MAY 24

We have made it back to Oklahoma after a long 13 hour drive. I would like to thank Gary's brother's for providing the airfare for our daughter Becky to fly up to Rochester, and Becky for her help driving the moving van back to OK. I know it was not easy on her driving that long drive. Gary and I are blessed with a great family. Parents, siblings and children have been there to help when we needed it and we appreciate it!

After packing up our apartment and getting it loaded into the U-Haul, we spent the night in a hotel before heading out in the morning. It was the same hotel we stayed in 8 months ago, when we received the diagnosis of Gary's cancer. I couldn't help but think how we felt that night ... just in total shock.

I gave thanks to God all evening for bringing Gary this far and allowing us to leave Rochester together, instead of me leaving without him. We had been told by other doctors in the Philippines and Oklahoma, that Gary had no cancer cells in his body. To hear, not only did he have cancer, but he also had something very rare, was just mind boggling. After making phone calls to our children and emails to other immediate family members and close friends, I spent that evening 8 months ago, getting this blog started.

My purpose for the blog, was to be able to write updates without having to constantly answer the same questions concerning Gary and his treatments. I also, could hardly talk about it. It was easy for me to email or write in a blog, but when I tried to talk, I would break down.

Little did I realize, how much the blog would help me. I was able to put to words the lessons that God was teaching me and later, when I would feel overwhelmed, I could read back through the encouraging comments left by friends around the world, and the scriptures that had brought me comfort.

The coming months will be filled with physical therapy and just letting Gary heal. He is very weak and it will take a long time to fully recover. Being near family will do alot to help him do just that. Words just can't express the gratefulness for your prayers for Gary! We could not have made it this far without them. Please continue to pray the cancer will not return, and Gary will be able to regain the use of his hand through physical therapy.

MAY 20

Gary continues to have good and bad days. Yesterday, he was able to get out for awhile and although was tired at the end of the day, he felt good. This morning however, he started the day throwing up. So, he is back to bed hoping his stomach will settle down.

Tomorrow, is moving day, or at least loading the van day. I plan to take Gary to a hotel so he can rest while the hired movers load our things for me. My daughter Becky, is flying up tomorrow night to help me drive the van back to Oklahoma on Friday.

I can't say enough good about Mayo Clinic and the doctors! This is definitely the place to go if you have unexplained symptoms or cancer! They just have the knowledge, technology and resources that other places don't have. God used them to work a miracle in Gary's life. Stage 4 large B cell Non-Hodgkins Lymphoma of the nerves and CNS involvement! To be honest, there were many times that Gary and I did not think we would come to this day ... for him to be clean of the cancer and for us to be leaving Mayo Clinic together. My heart is full of thankfulness to God, to the doctors, nurses and staff of Mayo Clinic!

MAY 16

It has been enjoyable to not have to go to the hospital every day. We are busy packing, getting ready to move back to Oklahoma on Friday. It will be good to be near family, but in some ways, I am nervous about leaving here. There is a security in living so close to the hospital and doctors.

Gary still battles the nausea from time to time. He has also battled an infection of sorts in his eyes off and on since doing the Gamma knife procedure. He has been on antibiotic drops for 5 days now and it has not gone away. It will take months for him to really start feeling better.

Something you can pray for at this time ... that we will find a good physical therapist near our place in Oklahoma, where Gary can start working on his left arm and hand. Those nerves have been so damaged from the Lymphoma, but we do know from past EMG tests, that they are still alive and there is hope they will heal. As long as his hand is unusable, he is still dependent on others to some extent. Try spreading peanut butter on bread with only one hand and you'll understand. *smile* Thank you for praying for Gary and for our family!

MAY 11

IT'S OFFICIAL! Gary had his line removed today, which means no more treatments, no more blood draws and doctor visits! The next scheduled doctor visit will be the end of July for the 100 day check up. At that time, they will do a PET scan, CT scan and MRI of his brain along with blood test.

Today, Gary has been pretty sick. He threw up all morning long, even while seeing the eye doctor. The nurse said it is normal to have a few "set-back" days and that it was nothing to be alarmed about. It just shows that Gary is not over it all yet and still needs prayer. The good news is his counts are excellent. Today's blood draw showed that his white blood count was 9.9! That is better than he started with, so I would say those baby cells have engrafted well!

Several of you have asked if I will keep the blog. I plan to keep it at least until the 100 day checkup .... just may not write every day. I would still like to post pictures of you if you can get them in to me.

On another note ... sad note. Little Esther, who sent Gary the Valentine, went on to heaven Saturday. I can't imagine the pain her mother is going through losing her little girl right before Mother's Day. Esther was in severe pain leading up to her death and it is a comfort to know that she is now in heaven, sitting at Jesus' feet, free from disease and pain. Please pray for Esther's parents, Adam and Jennifer Travis. The funeral will be tomorrow and although they know Esther is in heaven, I am sure it will be a rough day for them. Little Esther was a blessing to Gary in her faith she had. Even though she was so young, she was an example of simply trusting God .... no matter what happens. It seems it is easier for children to do that than adults. *smile*

I have thought about Gary's outcome alot lately. Even though we don't have 100% assurance the cancer is gone ... it is gone at this time. So many have written comments and notes, praising God for the answer to prayer. I too have spent alot of time thanking and praising God for bringing Gary through such a rough journey ... I still find it hard to believe! BUT at the same time, I realize now, that God had been working a change in me.

If it had turned out differently, and Gary had not made it through, I would still be able to praise God and thank Him for His blessings. That just amazes me. I have often heard and often quoted to others, how God gives grace when you need it. I can say with a certainty ... that is exactly how it works! "Thank you Lord Jesus for your love to me as your child. For your constant presence. For the grace you bestowed on me when you gave your life on the cross and for the grace you have given me these past months."

LONG BEACH, CALIFORNIA

Bill Renna

Long Beach, CA

Bill is a long time friend from Gary's days of working as Axillary Chaplain for Wallace Airbase in San Fernando, La Union, Philippines. We appreciate him getting in contact with us and not only praying for Gary, but helping us financially!

MAY 7

Gary and I are still having a hard time believing his treatments are over! Today he went for a blood draw. Tomorrow will do it again and then on Monday he will have an appointment with the eye doctor and get his line pulled out. That will be it! We will be free of doctor visits until the last week of July!

Gary will still need to be careful and take things slow, but all in all, he is doing good. His white blood counts are rising and more importantly, his neutrophils are rising. (Neutrophils are part of your white blood cells and are the first to respond to an infection. Since neutrophils are such an important part of the immune response, a lowered neutrophil count results in a compromised immune system.)

I spent today reserving a Uhaul truck and movers to help load the truck for me. Put in address changes and cancelled Internet and cable and gave notice to the apartment manager. Now, I just need to pack up our few possessions. We plan to be out of here May 22!

Words just can't express our gratitude for all your prayers for Gary! Please continue to pray for his complete healing. He would very much like to get the use of his hand back. We will be looking into physical therapy for that. Also, the side of his face is still numb. We don't know if those nerves were damaged beyond repair or in time will heal. We will not return to the Philippines until we are sure his immune system is where it should be, but our desire would be to return in December. Thank you for your prayers!

MAY 7
HEMOGLOBIN - 12.6
WHITE BLOOD COUNT - 5.1
PLATELETS - 268

SALINA, KS

Ray Ave. Baptist Church

Pastor John Day

Salina, KS

QUEZON CITY, METRO MANILA PHILIPPINES

Our ministry in Quezon City, MM is having their Daily Vacation Bible School (DVBS) this week. Each day, they are having a time of prayer for Gary. I wanted to include several photos to show these precious children praying for Gary. Our staff have done an excellent job of handling this ministry in our absence!

DVBS children
Bethel Baptist Church
Quezon City, Metro Manila
Philippines

MAY 5

DAY 14

Today, we met with Dr. Johnston to discuss Gary's care from this point on. Gary will still need a few days of lab work done since he is being "let go" earlier than the 21 day mark. Because of this, Gary opted to leave his central line in until Monday. Dr. Johnston will need to see Gary on the 100 day mark, which will be the last week of July. After these few more days of blood work, Gary will no longer need to be monitored every day! He can stop wearing the mask, unless in a place where it might be wise to do so. The doctor said he is doing great!

We are still in a little shock, realizing that at this moment in time, Gary is cancer free. It seems like it has been a lifetime since his diagnosis. He will still need to be careful about catching anything and it will be a long time before he will have his strength back, but at least we know we are on the downhill run now. Thank you so much for your prayers!

MAY 4
HEMOGLOBIN - 11.6
WHITE BLOOD COUNT - 3.3
PLATELETS - 115

MAY 4

DAY 13
Well! The day has finally come! After 8 months of treatment, Gary will go tomorrow to have his central line removed and will be able to leave the area. We are just kind of in shock to think he is really over any treatments! He will just need to come back to Mayo Clinic in July for a check up with his doctor.

Gary's journey has been such a rough one, and although he was very sick a week ago, we are surprised that the stem cell transplant went smoother than expected. I know it is all due to the many prayers around the world! We could NOT have gone through this without them!

Gary will still need prayers as he continues to gain his strength and recover. I would still like pictures sent in to post on the blog. If you are unable to send a picture of yourself with a sign of Gary's name (see past post), please write me at bamaw5@yahoo.com.ph and give your name, State or Country. I would like to make a list of all those that had a part in praying for us. If you do not want your name used, just say so and I will only post your location.

We are now starting to plan how to move back to Oklahoma. It will be wonderful to be back with family, especially our daughter and grandchildren. Again, thank you for your prayers!

MAY 3
HEMOGLOBIN - 11
WHITE BLOOD COUNT - 2.4
PLATELETS - 75

TULSA, OK

Calvary Bible Class

Southeast Baptist Church

Tulsa, OK

MAY 3 update

The nurse called this afternoon to give us the results of Gary's blood work. He is doing great! He did not have to go in this evening for the antibiotic ... that particular one has been stopped. His white blood count had jumped to 2.4! Gary is able to drink nutritional drinks relatively easy. The sores in his mouth are getting better and not having to deal with the nausea helps. We took a walk for several blocks today. He felt good, but may have overdone it a little as he is pretty tired tonight. He is just a different Gary than he was last weekend! I am excited to hear what the doctor will say tomorrow!

MAY 3

DAY 12
We went to the hospital this morning for Gary to have a blood draw and receive his antibiotic. The doctor had some very encouraging news! Because of the way Gary's counts are jumping up and depending on the lab results from today .... it is possible that not only will he not have to return this evening for the antibiotic, but he is very close to having his central line taken out and free to leave Minnesota and go back to Oklahoma!

It is just so hard to believe that a week ago, Gary was so very sick and today they are talking about letting him loose before the 21 days are up! Even if it does not happen on Tuesday as they are planning, it still means he is very close. I just wanted to skip down the hallway as we left the hospital! Thank you for your prayers!

MAY 2
HEMOGLOBIN - 10.5
WHITE BLOOD COUNT - 1.5
PLATELETS - 33

MAY 2

DAY 11

Wow! We are halfway to the 21 day mark. At first, when Gary was so sick, I thought each day would go by so slowly, but now that he is doing better, they are going by fast. Gary seems to not be battling the nausea and has a desire to eat. He just has a hard time, because of the mouth and throat ulcers. The doctor said they would be gone in the next couple of days. He has not had a fever in 48 hours and his white blood cells are showing signs of engraftment, so they will release him from the hospital today. He will still need to come back in twice a day for antibiotics, but it will be good to have him home. Thank you for praying!

MAY 1
HEMOGLOBIN - 10.1
WHITE BLOOD COUNT - 0.8
PLATELETS - 22

MAY 1

DAY 10

Today has been a better day for Gary. The nausea was not as bad and he even had a desire to eat. The mouth and throat sores just made it impossible for him to do so, but it was a good sign that the nausea was gone. The doctors said that he would not be released from the hospital until the fevers were gone and he was eating.

The best news of all is, his white blood count jumped up from 0.4 yesterday to 0.8 today! That is a sure sign that the cells are engrafting ... GO BABY CELLS, GO! *smile*

APRIL 30
HEMOGLOBIN - 10.2
WHITE BLOOD COUNT - 0.4
PLATELETS - 14

APRIL 30

DAY 9

When I walked into the hospital room this morning .... Gary was missing. They had taken him down for an xray. Because he is still spiking a fever, they wanted to check out his lungs. They also later in the day did an EKG, just to make sure his heart is doing ok. Gary's nausea is getting better, although he still has no desire to eat, mainly because of the ulcers in his mouth. His white blood count came up yesterday and today. The nurse said sometimes, it can jump back a few times before really moving upward, so tomorrow's count will give an idea if they are truly starting to increase. Another change is his hair. I know some of you would joke that he didn't have much to lose, but it sure is a shock to see huge spots in the back of his head. They brought in a razor for us to shave his head so he would not keep "shedding" all over his pillow.

I see a difference each day for the better. This has been a long journey for Gary and he will still have a long journey to go to complete health, but it is encouraging to know that we are nearing the end. I know I say this in every post, but it truly comes from my heart ... THANK YOU so much for your prayers!

APRIL 29
HEMOGLOBIN - 10.7
WHITE BLOOD COUNT - 0.3
PLATELETS - 17