With today being a Sunday, I was able to spend my morning in Church, playing my guitar as a music minister. It was certainly a joy to have my wife and two daughters in the congregation. In speaking with my good friend and fellow music minister today, he said it seems like it should be much longer than 3 years. There is no doubt that much has happened in my life since July 17th, 2008. And it does truly feel like it was a lifetime ago.
If you are reading this blog as someone recently diagnosed with MCL, you should gain great relief in hearing that you can and will beat this. For one thing, medical science has come a long way. Another thing is that by you keeping a positive attitude, no matter what little setbacks you may (or may not) run into, you will be greatly helping your doctors, caregivers and caretakers succeed in making you better. The day will come that you too will be marking the anniversary of your diagnoses with joy in your heart. And know that God says: “I am always with you… Be not afraid.”
May the peace of Christ be with you always.I plan to post my next update after I get the results from my next scans which are scheduled for December 12th with me getting the results on December 16th. Of course if I have any news to report I will enter an update sooner.
More to come…
8 comments:
Congratulations on your success! I'm very happy for you. I was diagnosed about a month ago, and reading your blog has inspired me. I've just come off my first round of chemo treatments, and I think I've tolerated it pretty well (no hair loss and no vomiting!). Hopefully I'll come through this as well as you have. Again, CONGRATULATIONS!
Anthony
Raleigh, NC
Hi Anthony,
I have all the confidence in the world that you will get through your treatments successfully. By being positive, patient, and having trust in your doctors and God you will beat this thing. Please feel free to reach out to me anytime. And if you do lose your hair, no big deal, it will come back. I will keep you in my prayers.
Rich
Back in April my wife was diagnosed. At that time, I searched the web for all accounts of MCL. I have found your account very inspiring. She has completed four rounds of chemo and now is scheduled for a stem cell bone marrow transplant at Duke.
Thank you for your articulate blog and inspiring spiritual prayers. Congratulations on your third anniversary and with the Lord's help, many, many more.
Charlie
Concord, NC
Hi Charlie,
Your wife will do great with her stem cell bone marrow transplant. Please know that she will be in my prayers and those of all the readers of this blog. As a community of MCL survivors, we are all pulling for each other’s success.
Peace be with you and your wife,
Rich
Congratulations to you. My husband was diagnosed in May and has had 3 cycles (admissions) so far. This week he is not able to be admitted because his platelets are too low. I hope this will pass. I can't believe I want him in the hospital but I know that is where he needs to be to get better.
Take care,
Ana
Hi Rich-
I just returned from vacation to learn that my father has been diagnosed with MCL and began treatment today. Your blog is one of the few uplifting things I have read about the condition through my sleepless researching. I wish you a long and happy life.
-Adam
Hi Ana,
I surely know what it is like to be delayed due to low platelets. I have no doubt that they will bounce back for your husband. My experience was that the deeper I got into my treatments the longer it seemed to take for my platelets to rebound. I am not sure if it is the same for everyone or not. There were a few times I did need platelet transfusions. Hopefully your husband will not need that but if he does it is really no big deal. I recall one time my platelets were so low that I couldn’t walk. After my transfusion I felt like Superman. The doctors and medical staff really know what they are doing and I am sure they will prescribe what is best for your husband. Please know that your husband will be in my prayers and those of all the readers of this blog.
Peace,
Rich
Hey Adam,
I truly believe that it is harder for family members, like yourself, to watch a loved be sick than it is for the person who is sick. Your father is so lucky to have a son like you.
I am very happy that this blog helped lift your spirits. To hopefully make you feel even better… Because I am part of a MCL clinical trial I have the pleasure of knowing many other MCL survivors and I am happy to report that the huge majority of the people I know are in remission and living normal lives. Your father has all the odds in his favor. With the help of God and his doctors… he will get better too.
Please know that your father will be in my prayers and those of all the readers of this blog.
Peace,
Rich
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