Transplant + 70

I had my holiday from the Cancer Clinic today!  It comes with mixed reviews however.  It would make more sense to me to take a week off of blood tests if my numbers were steadily creeping up, instead of when they are down or flat.  That is a ball that Barb and I can keep batting around if I bring it up.  The doctors know what they are doing.  They obviously expect your numbers to be good enough to skip a week.  Take it is a good sign.  Yeah I could do all those things, but it is tough to do.  Do I feel better, no.  Do I have less fatigue, no.  But I have no new issues to bring up to the doctor.  My nausea seems to be a bit better, and I am on water boluses by IV so my kidneys are keeping busy.  Last week I talked about being a cancer family, and this is part of it, the cancer mind games.  Time for me to focus on the good gifts I have experienced during this time.  Nothing like the reminders of God's great goodness to our family to help kickstart the proper way of thinking.  From our Spurgeon readings today from II Corinthians 12:9,10
But he said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me.  For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities.  For when I am weak, then I am strong.  Paul had pleaded with God to remove the thorn from his flesh.  Spurgeon recounts for us the blessings Paul (and all who are Christ's) received and are receiving from His Hand.  " It is enough that I have loved you from before the foundation of the world.  I have redeemed you with My precious blood.  I called when you were a blasphemer.  I changed your heart and made you love Me.  I have kept you to this day, and I will keep you by My boundless love to the end. My love is enough.  Do not ask to be set free from this buffeting.  Do not ask to be delivered from weakness and trial.  These will enable you to better enjoy My favour, and that is enough" Amen and Amen.
Does this mean that we are not to pray for trials (in whatever form they come) to end? No.  But count the blessings, know that we are not left alone in them, be committed to spiritual growth, and be thankful that God loves us enough to desire growth for us.  We all face trials, and may God grant us grace to see Him working through them.

This past week 2 members of our congregation have passed away and are in glory with their Saviour!! May the Lord grant gospel comfort to the families.  I have been following a case of another man who has had a stem cell transplant very close to the same timeline that I had.  I don't know him personally, but our circles overlap.  He is very close to being put into palliative care.  He is a Christian.  His name is Jan.

Prayer requests.
1.  Pray for Jan and his family for improvement in his condition.
2.  Pray for gospel comfort for Jan's family too.
3.  Thanks for the break from the clinic.
4.  Thanks for no  GVHD symptoms.
5.  Pray that my engraftment and counts are daily improving.