be permanent.
• That Gary will be able to be cleared for the transplant.
• That he will gain his strength and be in good health to prepare for the transplant.
• That I, as his caregiver, will stay healthy and strong both physically and emotionally.
• For our daughter Sandra as she is away from her school and friends during this time.
• For our older children, Rebecca and Brian and other family members who are unable to be near us during this time.

I want to thank those of you who take the time to write emails, cards and other comments. I am not always able to respond right away, but we really appreciate your thoughts and encouraging words! It would be so much harder to go through this without the knowledge that we have so many praying for us.

NOVEMBER 3

We enjoyed our day away from the hospital, although, I still had to get up early to get medicine they wanted Gary to be on today. One day's worth.... $400! Gary has slept alot today and just rested. The Lord blessed with cards in the mail, phone calls, comments on Facebook and emails. We appreciate the prayers and encouraging words. It means alot to us.

NOVEMBER 2 - part 2

Gary was able to leave the hospital tonight! The levels had come down to an acceptable level so they let him go. He is thrilled to be home and sleeping in his own bed. Because they schedule his treatments ahead of time, they have him down to come back in on Wednesday to start cycle #4. We will be calling the doctor in the morning, because there is no way Gary will want to start all over again in three days. Thank you for your prayers for Gary and our family. Words just can't describe what a blessing it is to know so many are praying for us!

OCEANS WILL PART

This song by Hillsong, was a special blessing to me today. I wanted to share it with you as well. Whatever happens in my life, I want God's will to be done.

NOVEMBER 2

In case some of you are checking out the blog early.... pray that Gary's levels will improve by 3pm today, as they have ordered an extra blood test. His levels were down this morning and close enough that it is possible they will be at the acceptable rate for Gary to be able to go home this afternoon.

NOVEMBER 1

Gary called me early this morning asking if I would bring him breakfast. I was thrilled that he felt like eating! He wanted eggs and rice (hard to get the Filipino out of us). So, I rushed up with his order. He had a very hard night and emotionally, it just about did him in. He wanted me to stay the night tonight with him, so I left for awhile this afternoon to check in with Sandra and cook some chicken adobo (another Philippine favorite) for her. Gary felt better stomach wise today and even ate some of the adobo I brought up for him tonight. His MTX did not move, still at .5. His CR moved very little to 2.4. This has been a very hard 10 days for Gary. I will not go into detail all that he has experienced, but it would be enough to break any man. His spirits are better this evening, and hopefully his levels will have improved drastically tomorrow. Thank you so much for your prayers!

OCTOBER 31

Gary was better today, but not completely over the nausea. He was able to eat a small bowl of oatmeal this morning, a frappuccino this afternoon and ordered scrambled eggs for this evening, but now too nauseous to eat. They just came in and administered his anti-nausea drug, so maybe that will help. The nutritionist is concerned that he has not eaten since last Thursday, so right now, they don't care what he feels like eating... just anything to get some calories in. He needs to put in at least 400 calories a day for his brain and lungs. His MTX level is .5 and CR 2.8. They are both going down but doctors think he will be in hospital for at least 2 more days. Even small improvements can be encouraging. Seeing him awake with the TV on this morning when I arrived and being able to take a walk and sit outside on a terrace with him this afternoon may be little things, but they show that he is slowly getting better. Thank you for your prayers!

WHAT DO YOU SAY?

Recently I had a conversation with my sisters concerning communication. I had mentioned that since we found out Gary had cancer, we have had phone calls, cards and emails from friends and relatives we have not heard from in years and yet, those friends or relatives close to us, have not always communicated as much as we thought they would. One sister commented that many times people just don't know what to say. They are afraid to say the wrong thing, so they don't say anything at all. Or they think they have to say something profound or super spiritual. I understand this fully and probably have been guilty of this in the past myself. Yesterday, I was physically, mentally and emotionally exhausted. It is hard to see someone you love suffer and not be able to do anything to help. I wanted someone to talk to, but it was so late and I was afraid to call and wake someone up. To be honest, I would not have known what to say once that phone call was made. I just needed to cry. I arrived home, and in the mailbox were cards in the mail. One was from someone who has known Gary for many years. She wrote,

"I truly don't understand why these horrific physical challenges come to any of us.

I do know they remind us of how important people are to us

- not things of the world -

and how precious and even sometimes fragile our faith is.

We are praying for your healing

and for God to give you peace in your heart and mind

to know God loves you and cares about all you are going through,

for you to hang on to your faith even if it is minute by minute."

That was just what I needed to hear. That when things get rough, it is OK to take it minute by minute! You don't even have to take it day by day! It blessed me to read that she felt Gary was important to them. I am sure that our friend who wrote these words, probably thought they were nothing special, just something she was writing from her heart. Hey! That's it! .... What do you say?.... Say what's on your heart. If you don't know what to say, then just say .... "I don't know what to say". Just hearing that someone is thinking about you can be encouraging and uplifting. We appreciate more than you will ever know the many who communicate to us their thoughts and prayers! We are so blessed!

OCTOBER 30

Day 7 for treatment #3 and Gary is still very sick. I was sure hoping that today would be different and give him some relief, but none has come. His MTX level is .6 which is great and his CR level finally started downward at 3.2 at the end of today. The doctors say he will probably be in hospital two more days. Once again, Gary has not been able to eat anything all day. He tried to drink some clear broth this afternoon and after a few sips, it all came back up. We appreciate your prayers so much. I can't imagine what Gary would be going through without them.

OCTOBER 29

Not much has changed for Gary today. He is still extremely nauseous. This afternoon, he was able to keep down a Starbucks Strawberries and Cream Frappuccino. Not sure if that is good advertisement for Starbucks or not. His Methotrexate (MTX) level was down to 1.13 which is great, but his Creatinine (CR) stayed at 4.2. Please pray specifically for his kidneys, that they will start to function properly and we will see a vast improvement in the morning!

OCTOBER 28

Gary had another hard day keeping food down. He was pretty miserable, but at least he was not like the last two days..... not knowing where he was or who I was. His MTX level dropped to 1.8 but the CR is 4.3 The Nephrologist is watching him closely. He is still on oxygen and because his hemoglobin was down, they gave him 2 units of blood. I feel for him when he is so nauseous, but very thankful he is no longer delirious. We appreciate your prayers!

GRACE

Several months ago, when Gary was going through a particular rough time with pain, a fellow missionary sent me a devotional, written by Charles Swindoll from his daily INSIGHT FOR LIVING. Since that time, I have subscribed to this devotional. It amazes me, how many times, what comes to my inbox, is perfect for what I need that day. Today was no exception. It was on GRACE. The first paragraph caught my attention right away... "This is a good time to correct faulty thinking. It is not always God's will that you be healed. It is not always the Father's plan to relieve the pressure. Our happiness is not God's chief aim. He doesn't have a wonderful (meaning "comfortable") plan for everybody's life---not from a human perspective. Often His plan is nowhere near wonderful. As with Paul, His answer is not what we prayed and hoped for. But, remembering that He is forming us more and more into the image of His Son, it helps us to understand His answer is based on His long-range plan, not our immediate relief. Thankfully, in the midst of that suffering, He gently whispers, "My grace is sufficient for you" (v. 9)." ... To read the rest of the devotional, go to http://www.insight.org/ and see it on the upper right. And to go along with it, I have added one of my favorite songs by Phillips, Craig and Dean.

"Thank you Lord, for once again reminding me that Your grace is sufficient. Thank you for 'bringing back' today, the Gary I know and love.'

OCTOBER 27

Last night, after I arrive home, I called Gary to check on him. Since he had been out most of the day from the drugs, I wanted to make sure he was doing alright. He acted very strange on the phone and kept saying, "Just get here". So I drove back to the hospital to spend the night. Gary was in bad shape throughout the night and this morning. He started talking very strange and at times could not answer correctly where he was or what year, etc. He would ask me questions that did not make sense at all and then get angry when I would not give him the answer he was looking for. He was not himself and I knew it was the drugs causing the delirium. I did not sleep all night, wanting to keep an eye on him. They had to put him on oxygen because his breathing was so shallow. Then, around noon, like a light switch turned on, he was back. He has been able to eat a small amount of jello then cereal tonight and keep it down. His MTX level dropped further to 3.9 but his CR moved up a little to 4.5. They took another blood draw this evening, but the results are not back at the time I am writing this. If his Creatinine levels do not start to drop tomorrow, there is a good possibility that they will have to do a few dialysis treatments. This will not be something he will have to continue in the future. It will just be done to help his kidneys. Because his Methotrexate levels dropped considerably, they are postponing using the drug they brought in from England. I am so thankful for all the prayers offered up for Gary and myself. We definitely needed them! Gary is so much better this evening and I feel we have made it through the worse this time around.

OCTOBER 26

Gary has had another bad day. He cannot keep anything down and the anti-nausea drugs put him to sleep. His nurse commented that other nurses asked if he was sick because they did not see him walking around giving everyone a hard time. We all would like to see him get back to himself. The good news.... MTX was 6.8. Bad news ... CR 4.3. This is what is making him so sick. Hopefully, the CR levels will have crested and begin to fall tomorrow along with the MTX. We received so many emails this weekend and what a blessing to know that churches all over the world were mentioning him in prayer! Thank you so much!

OCTOBER 25

Another rough day for Gary... worse than yesterday. Sure hard to see him suffer! He was very sick today and could not eat in spite of anti-nausea drugs. This evening, he managed to eat a few teaspoons of jello and take a walk down the hall. Gary's MTX level was 19 this morning! His CR was 3.8, so they called in a Nephrologist. When she arrived, she told Gary that the doctors thought he might need dialysis, but she didn't think so. The doctors have ordered a different rescue drug from England that may do a better job of getting the MTX out of his body. Later in the day, the doctor on call, came in to check on Gary and I asked what caused the MTX to be so high. They are not sure. He said, "It is alarming". They normally only check these levels once a day, but did do another check later this afternoon and the MTX did go down to 7.9, so we are very relieved about that. His CR didn't change much so still a concern. The drug from England will not arrive until Monday. Gary's parents are driving up and should arrive very early in the morning. This is hard on all the family, especially for them to be so far away as we go through this. We appreciate all the calls, emails and comments on Facebook and this blog. Even though Gary was not able to talk much of the time, he appreciated the calls. We are comforted to know that people all over the world are praying!

OCTOBER 24

Gary had a rough day today. His Creatinine (CR) increased to 2.8, which caused him to be very nauseous and sick. They started the rescue drug this morning, so the CR should start going down. We have had several emails, phone calls and comments on the blog recently and they all encourage Gary. Helps him to know people are thinking about him and praying for him. Even the off-handed comments are welcome. He needs the laughs. So, thanks to all of you who write and call!

OCTOBER 23

Gary received his third treatment early this morning. He was feeling pretty good today, just tired from being kept up during the night and a little nauseous. His creatinine improved since yesterday before coming into the hospital. Went from 1.2 to .7 which is normal range. Once again, the doctor reduced the dose of Methotrexate to 50% to make sure his kidneys would be ok. Later this evening, one of the lab tech personnel came to check his pH level. This guy has talked with Gary before and remembered him. He asked Gary how he was, and Gary told him the good news about the PET scan yesterday and how the treatment seems to be working. Gary then said he is not looking forward to the BMT, because he knows he will be very sick. The tech said, "You'll do ok.... you have a great outlook on life". Things like that do so much for Gary to boost his spirits. To know people watch him and take notice how he reacts to things encourages him to stay positive. Today, we had a special visitor... or should I say two special visitors. Steve and Jenell Bender made a special trip to see Gary. For those of you who may not know... Steve is on staff at our missions office, Baptist Bible Fellowship, Int. To have them visit, was a special blessing to us and we thoroughly enjoyed our time of fellowship today.

OCTOBER 22

GOOD NEWS! This morning, Gary went in for blood test and another PET scan. The doctor wanted to see if the treatment was showing signs of working before continuing further. As the doctor entered the room this afternoon to tell us the results, he was beaming from ear to ear. It was great news! The scan showed that a significant amount of the cancer was gone! We asked to see the scan and he showed a side by side comparison. It was unbelievable! The area of Gary's brachial plexus that lit up the screen before was barely noticeable. Even to our untrained eyes, we could see the difference! In our previous meeting with our doctor, I sensed a reluctance in him to give any kind of prognosis. Today, he seemed so hopeful! He told Gary, "I guess God's not finished with you yet." That probably was the best thing we could have heard! Gary is still not "out of the woods", but at least we know the treatment is working. We sat and talked for an hour today about the next procedure they will do, which is an Autologous Blood and Marrow Transplant (BMT). They will take Gary's blood cells out of his bone marrow, freeze them, zap him with high dose of chemo, then put his cells back in. This is a very serious procedure and will make him very ill before he will get better. They plan to start the procedure the last week of November or first week December. I will write more about the BMT later. We are just so relieved to know the method of treatment is working and we are seeing the cancer disappear. I truly believe we have seen these results because of all the prayers that are going up around the world on Gary's behalf. Thank you so much for daily praying for him.

PS. Gary will start treatment #3 tonight. Doctor is keeping the dose at 50% like last treatment. He does not want to do anything that will cause his kidneys to act up again. They will not do the transplant otherwise. Pray that Gary will do as well as he did last time.... out in 4 days!

AT THE CROSS

This morning I listened to this song by Hillsong. I think everyone should listen to this at least once a week to remind us of God's love for us!

"Thank you Lord, for dying on the cross for me and loving me in spite of who I am. Thank you for knowing me and what I need. "

OCTOBER 19

Gary felt a little bad today... just worn out from his road trip yesterday. Even though we did not stay out long, he just doesn't have the strength that he used to have. Becky and her friend, Andy returned back to Oklahoma today. We appreciated Andy and Becky making the long trip to bring Sandra home. We really had an enjoyable weekend getting to know Andy better and spending time with our two daughters.

OCTOBER 18

Today, Gary thought he felt good enough to get out and do something. We decided to drive to Minneapolis/St. Paul and visit Mall of America with our daughters Sandra, Becky and Becky's friend Andy. The countryside was beautiful with the trees turning all shades of red and gold. We did not stay long at the Mall.... just enough to ride one roller coaster and eat lunch.... Oh, and get ice cream at the Cold Stone Creamery! We had a very enjoyable day, but it wore Gary out. He is feeling ok, just does not have the energy to do this sort of thing right now.

Last night, as I was rubbing lotion on Gary's feet, I noticed that he is starting to lose his hair from the chemo treatments. Instead of starting to lose it off his head, as I thought would happen... he is losing it off his legs. So, in loving support of him, I have decided to shave my legs........

OCTOBER 17

Our daughter Rebecca arrived this morning with Sandra. She had a surprise for her Dad. Becky had ordered wrist bands with "It is Well with my Soul" on one side and "God's Grace for Gary" on the other. Gary was so surprised and blessed by this. Becky wanted to do something that would help us with our extra expenses of being here at Mayo and having to set up an apartment. At the same time, to have something others could wear in support of Gary.

If you would like to order one,you can contact Becky at

rlynn0217@yahoo.com

$5 each

OCTOBER 16

Gary is doing good after leaving the hospital. He is tired and weak, but that comes with the treatments. Yesterday morning, we ventured out to have breakfast with Gary's parents as they were leaving town. It was a blessing to have them here with us. Gary's Mom, Sue, has been through her own health issues with Non-Hodgkins Lymphoma. As I mentioned in an earlier post, Gary's doctor wanted to meet and talk with her concerning this. She ran down a list of her family who have had either Leukemia, Lymphoma, which are similar, or another type of cancer. Her Mother, Father, herself, 3 brothers, 1 sister, 2 nephews and now Gary have had the same large B cell Lymphoma, or another form of cancer. This was enough for Gary's doctor to make an appointment for Gary to see the Genetics dept. next month. They will be interested in doing some testing to see if there is a family connection. This will be scary, but informational/preventive news for Gary's siblings, our children and grandchildren. This week, we received a book on meditations written by an old friend. This morning I was flipping through it and this title caught my eye.

WHAT CAN HE WITHHOLD

"He that spared not his own Son,

but delivered him up for us all,

how shall he not with him also freely give us all things?"

Romans 8:32

The author wrote, how that if God gave his only son to die for us, and created this earth and is the God of the universe.... how easy it would be to give us what we need. Emotionally, spiritually or physically... no matter how big or small it may be. Even to un-sting physical death, because He has destroyed spiritual death. In the past, I have counselled with young women many times, concerning the want for a child. I have often said, "God only wants good for you, so at this time in your life, it must not be "good for you" to have a child. You need to just be patient and trust God." Wow! How those words come back to haunt me now. It is not as easy as it sounds coming out of my mouth. ha! I am trying everyday to be patient and trust God. To rely on the promise that He knows me and whatever goes on with Gary, He will be there with me. One of those young ladies in the Philippines, wrote me this morning. She said, "when i was taking the latest pictures that i took i was thinking about you...if God can make the flowers bloom so beautiful i know God will make something beautiful on what is going on with sir Gary..."

I don't think this is a coincidence... that I would happen to read this particular devotion, and on the same day, receive this message from someone on the other side of the ocean. God wanted me to know that He will supply our needs, whether financial, emotional or spiritual. Whatever comes out of this terrible illness Gary is going through... it will be something beautiful for others to see.