Wednesday, February 1, 2012

February 1, 2012

Hello family and friends and Happy Belated New Year!  Oh, Dear Lord, please let 2012 be better than 2011!  That's what is amazing about life...there is always HOPE.  Hope for a New Year. 

Speaking of new years, Dave celebrates a new year of life today!  Happy Birthday, Dave!   If you get a chance, give him a call or send an email. 

In terms of Dave's health, no news continues to be good news.  We are 8 months post-transplant and still in complete response (remission for multiple myeloma).  Not to say that Dave had the same response that Steve Austin had when his body was replaced with bionic parts (any Bionic Man fans out there?), but he's working full-time and has been for months.  This is amazing considering what his body has been through.  I'm not saying there hasn't been any pain, bone aches, picky taste buds, and a recent yucky staff infection, but he's come along way from one year ago.  A lot of MM patients get all kinds of infections due to a compromised immune system.  Typically it takes close to a year to really get the immune system to a fighting level after a stem cell transplant.  And, Dave's immune system will always be compromised to some extent due to the disease. 

It's strange how something can consume your life and every waking breath and then just go quiet.  I feel like that is what has happened with Dave's cancer.  Maybe it is our way of trying to forget, or maybe its our way of just coping.  Personally, I hate the quiet.  I need to know everything, be involved at all times, and feel like I have some control.   I want to know, "what's next?"  Everyone's journey is different though, and Dave is dealing with his journey in his own way.  He has chosen at this time to not do maintenace therapy.  There is so much controversy on this subject and no clear answer or statistics to back up what is the best course of action.  Quality of life is important to Dave and some of the maintenance therapies that people are doing are similar to the induction therapy Dave did at the beginning that included Velcade and some other drugs.  Dave had a great response to these drugs, but they did give him painful neorapathy.  The good news is that they are improving upon these drugs and finding ways to lessen the side affects. 

But today we celebrate!  We celebrate Dave's birthday, we celebrate kicking cancer's ***, and we celebrate life! 

I pray that today brings Dave much joy, peace, and celebration.  I pray that God continues to heal his body, but more importantly, his heart and soul.

Please continue to pray for my entire family.  As a family we continue to struggle.  Grampa (Dave's dad) has had some health issues of his own.  Please say a special prayer for him.  He is definately the spiritual leader of our family and we need to send good thoughts his way as he has always for us.  When tragedy strikes or families are hit with cancer, it can bring a family closer together or tear them a part.  My prayer is that through Jesus, all the emptiness the each of us has gone through is filled up with his love.

Jeana