Transplant Day -7

It's past 9.30 in the evening, Day -7 fading away.  Amazing that we are 1/3 of the way through the chemotherapy regimen, and amazing that I feel as good as I do.  I am thankful for that of course.  They have hit me hard too with meds, to control side effects, so good thing for that too.  We will enjoy the good days even more so with the expectation of tough days ahead.  We can see those difficulties happening around us, a reminder to rest in the Lord, and not our meds for each day.

This morning Barb came with a 2 ft square framed picture that we had received from our children on our 30th wedding anniversary.  It replaces an ugly generic picture that has hung in the same spot for years, encouraging no one. Nurse thought the old one was hammered into the wall, we were able to replace it.  The picture is from Glacier National Park in Montana.   For those of you who have been there this was in the Many Glaciers entrance, on our way to the Alberta border.  Barb took this picture and the children enlarged it and it is clear and deep: of soaring peaks, winter snows and glaciers, glacial lake, and cedars and spruce, deep blue sky - and there emblazoned the words of Lamentations 3; 22-23 " Because of the Lord's great love we are not consumed, for His compassion's never fail.  They are new every morning. Great is Your faithfulness!"  A beautiful reminder when I look from my bed of our Creator God, our Redeemer and King.

To the right of my bed  now have some pictures in the 5 x 7 (that you may have seen on earlier posts) plus a new family shot taken at the Petrusma home in Trenton on the day of Dave and Bethany's wedding  8  x  11, compliments of Jason Idzerda. Pictures to remind me of God's great blessings to me, and to Barb and I, and to our children.  Much to live for, and work for.

The rest of the room is well....small. Without a tape measure a 10 x  10.  Jeremy says jail cells are 8 x 8 so doing alright. I thought I had ordered a suite.  Big bells and whistles bed to center the room, medical equipment on headboard wall, a little wardrobe to my left, a washroom door (private - a perk) and a little offset window to my right  2.5 w x 6 t , a chair, a night table, hospital bed table, and a garbage pail. Not to mention two "sharp" collectors and hand washer stations.  It's a room and I pray that it's purposes will be blessed for my healing.

We have been surprised at the amount of freedom we have and others are given.  For me, my white counts are still sufficient to handle the norm but burning up.  For others we see those with no counts taking chances from our perspective.  Different medical staff saying different things, is worry-some to us. We are the gate keepers, and our intention is to bar the door as counts crash and beyond.  We can be a little easier with family this week, but don't expect it to continue.

This morning made many phone calls for farm and personal. Jeremy and Sarah visited for a while this aft, and we went and had coffee in the Tim's in the hospital. Barb was here early until evening.  Talked with Dave and Bethany, Michael and Rachel on the phone, skyped with Andrea and Derek, and had a visit and coffee and card game with Karen.  Days are full here. And oh yeah, pre-chemo from 4 til 4.30, chemo until 7.45. and post chemo rinse until 8.15.  And Karen beat me in euchre.

Thanks to everyone for holding us up in prayer before our God, knowing that Jesus perfects our prayers and His love for His sheep is unfathomable.

We will keep the same prayer list tonight.   God bless.