"SO BLESSED TO BE HOME"

Hi everyone,

Thank you again for all your prayers, cards, texts and encouragement. I checked into the hospital on Nov 5 and underwent 7 days of hard chemotherapy. On the 8th day, they actually took the harvested stem cells from Mike and transfused them into me. I am still in awe that The Lord made my brother a perfect match 42 years ago knowing I would need him for this. People struggle for so long trying to find a match and I was given an amazing gift. Mike harvested for 6 hours as they were looking for 5 million cells; ( he produced 20 million). The doctors were shocked at how much Mike was able to produce. The day the stem cell transplant was done is referred to as Day 0. For two weeks I recovered from chemo while my counts re-established. I will be monitored for the next 12 months closely with blood tests, bone marrow biopsies, etc. We are told that is the time frame we need to go back to make sure the stem cells are producing properly in my bone marrow.

I also want to share with you the struggles I experienced in the hospital that the Lord carried me through. As I go back and think of it now, I am just so grateful, as I do not know how I would have been able to persevere without Him. I really started to get stir crazy in the room as I was not allowed to leave or walk as my counts were too low for several days. It’s unbelievable how your mind works against you when you know you are helpless. I started to have significant anxiety attacks, claustrophobia, sweats..I hadn’t anticipated any of these, obviously. I just kept praying, "Lord, please carry me through this.." It was like an ongoing prayer to Him as I really felt powerless. It’s ironic when everything is taken from you and have significant health issues you realize you only have The Lord to look to and He is so faithful. He carried me one step at a time to let me know that I was not alone. I honestly do not and cannot comprehend going through something like this without having Jesus in my life. Some days in the hospital are still a blur and I do not remember much other than being there.

Here is a divine moment in the hospital for me. It had to be. I believe it was Saturday morning about 1am and I was going to the restroom. As I was washing my hands I looked at my arm and proceeded to watch my PICC line just fall out. There was no blood, it fell out clean. The nurses and doctors were shocked as this, given the PICC line is attached to a main artery in my arm and this is how I receive all my chemo, transfusions, etc. This was also concerning as we had to get someone in first thing in the morning so I could have one input into my arm again to administer everything. First thing, a lady shows up to my room and she is a PICC line nurse. She tells me she wasn’t going to come in; however, she felt compelled to as if the Lord told her to. She was a believer and a true blessing. We spoke about the Lord the whole time she worked away and when all was done we knew who orchestrated it all. We were just smiling and giving the Lord thanks.

Anyways, I was released yesterday and I am home. I am thrilled! Before I went into the hospital, we talked about me being away for 30 days. We wondered if it would be the Lord's will for me to be home by Thanksgiving. This would be a week early. It seemed as though we might be asking alot, but still we asked. We have a big God who does big things! He answered our prayer!! I was released a week early, the day after Thanksgiving. Thank you, Jesus!

I hope the Lord blesses your day and give you His peace that only He can give. Thank you so much for walking along side me in this trial. I cannot begin to thank you enough.


Blessed to be His soldier.

In Christ.

Love,
Rick