Looking Ahead

Dear friends and family,

     This update is coming from Marcie this week as Don is a bit too fatigued to write.  With chemo twice this week and our all day visit to University Hospital on Tuesday he has had a rather full week.  

            We had a very good meeting at University Hospital on Tuesday, February 21st.  The oncology nurse and the social worker did a great job of explaining exactly what Don will be going through with the stem cell transplant and everything we can expect along the way.  Don’s sister and brother-in-law, Jacque and Bob, went with us, as they will be a very crucial part of caring for him.  It was very clearly explained what will be needed from us as Don's caregiver team, and we all agreed afterward that the doctors and nurses at UH definitely know what they are doing and have a plan for every eventuality. 

          We now know that Don will complete the current round of chemotherapy, both round 5 of the Velcade and 20 more days of the Revlimid.  After that, if his numbers show that the cancer has shrunk to below a certain level, he will have one month off.  Then he will go to UH for the collecting of his stem cells.  That will take 3 to 4 days as an outpatient.  We will probably stay at Hope House which is near the hospital while that is going on.  

          After the collection of his stem cells he will have another 2 weeks off after which they will admit him for the stem-cell transplant.  Counting out all of those days, we arrive at approximately mid-May for the actual transplant.  He will be in the hospital for 3 to 5 weeks, depending on how quickly his bone marrow re-creates itself.  After that, they are estimating he should be off work for 2 to 3 months of recovery at home.  They told us that they have never had a patient go back to work sooner than 2 months because fatigue is such a huge factor.  As you can see, there are several “ifs” involved in the timing, so we are just going to be as flexible as we can and take it as it comes. 

     We are also pleased at the coordination of care between our oncologist at Western Reserve Hospital and UH.  They are working together in Don's best interest.

Prayer Requests:

     - Pray for strength for Don as the cumulative effects of the chemo and other medicines are starting to be felt.  He is tired, is having some cramping in his legs and some swelling from the steroids.  He has a lot of neuropathy - numbness in left leg and foot, as well as continued pain in both hips.

     - Pray that he would not suffer any of the worse side effects as he gets through another 21 day cycle of Revlimid.

     - Pray that these last cycles of chemotherapy will work and the cancer will be brought down to where the numbers need to be for the collection of stem cells.

     - God has very generously met all of our needs thus far - please pray that He will continue to provide for us throughout the 2 to 3 months Don will be in recovery at home after the transplant.  

Praise and Thanksgiving:

     - Praise the Lord who shelters us under His wings and tenderly cares for us as our Heavenly Father. 

    - For the article in the Akron Beacon Journal in which we feel the Lord was glorified and others suffering from ill health may be encouraged. 

    - Last week, on Thursday, we received a bit of good news - for the first time the numbers that indicate that the cancer is shrinking were encouraging!

    - Our insurance company seems to be coordinating our benefits much more smoothly now. 

    - People continue to support and bless us in so many ways - we are so very thankful for God's people!

Our profound thanks to everyone for your loving concern and support.

Marcie and Don

     

    

 

     

An Encouraging Video

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QQlfOjTu5gQ&feature=fvwrel

Divine Intervention...Divine Process* and a Theology of Rx

February 11,  2012

The Lichi Report

Dear Friends,

Greetings in the Name that is above every other Name; The Lord Jesus Christ!

PRAISE FIRST!!

Had an exciting call from Dr. Lewis, my oncologist Thursday evening that "the numbers are finally coming down to where we want them and the treatments are doing what they are supposed to be doing!" She wanted us to know as soon as she got the results from my most recent blood tests. I don't know all the details but that's good news! Thank you Jesus! Thank you friends and family for your faithful prayers!

Here is the weekly update from our end. 

·         The next round of Revlimid may actually be covered by the insurance after all. Will let you know...but either way I'll be off of this chemo medication for a week before resuming another

3-week course of treatment.

·         Meeting last week with Dr. Samar Narouse, Pain Specialist resulted in setting up a series of 3 lumbar epidural steroid injections. First one is on Valentine's Day!

·         Was able to get in a full week's work at EMERGE.

·         The interview with the Akron Beacon Journal will most likely be printed on February 18th or 19th. The weekend editor told Ms. Collette Jenkins that the "story needed more space."  (Long winded psychologist!) My hope is that Jesus will be lifted up and someone will be encouraged. May He be glorified!

COMING UP

·         Outpatient surgery February 14th, 28th and March 8th for L5  (Lumbar epidural injection)

·         Begin round 5 of chemo-therapy treatment on February 20.

·         February 21st orientation to inpatient treatment at University Hospital.  It will let us know what to expect when I finally do go into isolation to prepare for the bone marrow transplant.

Divine Intervention....Divine Process

Please continue to pray for God's Divine Intervention in this whole cancer treatment process. By this I mean a direct, unmistakable, dramatic, sudden, spectacular, headline grabbing, testimony giving, new book printing touch from our Father. If on the other hand our Father brings healing to my body through His Divine Process (including the prayers and support of the Body of Christ, my chemo-therapy, numerous medical appointments, surgeries, a bone marrow transplant, a host of other  medications I take twice a day) then please pray God will be glorified nonetheless! Does that cover all bases?

I believe in Divine Healing. I believe that Jesus provides for this in the Cross and in His suffering. I don't understand it. I believe at various times in my life I experienced it. One example;  Last May I was scheduled at the General Council of the Christian & Missionary Alliance for two seminars and a book signing for "BROKEN WINDOWS OF THE SOUL" which I co-authored with my dear friend Dr. Arnold Fleagle. I suffered a kidney stone attack when I left Akron, agonized through the airport in Detroit and cried out to God for a miraculous healing on the flight from Detroit to Kansas City. I mean literally cried out for God's miraculous touch! When I got off the plane, I passed the stone and within a day was running as usual and everything went off without a hitch!. Dramatic healing! Answered prayer....yea!

I pray for Divine Healing...but I also believe in Divine Process. And in the midst of Divine Process...I don't want to miss any of God's Divine Moments! In the past three months post-diagnosis there have been literally hundreds of these! Moments where I know God has intervened and opportunities to see Christ lifted up that I could not even imagine pre-diagnosis! The most simple things like prayer with the nurse who is giving me the injections, that "in Jesus name, this medication will do exactly what it is intended to do and kill those cancer cells!"

Is it possible that the discoveries of cancer-killing medications and the advances that have occurred in the treatment of Multiple Myeloma have come because of the common grace of God to exercise dominion over this part of the earth?

A Theology of Rx

So may I talk just a moment about a "theology of RX?" Taking medication for the treatment of cancer represents, for some, a lack of faith in the healing power of God. No one has said that to me mind you..it just comes across in some of the things I've heard and read in the past 3 months

I get confused at times when I hear things like this. "Don, I know it is not God's will that you have this cancer!" "You are not designed by God, as a Christian to get sick!" I agree... I think.

However we live in a fallen world and so many times out of so many times people are visited with the various effects of the "fall." For some it is bad eyes. For others diabetes, hearing loss, heart disease....well you get the idea right? Are the effects of the fall God's perfect will? Of course not! Nor was the "fall" itself..but it happened for which to some degree we are all affected! Thanks Adam and Eve for not obeying God about that tree! (Genesis 3:3)

Now...stay with me for a while longer o.k.? Our dominion mandate as a human race was given to us before the fall in Genesis 1:26, "And God said, Let us make man in our image after our likeness, and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creeps upon the earth." That's about all there was at the time to take dominion over (creeeeeppppiiiinnngggg thhhiiinnngggsss!)

For what are we to take dominion over now?

·         Runny noses (Kleenex)

·         Bad hair days (I know a great cosmologist)

·         The air (Delta)

·         The sea (ships except certain Italian cruise lines)

·         The ground (Fords and Toyotas)

·         My desk? (please don't get so personal!)

·         Cancer! (working on it)

In other words, the "dominion mandate" didn't change with the fall and entrance of sin to this planet. God has given through both special and common grace the ability to think, to discover, to create, to invent, to research, ....to take dominion over this planet! What a great challenge and privilege to do so!

I happen to believe that much of Divine Process is to partner with God in this incredibly exciting journey of discovery and dominion over a particularly ugly part of this earth....and yes I'm talking about my cancer. Take dominion! Let those cancer cells be killed....all to the glory of Jesus!

If you are sick...pray for healing. Call the elders. Let them anoint you and pray for you! Grow in your faith! And....take your medication. Divine Intervention...Divine Process.

Final Comment

Saturate your heart and mind with God's Word. I love to listen to Scriptures on healing and believe that there must be some special way that these Scriptures go deep to my soul. I encourage you to draw close to Jesus for whatever journey God has called you to travel at this time of your life. He loves you! He values you! He is willing to forgive you! He is changing you! Amen!

Much love to you dear friends and family!

Don and Marcie

*Special thanks to Dr. M. Wayne Benson, former President of Emerge Ministries for introducing me to the concept of Divine Intervention and Divine Process.

UP CLOSE AND (A BIT TOO) PERSONAL....INTIMACY

February 7, 2012

The Lichi Report 

Dear Friends,

Greetings in the Name that is above every other Name; The Lord Jesus Christ!

PRAISE FIRST!!

Running a bit late in this report so it will likely be short and sweet this week. The Summo Wrestlers (see last week's report) returned for a brief encore and decided to step into my Cervical Spine area for an additional MRI last Wednesday morning. The findings show that the cancer is indeed in the bones of the Lumbar, Thoracic and also now in the Cervical along with the hips. This of course helps explain some of the pain along with the fact that, as the neurologist says...there's only so much room in the opening of the spine for the nerves, swelling, muscle, fluids, etc. The good news is that the cancer does NOT appear to be in the spinal cord itself for which we are grateful.

My primary oncologist Dr. Lewis is checking my blood levels weekly and is in close consultation with Dr. Lazarus at University Hospital. The Revlimid will need to go at least another round at the 25 mg. dosage. By this I mean that when I'm done with this 21 day cycle, I'll have a week off and then another 21 days at 25mg. When the cancer is shrunk to a manageable level,  I'll go into the hospital for the "major blast" of chemo and then work to replace the bone marrow with my own stem cells. (Fearfully and Wonderfully made! Psalm 139:14) When I first switched from 15mg to 25 mg. last week I had a one day negative reaction but afterwards adjusted and have been feeling actually very strong. One of the effects of the Revlimid is a suppressed immune system...so don't mind if I'm not my normal hugs and kisses kind of guy when we meet! Don't take it personally if I just give you a "knuckle bump."

In all honesty were it not for the throbbing pain in the hips, legs, swelling and numbness in the legs and waist, you really wouldn't know that I have the cancer (that's my story and I'm sticking to it!).

Here is the weekly update from our end. 

·       Continue Praise for the provision of the full cost of this first round of Revlimid! Amen!

·       Praise in advance how God will provide for the second round of Revlimid in the next 3 weeks.

·       MRI's last Wednesday on Cervical.

·       Had scan and determined that the pain was not being caused by blood clots (praise!)

·       Meet Wednesday 2/8/12 with Dr. Samar Narouse Pain Specialist

·       Thanks again to all of you who gave up your valuable time to haul me to and from appointments and work.

·       Was able to get in a full week at EMERGE.

·       Pray for the team at EMERGE as we gear up for our first official Marriage Tune Up in Allentown, PA. I won't be able attend of course but will be working with the team as a consultant. The goal is work with the "high risk" population of those who have answered the call to full-time pastoral ministry (and their spouses) to do some initial testing and consultation in order to "build fences at the top of the hill and not just call for the ambulance at the bottom of the hill" in ministry. We have a talented and dedicated team of therapists who will be spending the day ministering to 12 couples in Allentown.

·       I was able to have a 1 1/2 hour interview last Tuesday with the Akron Beacon Journal (along with a photographer) related to my journey. Ms. Collette Jenkins was so gracious to allow me to share candidly how one's life can change so quickly. One moment seemingly healthy; training for a 12th marathon; great energy; purposeful and fulfilling ministry...and then,  "We think you have a serious cancer called multiple myeloma; that starts in plasma cells and is also called plasma cell myeloma.....and your life is about to dramatically change."

·        I shared that when your external world is turned upside down, it is valuable to have an inner compass that stays upside up through the storm. My compass is Jesus Christ. I was also able to give hearty thanks for those who have come alongside Marcie and me in this incredible journey. It gave me an opportunity to thank the Christian community, my family, friends, the medical community, my church, and pastors. It was emotional at times.

·       At the end of the interview, the photographer mentioned that he had lost his father to cancer six months ago. He allowed me to pray comfort for him and his family. I was able to pray with Collette as well, both of us knowing that the true editor of her writing is the Lord God Himself.

·       If the article is printed, my hope is that Jesus will be lifted up and someone will be encouraged. May He be glorified!

COMING UP

·       Completing my fourth round of chemotherapy this week (week off next week and then round 5)

·       February 21st orientation to inpatient treatment at University Hospital. This orientation alone takes about 4 to 5 hours. It will let us know what to expect when I finally do go into isolation to prepare for the bone marrow transplant.

HOW MUCH INTIMACY CAN YOU STAND? (Into me....See)

I WANT TO BE CLOSE TO YOU! REALLY? (Intimacy (from Latin "intimus" and means "without barriers"). Undone, open, honest, transparent, the ability to see and be seen. Do I really want that? Typically not. In the sacredness of a therapeutic relationship that is founded on trust, people will, with work begin to open their lives. For many this is a risky first time experience. When one takes the chance to open their life to you please know they are taking an enormous risk. To invite another to look in; look deeply, revealing their hopes, doubts, fears, joy, sorrow....in other words....getting beyond the shell of defenses (sarcasm, humor, denial, blame, "fine", "I'm doing great").

To whom are you available? To whom do you allow yourself to be intimate?

Who sees you? Really sees you? A few see me. One rule of close friends for me is this....you cannot be impressed. By this of course I (as any dog really) like to be stroked and affirmed of course, but you cannot be close and intimate and stay impressed for very long. Who do you let in to your  "inner circle?" Marcie. Painful at times because of all people she probably knows me best after nearly 41 years of marriage.  Intimacy means painful conversation at times...tense...my ego is wounded...I don't get my way. My ideas are not the "best" ideas. I blow it. My "inner circle" of friends know this quite well and, amazingly love me anyhow. And they remain not overly impressed.

As Moses was developing his relationship with God he asked to see God in un-adorned intimacy. Wisely God knew better and said clearly, "You couldn't stand it and live!"  God obviously knew better. Moses concluded correctly that unless God's presence (intimacy) was with the people of Israel as they traversed the desert places...they were done for. And, logically he wanted a closer, more intimate view of God. So he went for broke. "I want to see your glory!" (Exodus 33:18) God agreed to show Moses His goodness but limited Moses to seeing His goodness and hear His name...but Moses was not permitted a full view of God's face...otherwise he'd be a dead man. At some point we will see Him face to face...just not now!  But we can have more of Him now. He will be found by us when we seek Him with our whole heart. (Jeremiah 29:13) I want to reflect more on the issue of intimacy in the near future. Suffice it to say....it's not easy! Be careful what you ask for.....God may just decide, in the most unexpected ways, to show you more of Himself.  Be ready.

Final Comment

Intimacy is risky. When a relationship is going well...there is nothing like it. When a relationship is not going well.... there is nothing like it. In the midst of close (intimate) relationships come life's greatest pleasures and pains. For many, the dodging of pain leaves us full of defenses, and avoidances, and many other ways to keep others at a distance. Take a chance this week to open your heart to intimacy. First with Jesus. Talk to Him openly and honestly about what the two of you are doing together. That's called prayer. Ask Him to bring someone to mind who might benefit from a closer, more authentic relationship with you....and bring the presence of Jesus Christ in you to their life. Amen

Much love to you dear friends and family!

Don and Marcie