Positive Signs!!

Getting Rigged up for a Day on the River - 9-07-11

Dear friends and family, today is Saturday and I have a very good report for you.  First, the chemotherapy is going well; I have not had much discomfort so far, no nausea (though they tell me that's coming :-(    I've had  no complications to this point and the docs, apparently optimistic that I will skate through the rest of this, have already processed my discharge papers for Monday morning.  The nurses joke with me as I walk laps on the floor - 'who you here to see?', i.e., I look more like a visitor than a patient - praise God.

Even better though, all the symptoms of my pneumonia - fever, cough, restricted deep breathing, sore throat - have all dramatically improved in the last 48 hours.  Because of the interplay between my lymphoma - the main tumor is blocking the bronchial tube that leads to the lobe of my lung where the pneumonia is - the docs said that the first signs that the chemo is working on the lymphoma might be exactly this improvement - so the current view is that the chemo is indeed shrinking the tumor, beginning to allow air into that blocked lobe, and doing it's job.  The rounds doc this morning said that's what he thought, and he said the real question is will it "stay shrinking/shrunk", which we won't know for 3 to 4 more weeks....but we couldn't have asked for more in these 3.5 days.

Renee is doing well, thanks for remembering her in your prayers.  I wanted to share a song by Rich Mullins with you - it's a little melancholy, but it expresses a deep longing that I am sure many people feel when they are in a scary spot - it has ministered to me for many years......and has been particularly meaningful during these most recent times.  Rich Mullins has been a cornerstone of Renee's and my spiritual music collection for 18 years.  I hope you enjoy it.
 
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8gBGGX3yvMo&feature=related

God's grace and peace to you.  Dan and Renee