Journal entry by Ruth Grady —
Psalm 4:7–8
You have filled my heart with greater joy than when their grain and new wine abound. I will lie down and sleep in peace, for you alone, oh Lord, make me dwell in safety.
Good morning and happy new year! I am hoping that this is the last post I will be writing. It has been a year since Pat went through stem cell transplant with his re-infusion on December 16. He was dismissed from the hospital on December 28th. At that point in time I thought the biggest challenge in front of us was seeing him through recovery post transplant. What a wild ride this past year has been with all of the circumstances thrown into everyone’s lives. After Pats release the first month was weekly appointments mainly to check his vitals and CBC to make sure things were going in the right direction. Then we graduated to monthly until April when he had the pet scan and bone marrow biopsy to assure his system was clean. That’s one of the last times I posted to let everyone know that Pat was classified as cancer free. What a joyful day that was! Neither one of us had been filled with that much hope and excitement for a long time. From there we graduated to every three months appointments. June, September, and now recently December. In June Pat started his vaccinations. Since stem cell transplant wipes out and cleans up the immune system, it also wipes out any antibodies from previous childhood vaccinations. He has been going through six, nine, and currently one year vaccinations Just like those newborn babies receive. He is almost finished with the one year regimen and after that won’t need to do anything until a year out from now.
So all throughout this journey the one item of concern has been his white count. With the exception of October blood draw, his white count and platelets want to hang out in levels right below what is considered normal range. In our December appointment Pat had the big guns follow up tests that are done a year out from transplant, bone marrow biopsy, CT scan, chest x-ray, EKG, and echocardiogram. This was done on December 15. The only kicker was we wouldn’t hear results until after Christmas because Dr. Vinod was going to be gone on Christmas break. I am not good at patiently waiting and was feeling anxious about the white count still being suppressed. If you or a loved one have gone through cancer you will understand what I’m about to say. Living under the umbrella of cancer leaves an indelible footprint on your life. At some level you become a different person which is both good and bad. The good is the incredible strength you develop because of the rigorous schedule of living a life filled with treatment of a vicious disease. You’ll become an expert at medical lingo and understand more than you ever wanted to about the human body. The not so good is the fear that continues to burrow its way in every time you’re waiting for test results.
We had our follow up teleconference with Dr. Vinod last Wednesday, December 30 at 1 PM in the afternoon. We are beyond thrilled and excited to know that Pat continues to be completely clear of any cancer cells! What a joyful New Year’s Eve celebration we had on Thursday night with some dear friends and prayer partners. It was an evening filled with lots of chatter and laughter… And of course food!!!
Once again I want to thank each and everyone of you who have held us in your thoughts and prayers; who continued to encourage us every step of the way on our journey. Some of you I know and others I don’t. That’s the beauty of a prayer warrior circle, it is far reaching and continues to expand through the Unchained melody of love.
The scripture I started off with today was the word God gave to me right before our appointment last Wednesday. Words of encouragement… I knew going into the appointment that no matter what the outcome, God would continue to carry us through with his perfect plan. The scripture I’m closing with is one of peace and comfort that our Lord gave to me way at the beginning of our journey almost 2 years ago.
God will always make away and give us a fresh new start if we face each day with courage.
Isaiah 43:18-19
Remember not the former things, nor consider the things of old. Behold, I am doing a new thing; now it springs forth, do you not perceive it? I will make a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert.
Love and hugs to all, prayers covering you with comfort, joy and peace always. Have a great day be blessed 🙏❤️🎆 Pat and Ruth
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