First, let me apologize for taking so long to update. I will explain why after I tell you how Mom is doing today.
Great.. She is doing great. She is taking a little time to recover after the stem cell transplant but everyday is a little better. Her blood counts are taking their time rising, but they are rising. She went to the doctor this morning, half expecting to need a transfusion, but her hemoglobin, though low, was rising.. and that is great news. She started back on her Zometa IV today which will strengthen and repair some of the bone damage caused by the myeloma.
Her back is weak but that hasn't stopped her from resuming some of her old activities. She has been going to church, to the grocery store, to restaurants and more. Her hair is growing back beautifully. I think it is going to be thicker and darker than it was, and I'm thinking it is going to be straighter, too. Right now, it looks just like a very cute pixie cut.
Now, why did it take me so long to fill everyone in on all the good news....
Well, back when Mom went in for all her tests that would confirm how successful we knew the stem cell transplant was, we were expecting to hear the word "remission". We didn't.
Mom still has some myeloma cells.. that's the bad news. But the good news is those cells aren't causing any damage or reeking any havoc. I have to be honest and say that I focused on that bad news for a while and I didn't want to update the blog and have to say those cells were still there. That simply wasn't the plan. I guess I figured if I didn't write it, it wouldn't be real. It's not that I was in denial... it's just that I was being very selective about what reality I would accept.
I have watched Mom get stronger and more active and I began to realize that a few myeloma cells can't mess up God's plans.
And then the other day, God reminded me of a story in the Bible that, for some reason, seems appropriate to share here.
Numbers 13 tells the story of Moses sending men from each of the twelve tribes out to inspect the land of Canaan.
In much the same way, the Doctor sent x-ray technicians, phlebotomists, nurses and the like to inspect Mom.
In the Bible, the men came back with the old good news/bad news scenario... The good news: The land really is flowing with milk and honey.! The fruit is delicious! The cities are beautiful! The bad news: Ummm... well, there are some people that live there.. they look pretty scary.. pretty tough and really really big. There are giants in that land, so hey, this wilderness doesn't look so bad..
Kind of like when Mom got her test results.. The good news: Kidneys look great. Bones look great.. no new damage of any kind. The bad news: We still have some myeloma cells.. (Ok, to me, myeloma cells, though microscopic, are the equivalent of giants in the land.)
Just then Caleb and Joshua spoke up. They had seen the giants too, but they weren't afraid of them. They knew God was on their side and that He had promised to lead them.
The doctor spoke up. He had seen the myeloma cells, but he also saw how well Mom was doing. He told her those cells weren't going to keep her from feeling good. They might be there, but they weren't going to hurt her or cause problems.
Now the rest of the story unfolds like this.. Of the twelve spies who went into Canaan, 10 focused on the bad news. They were punished. They never got to go live in the land. The two that focused on God, Caleb and Joshua, inherited the land and God's promises.
I want to be like Caleb and Joshua. Mom and Dad already are. They are "strong and courageous" as God commanded Joshua to be. God could have caused Mom to be in remission. God could have healed Mom completely, (something the doctors can't do) but He didn't. And it's not because He was withholding it from us. It's because He is giving us an even more precious gift than healing, the gift of walking in Faith every day, living with courage every day, and EVERY DAY building a closer and stronger relationship with Him.
A few years ago I wrote an essay called "Daddy's Hug" that was published in a Chicken Soup book. The basic story was how I was jilted by some Romeo my freshman year of college. This heartbreaking event sent me home to my dad who made it all better with just a hug. It was a hug I will always remember, and it was a hug that would not have happened without that heartbreak.
Mom and Dad are walking in the perpetual hug of God right now. No wonder Mom looks so good. She is glowing, because she is leaning on her Saviour and His glory is shining through. And just like Caleb and Joshua did inherit the promises of God, despite the giants in the land.. I now know Mom will live a long, healthy life, inheriting her own promises from God, despite those teeny tiny cells.
God has a plan. And I now fully trust Him.
