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| A favorite game... |
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| Taking the plunge |
Christine, Nate, Darcy, Evan and I had a great 3-day get-away to the Shenandoahs this past week, including family time tubing, canoeing and kayaking on the river bordering the old barn house we rented, a trip to the Luray (VA) Caverns, and plenty of down time. All good for rest, reflection and appreciating the bonds we share as a family, especially heading into this next phase of treatment. Here's what's in store:
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| AJ in the chemo chair.... not much fun for 7 hrs. |
Starting this week until late July/ early August , I'll undergo 2 to 3 more rounds of chemo, similar to what I went through before but more intense stuff to beat back the cancer as much as possible. Second, somewhere in the August to October period, depending on how the summer chemo goes, I'll spend 6-8 weeks in residence at Johns Hopkins to undergo a bone marrow transplant (donated by one of my brothers, most likely). The idea is that the blood cells from a donor will attack the (greatly weakened) cancer cells that remain in my body better and more decisively than my own can. So, it's basically bringing in a new battalion of cancer-fighting cells to finish the enemy off. We're told the odds remain pretty good that I'll be cured. At the same time, there's some increased risk of serious side-effects. It's scary stuff but we remain full of hope.
In terms of how I'm feeling, physically, I feel better than I have in a long time - playing tennis, picking up the pace on long bike rides, and eating and sleeping well. Yet we know the cancer's growing back and that we have to face that dark, discouraging fact. As I looked out at the view from the back of the barn house in Luray, I could see the top of the mountains in the foreground and then beyond, at a greater distance, some of the higher peaks in the Shenandoahs. The view made me think of this trek we've been on battling my lymphoma. I'm sure many of you have experienced that feeling of closing in on what appears to be the end destination on a long, arduous hike and then realizing, as you round the next bend or come to a clearing, that you actually have to go even farther - to the top of that next peak or ridge before you can declare victory. Well that sums up how we feel. No rest for the weary. The trek goes on.
We're doing our best to prepare for this next (and hopefully final) leg of our journey. Already so many of you have reached out to us and offered words of encouragement and tangible support, all of which is greatly appreciated. We continue to be incredibly thankful to be in community with so many incredibly loving friends and family members. We also know how blessed we are to have access to the medical expertise and care at Hopkins, certainly among the best in the world. For our praying friends, please pray for our courage, strength and endurance - individually and as a family - during this tough stretch ahead, and for an even deeper sense of God's presence in the midst of it all. Trusting that the ultimate outcome will be good.
In terms of how I'm feeling, physically, I feel better than I have in a long time - playing tennis, picking up the pace on long bike rides, and eating and sleeping well. Yet we know the cancer's growing back and that we have to face that dark, discouraging fact. As I looked out at the view from the back of the barn house in Luray, I could see the top of the mountains in the foreground and then beyond, at a greater distance, some of the higher peaks in the Shenandoahs. The view made me think of this trek we've been on battling my lymphoma. I'm sure many of you have experienced that feeling of closing in on what appears to be the end destination on a long, arduous hike and then realizing, as you round the next bend or come to a clearing, that you actually have to go even farther - to the top of that next peak or ridge before you can declare victory. Well that sums up how we feel. No rest for the weary. The trek goes on.
We're doing our best to prepare for this next (and hopefully final) leg of our journey. Already so many of you have reached out to us and offered words of encouragement and tangible support, all of which is greatly appreciated. We continue to be incredibly thankful to be in community with so many incredibly loving friends and family members. We also know how blessed we are to have access to the medical expertise and care at Hopkins, certainly among the best in the world. For our praying friends, please pray for our courage, strength and endurance - individually and as a family - during this tough stretch ahead, and for an even deeper sense of God's presence in the midst of it all. Trusting that the ultimate outcome will be good.
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| Meanwhile, Nate & Ev are at camp for 2 weeks. Here's Ev with friends on the first day. |
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