4/30/2010 - Inital Biopsy Results

I can't believe it has been a month since my last update! Sorry for the long silence. After our vacation, I got distracted by tax preparation and other stuff - some important, some not so important :-(

We had a wonderful time in Carlasbad and San Diego. The kids enjoyed visiting Legoland and getting their "driver's license" again - their favorite activity there. Other memorable experiences include: having a close-up look at a cheetah's face at the Wild Animal park - they actually look beautiful, feeding lorikeets at the San Diego Zoo - the kids had a blast, touching sea creatures at the Birch Aquarium, observing seals sunbathing in La Jolla - those lazy bums look so cute!, strolling at the Flower Fields in Carlsbad - acres of beautiful flowers!, playing in the Science Museum - wish learning was this much fun when I was a kid, watching model trains go in the Railroad Museum, and last but not least, relaxing by the beach. It was all very nice. We even discovered a couple of good restaurants - yum!

We celebrated Easter in Carlsbad. It was another time to reflect on the great price that was paid for our salvation. This Easter was more significant for me, because I felt like I have been redeemed, not just once, but twice! The blood of Christ that washed away my sins also washed away the cancer cells in my body. Praise God!

The initial results of the biopsy came out normal! Yay! Thank God and thank you for your prayers. Now we just have to wait for the final results. We will know about it in the next 2 weeks. The technicians have to culture the cells to find out if they will mutate to bad cells. The doctor is optimistic that it will come out normal as well, but does not want me to go back to work until the results are back. I'm not complaining.

It will be so nice to get back to normal, though. No more trips to the hospital at least once a week! No more blood draws and port dressing changes! I can't wait to get the ports out of my chest. My skin is getting rashes from the adhesive used to protect it. They already used the mildest form of adhesive available, so all I can do is try not to scratch too hard. The doctor has prescribed a cream I can apply. I'll be picking it up later. Despite the discomfort, I am thankful that it has remained uninfected all these months. I have heard bad stories about infections, even if the patient has been careful. Another answered prayer - thank God and thank you.

At this point, my family is getting ready to embark on the next leg of our journey. We can see this adventure ending in a few weeks, and a new adventure unfolding in the future. We do not know what it will be like, but we have learned to just let go and follow God's leading. Having Leukemia was no laughing matter, but we had many good laughs along the way. Our family has grown much closer, and the kids really enjoyed having me around the house. We are all a little sad that I will be going back to work, because it means I will be spending less time with the family. On the other hand, we are also looking forward to the new adventures ahead, including where to go and what to do during the summer break. Life goes on. I hope the lessons we learned during this period will not go to waste. I will share these lessons with you in a future blog.

Please continue to pray that the test results will come out normal, and that my body will be able to get rid of all the toxins and recover fully from the chemo treatments. Please also pray that we will be able to adjust well to the new reality when I go back to work. Thank you all very much for your concern and prayers. May God continue to bless you and your family.