Friday - January 29, 2010

It is amazing to me how fast time passes. We haven’t updated our blog for 2 weeks now. As usual, no news is good news at the Opper house. It’s great to share with you so many praises. I didn’t have to go to Karmanos this Thursday, but instead I will go next Thursday at 9:00. My liver enzymes were up slightly, from 50 to 67 while on 16 mg. of steroids, but my doctors weren’t too concerned. They are quite confident that this is chronic graph vs. host disease trying to raise its ugly head, so they will take me off the steroids slowly one pill at a time (per visit). I am still getting a magnesium infusement every other night for 3 hours. This will continue until I am taken off the tacrolimus (an anti-rejection and immune suppressant drug). The tacro draws magnesium out of my body which could affect my heart. I am currently taking 20 pills a day and it could take up to one year to wean me off them. The goal is to slowly increase my magnesium pills so I can stop the infusements altogether. This will allow the removal of the Hickmen catheter in my chest, which would be great, as there is always the potential of infection. My hair is starting to grow back, ¼” per month, Yeah! It doesn’t seem to be curly, which we heard is sometimes the case after chemo.. I’m just excited to have some hair for warmth. I don’t know how you guys do it, when my neck is cold, I’m cold all over.

I was thrilled to be able to mask up and attend another basketball game of Caleb’s. I definitely stand out in the crowd. I’m the bald one, in a pink baseball cap with ¾ of my face covered by a yellow mask! Little children are frightened to death and stay as far away as possible. I have to admit, I look pretty scary. I was able to visit with a friend who has lost the sight in one eye, through a tragic ordeal. We were able to laugh and cry, or at least I cried (what a surprise!). We talked about the twists and turns our lives have taken this past year. But one message rang clear, God has a purpose and plan in both our situations, and His grace is sufficient to carry our families through. She even had the opportunity to tell her story at our Teenworks home school group on Wednesday. She did a wonderful job, as only Mary Grace can do and it was very clear to the audience that God’s sovereign hand was in every step of her accident.

Such is with each of our lives. Tragedy will happen and where will your source of strength come from? Will it draw you nearer to Him or will you let bitterness and resentment take root. Could it be that one of Satan’s major strategies is to divert us from praising God. He knows that God delights in our praise and understands the rich blessing of praising Him brings to us. Like Paul, you can be “sorrowful yet always rejoicing” – 2 Corinthians 6:10. We can groan about our sufferings in this fallen world, but still triumph in the hope that through our suffering the Savior’s purpose will be fulfilled. So let’s take some time out of our busy day and celebrate in His sovereign will, His limitless power and his unconditional love.

Blessings to you all,

Bonnie