Friday

Today is Transplant Day. At the present time, the Bone Marrow Transplant (BMT) is scheduled sometime between 5:30 6:00 PM this evening, so please continue to pray that Bonnie’s body will accept the stem cells with only minor Graft Versus Host Disease (GVHD), which is where the donor’s marrow (stem cells) attacks Bonnie’s organs and tissues. GVHD can be very severe to mild and a little unsettling to contemplate and think about.

Obviously we don’t want severe GVHD, but the doctors do want to see some minor GVHD, which means the new marrow is attacking any of the remaining tissues/cells that will cause the leukemia to return. In situations like Bonnie’s, where the donor is a non-relative, there is a 60% chance for chronic GVHD which occurs 100 days after the transplant. Acute GVHD normally occurs within the first 100 days; however the percentages of getting Acute GVHD are lower today due to better DNA testing in identifying a donor who matches eight specific genes.

Bonnie thus far is managing the side effects of the chemo very well, with the exception of some nausea (which has been manageable with medications) and fatigue (caused by both the chemo and the anti-nausea meds). Please continue to pray for her physical stamina and emotional strength as they both feed off each other.

Back in May, I (Steve) recall writing in a particular post that with God there are no coincidences. As I was doing my “read through the Bible in a year” which is broken into daily segments, today being the 282nd day of the year, I don’t believe it to be a coincidence that today’s New Testament passage was Philippians chapter 4 as we anticipate Bonnie’s BMT. This is a passage that many of you reading this blog will be familiar with, particularly verses 4 through 13:

“Rejoice in the Lord always. Again I will say, rejoice! Let your gentleness be known to all men. The Lord is at hand. Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy — meditate on these things. The things which you learned and received and heard and saw in me, these do, and the God of peace will be with you. But I rejoiced in the Lord greatly that now at last your care for me has flourished again; though you surely did care, but you lacked opportunity. Not that I speak in regard to need, for I have learned in whatever state I am, to be content: I know how to be abased, and I know how to abound. Everywhere and in all things I have learned both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need. I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.”

As I read this text this morning, it was a good reminder and refresher that these verses capture, to a certain extent, the essence of what our attitude should be, not just today as we anticipate Bonnie’s BMT, but in all situations we face. We can rejoice because we know that God is near and that His abundant peace can snuff out any anxiousness that creeps into our attitude and mind. If we fill our minds with thoughts of God’s character, His truth, His purity, His loveliness, His goodness and His virtues, it will help to promote praiseworthy thoughts which in turn will foster the growth and nourishment of an inner joy resulting in a calming peach in the midst of the life’s storms. Then we can experience contentment in “whatever state we are in”. We CAN do all things through Christ who strengths us.

Please pray that this will be our focus throughout the day as we anticipate the BMT, as well as the weeks to come. Thank you for all your care, concerns and support you have expressed to us one way or another.

Steve & Bonnie