Dear readers,
Today you’ll get two writings! It might be best to read this ‘time’ entry first…. then you will better understand the error I need to share.
Last week closed out the ‘travels to Spain series’ from this past summer. Now I realize I have written, but failed to send an important entry about the flight to Barcelona. I will include after this week’s writing…
I would like to blame this error on my health situation, but actually, I’ve done stuff like this all my life. I think ‘inept’ is the best description of Yours Truly 
Susan and I appreciate your love and prayers.
Dana
The first month of the school year went very well. I had enough energy to teach four Bible classes and help a bit in the middle school chapel class. As long as I can teach properly, I want to continue… any age, it does not matter. On second thought, I might not survive 1st graders and younger… those teachers deserve trophies!
During the sixth or seventh week of school, I was constantly dizzy and my thinking became cloudy. I even forgot how to tie a tie! I told my administrators that the doctors had ordered a series of tests and the future was unsure. Within the week, a CT scan of my head revealed a slow bleed in the front of my brain. An excellent substitute took over my classes and I’ve not worked the past eight weeks.
Once again, low platelets seemed to be the reason for the bleeding, so I’ve gone from receiving infusions twice a week to receiving them every other day. In August, Susan counted that I had gotten 13 units of platelets; in September I received 37. For the past couple of decades, my doctor has been a hero to our family. His nurse practitioner, a good friend, called and said, “Mr. Davis, we have a suggestion for solving your blood cell problems. Dr. Lonial thinks if you have an ‘allo’ stem cell transplant, things might change.”
I had ‘auto’ transplants in ’01 and ’09. This process used my own stem cells and both transplants were very successful. We knew in 2009 that I had no more stem cells of my own, so we assumed there would be no more transplants. But an ‘allo’ transplant uses stems cells from a donor. The strategy is rarely used with multiple myeloma patients, but it seems to be our only option. The doctors have found a perfect ‘10 category’ blood match, so if I can pass all the preliminary tests, I will enter the hospital November 2 for another go.
It sounds crazy, but Susan and I have spent weeks getting ready. On the medical side, besides getting infusions every other day, there are tons of tests and procedures required… the kind of tests you can’t study for. On the practical side, we are trying to have everything covered in case things don’t go as planned. It takes time to ‘get your house in order.’ Susan and I both have a positive outlook, but doctors have been very clear about the difficulty of this type of transplant. We are trusting God for wisdom.
On the people side, we are trying to spend time with our families and brothers and sisters in Christ. My parents are the best! My siblings would do anything for me. Our kids are scheduling as much time to be together as possible. Our five grandchildren won’t be able to visit in the hospital, so we are treasuring every conversation and occasion to be with them. Love reigns. A little advice: Don’t take ‘time’ for granted. Let love reign.
Susan and I try to resist the negative while dealing with reality. We are praying that God leads and teaches us how to think. His Words, His heart, our relationship with Him is most important. I’m not sure how much I’ll be able to write after November 2nd, but I hope to share a little about Jesus’ thoughts on preparation. ‘Carpe diem!’
“Wake up, O sleeper,
rise up from the dead,
and Christ will shine on you.”
Pay careful attention, then, to how you walk, not as unwise but as wise, redeeming the time, because the days are evil. Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord’s will is. Ephesians 5:14-17