Medical Update

When I was diagnosed with a relapse of acute promyelocytic leukemia on September 29th, 2006, I was told that the goal was to get me into remission, and then I would have a stem cell transplant to insure that I remain healthy. There are two types of transplants. One, which is called an autologous transplant, comes from your own cells which are harvested by a machine similar to that used in dialysis. This is the preferred transplant, because it really isn't a true transplant, and there is no risk of rejection. The other type of transplant comes from stem cells harvested from other peoples' blood. This type has an unnerving 30% mortality rate due to rejection issues.

Today I learned that I would be having an autologous stem cell transplant in May. A test was done two weeks ago that searched for leukemia cells at a level of 1 in 10,000. They could not find any! I feel an immense amount of relief, and thanksgiving. I wish to convey my heartfelt thanks to all those who have been praying for me and for this type of transplant in particular. I also thank God for His mercy. I still covet your prayers, and still lean on the everlasting arms of Christ my Savior. There are still dangers, and pain, chemotherapy, and a host of indignities to endure, but I have been given the precious gift of hope, and as Miss Dickenson wrote, "Hope is the thing with feathers."