The Cancer Chronicles, #1

*The Cancer Chronicles is a re-posting of blog updates I gave during my initial diagnosis and treatment*

May 27, 2011:

I just want to thank everyone for all the prayers, encouragement, concern, and support.  I appreciate you all and wish I had the time and strength to comfort each of you individually.  But as it is, I think the best way for me to communicate with you all is via periodic, blog-like updates.

So, here's the scoop....

I have leukemia.  I'd like to say that there is some clear medical reason for why this has happened to me, or that it is in some way related to other health problems I've had over the years or that I carry some obvious genetic predisposition to malignancy.  But I can't honestly say any of that.

All I can say for sure--and I want to make certain that this at least is heard--is that I am prepared for whatever happens.  I am prepared physically, mentally, and spiritually.  I trust in God and in His purpose and, in a way that is hard to explain, I feel prepared by God for this trial.  I have a reasonable amount of peace in this whole thing and I desperately want all of you to share in this peace, to grow in faith, and to seek comfort in the Lord. 

My cancer is excessively unique...it has the bcr-abl translocation characteristic of chronic myelogenous leukemia with the pathologic appearance of acute promyelocytic leukemia; the combination does not carry with it an encouraging prognosis.  But even though I know the science behind the disease, I still cannot claim to know what will happen.  Today I learned that my only real hope for a cure is a bone marrow transplant.  But even before that can be pursued I need to achieve molecular remission.  I believe God can and does work miracles and I hope that that is His plan in my case; but if it's not, it means I have a long and difficult road ahead of me.  But I assure you that it will be easier on me than on my family, my girlfriend, and my friends.  Please join me in praying for them.