Update on my uncle and aunt

Randy’s Update
May 24, 2009, Day 30

Hello,
Yesterday we received some good news. My platelet count had gone up all by itself. In other words, my body, for the first time since I’ve been here, has started to make platelets. PRAISE GOD. This is wonderful news. But today my platelet count went down. Very discouraging news. Yet the fact that it had gone up all by itself does show that my body is finally making red blood cells.

The other news has to deal with the neutrophils. These keep bouncing back and forth. One day I will have 4 or 5% neutrophils and the next it will be 0%. Today it was 7% which is good news in that my body is starting to make good white blood cells. And so far no bad white cells are showing up. PRAISE THE LORD.

Most people who have the treatment I have had go home by day 28. I’m on day 30. The doctor says that one of the reasons for this is because I have had so much chemo in the past (2000 & 2005 and now in 2009). The more chemo a person has the harder it is for the body to recover. So until my neutrophils and platelets go up to a level that is safe, I will not be going home any time soon.

The doctor is going to have a bone marrow biopsy done on Tuesday. Even though my counts are very low, he wants to see what is happening in my bone marrow. He will be looking for any signs of leukemia. If there is, they will have to start the chemo once again and start the day count all over (which means another month or more here).

Please pray for the following:

1. That my neutrophils will go up rapidly.
2. That my platelet count will go up and stay there.
3. That my bone marrow biopsy will show no leukemia and that my body is making good red & white blood cells.
4. For God’s grace and strength to get through each day.
5. To be used by God each day as a witness of His love.

Jesus has been with us each step of the way and we feel all your prayers. Please keep them coming. We also thank you for your responses to our e-mails as they help strength us too. Thank you also for the cards you have sent. These all mean a whole lot to us. It is very hard to spend so much time in the hospital. And after this I will have to spend another 4-6 weeks in the hospital in Denver (for the bone marrow transplant). So your prayers, responses, visits and cards help me deal with being cooped up for so long. THANK YOU!!!!!!!

Penny and I are praying for all of you too! We hope and pray that you all are well.

God bless,
Randy & Penny

Summer Is . . . Kind of Here

Kind of because I've finished all my homework and tests, but I'm not technically done with school. Nevertheless, I am thrilled. The last week and a half has been quite the push, but it's basically over. Now, to move my life out of the dorms. I'm not sure if I'm ready to leave T-Stad campus life. How will I live without my three best friends living on the same floor, and my brother and boyfriend living a 2-minute walk away. :(
BUT, I will have a bathroom all to myself. And a comfortable bed! And real food! And I'll be starting Catalyst soon!
By the way, pray for my finances. I need to raise at least $3,000. I know, it's a lot. I know God will provide, but it's still scary.
Okay, I'm almost done with work for the day, so I should probably wrap it up. I have about 3 weeks before Catalyst starts, so besides coming back to PLU to work every so often, I won't have a ton of things to do. Glorious, huh? :)

Update on my uncle

Hello,
Like I said in my last e-mail, most of my levels are starting to creep up very slowly, Praise the Lord. Yet today the doctor told me that the most important level, "neutrophils", is still at zero. I looked up the term "neutrophils" in a medical dictionary and here it is: Neutrophil: A type of white blood cell, specifically a form of granulocyte, filled with neutrally-staining granules, tiny sacs of enzymes that help the cell to kill and digest microorganisms it has engulfed by phagocytosis.

The doctor said this is the most important level that needs to come up. Once this level goes up all the other levels will start to go up too. The doctor said these levels should start to rise by this Thursday or Friday. If they don't, I'm in very serious trouble. I'm not sure what they can do if my body doesn't kick start these levels. I'm praying I don't need to find out.

Once these levels come up, I should be able to go home (after the bone marrow biopsy).

So please pray that these levels start to rise.

Thank you all for your responses to my e-mails, they brighten up my day!

God is good and He is with me always!

God Bless,
Randy

Latest update on my relatives

May 16, 2009
Hello everyone,
Its day 22 as a hospital patient. I’ve been blessed with a great room. I have a front row seat of the Front Range Mountains, including Pike’s Peak. It is beautiful. I have been watching the trees come to full bloom while I’ve been here. I wish I could be out there to see it in the flesh. Yet I know that for this season, I have to follow what the doctors say in order to survive my illness.

Last Monday I had a bone marrow biopsy. We have been waiting for the test results all week. The doctor finally gave us the results today. They have found 5% leukemia still in my system. The doctor said that it is very hard to determine if this is good news or bad news yet. He said that when my immune system kicks in, if I still have only 5% leukemia, I would be considered in remission, at least for the bone marrow transplant. Without the transplant, the leukemia would come back. After the next bone marrow biopsy, if the leukemia is more than 5%, they would have to start all over again with the chemo, which would mean another 30+ days in this hospital. They will do another bone marrow biopsy once my levels start to rise. This will show a much better picture of where I am at. This last bone marrow biopsy was done at day 14 after chemo ended and my local doctors don’t put much faith in the results, because there is so little tissue to test. Yet the transplant doctor in Denver wanted the day 14 test in order to start planning the transplant. PLEASE PRAY THAT MY NEXT BIOPSY WILL SHOW I’M IN REMISSION, so I can go onto the transplant.

My white blood count is at .5. Normal is 3.0-9.1. My level is at the critical stage. This is normal for the treatment I’ve received for this time frame. The doctor says that within the next 7-10 days, these levels should start to come up. If they don’t, that would be very critical. PLEASE PRAY THAT MY WHTIE BLOOD COUNTS START TO RISE TO NORMAL LEVELS.

My red blood cell count is still low. I have been having a number of blood transfusions during the last couple of weeks. As of yesterday it was at 3.38. Normal is 4.40-6.00. The problem has been it will be up one day and then go down the next. PLEASE PRAY THAT THESE LEVELS GO UP AN STAY UP.

My platelet count today is 17. Normal is 130-380. Anything under 20 means I need platelet transfusions. This level keeps going up after a transfusion, and then it will drop fast to the 6-14 range within 24-48 hours, which is a very dangerous level. Platelets are what clots your blood. PLEASE PRAY THAT THESE LEVELS GO UP AND STAY THERE.

I have been having a lot of fevers. In fact the last couple of days, I’ve changed my clothes seven times! I also get hot flashes, chills and sweats. The doctors cannot figure out why I’m having these fevers. They have called in an Infectious Disease Doctor. He took a lot of blood tests, some that will take weeks to come back. So far he can’t figure out why I’m having these fevers. He said that they only figure out what the cause is about 33% of the time. I have not had any fevers for the last 24 hours. PLEASE PRAY THAT THESE FEVERS STAY AWAY.

I have been feeling almost normal much of the time for the last two weeks. Some days I’m weak and some days I don’t feel well at all. Yet most of the time my biggest problem is cabin fever. It’s hard seeing God’s beauty but from a distant. Yet I’m very grateful for being in a great hospital and having such wonderful doctors, nurses and CNAs. One of the nurses even lent me his DVD player after mine wouldn’t work. A CNA gave me a Christian CD to play. And sometimes the nurses and CNAs will stop by just to talk. I feel blessed by the kindness of these people.

Penny has been a wonderful wife and comp ion. She is here every morning and then after work. She also here all weekend. I know it’s hard on her as she gets very tired. I’m very blessed to have such a wonderful wife.

I love my plaque I keep in my hospital room that says “For I know the plans I have for you.” Declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” Jeremiah 29:11.

God bless,

Randy & Penny

Update on my relatives

Here's the latest from my uncle and aunt:

May 9, 2009

Hello everyone. Its day 15th at the hospital. The last several days have gone very well. Most of the time I’m feeling very good. Now is a waiting game. They are pumping my body with a lot of anti-bodies, anti-fungus medication, blood transplants and platelets, etc. My immune system is almost 0 and very slowly building back up.

My platelets have been very low. I’ve been running between 6-17 (normal is 100). Last Sunday I had a terrible bloody nose that they couldn’t stop. I thought that I might die if they couldn’t get my bloody nose under control. Praise the Lord, they finally gave me some platelets and the bleeding stopped. The other day my platelets went up to 34, but the next day it went to 17, and then today back to 7. Please pray that my body will start to make its own platelets.

I still have at least two more weeks in this hospital. Could be more if they have to give me more chemo. This coming Monday they will do a bone marrow biopsy. This will tell some very important information and will map my future treatment.

I don’t know yet when the transplant will happen. It will be soon as I can’t afford to fall back into cancer again.

I did find a lump. The doctor does not think it is cancerous, but they are going to take an ultrasound tomorrow just to make sure.

Boredom is the hardest part of being here. I have a lot to read, listen to and watch, so that helps a lot. Yet I can only take short walks on this floor.

I have a prayer request. We met a man in a room down from mine. He has lung cancer. They took one of his lungs out last year, but the cancer has returned. They have given him no chance to survive. He has a wonderful wife and two beautiful girls, both pre-teens. The man’s name is Tim. He has a fighting spirit. Please pray for healing for him.

Thank you for all your prayers, cards, visits and phone calls. They mean a lot and help pass the time.

God is a wonderful God and Penny and I feel his presents all the time. Penny and I have been able to spread God’s love to many people, both the staff and other inmates.

I can’t remember if I told you about this, but the weekend I was admitted to the hospital, our daughter, April and her boyfriend went on a fishing trip in the backcountry of Northwest Colorado. To make a very long story short, they drove down the wrong road, got stuck, were not able to get a cell phone signal, and had to spend the night in their truck (which was a very cold night). The next day they knew they had to walk out as no one knew where they were (they were supposed to be in another area. They were out of food and water, so they started to walk. They were very cold and frostbite was starting to affect their feet. They hit a snowstorm. They final saw a Forest Service cabin up on a mountain, so they started to climb toward it. The climb was very steep, so they kept falling and hurting themselves. Many times they wanted to lie down and sleep (and die), yet they keep each other moving. They finally made the cabin and broke in where they found a little food and some heat. They were able to get a cell phone call out, yet the phone almost immediately died. In the mean time search and rescue were searching for them. From their short cell phone call they were able to pin point the area they were at. They finally found them just before dark the second day. Their body temperature had gone down to 94 degrees. Praise God they found them. April did have frostbite on her toes, yet otherwise she is in good shape. Shawn is also OK. Jesus was with them the whole time. We praise the Lord that He was watching out for them!!!

To all the mothers, have a wonderful and blessed MOTHERS DAY!!!!!!!

God bless,

Love, Randy & Penny

Moments of Grace in Lousy Days

So the past few days haven't been exactly wonderful. They've been filled with frustration, pain, and just plain mistakes. But there were definitely some good times, and I want to concentrate on those:
* I've been listening to Jars of Clay's new album all week. It's been way too long since they came out with an all-new album. =)
* God blessed me during Early Morning Prayer last Tuesday. It was a great way to start my day.
* I finally got my support letters out for Catalyst. It's great to have that done.
* I got to hang out with and talk to Hannah Wilson quite a bit. That always makes for a good week.
* God helped me to get through a really hard day yesterday with a lot more joy than I expected. I did stumble, but I was surprised at how I was able to direct my heart to praising God when I was most frustrated.

And, finally, probably the highlight of my week: So I finally get back to my room yesterday evening, after having a tough day. I get there and there's a brand new journal sitting on my desk, with the cover being a beautiful picture that Jason took of cherry blossoms. The inside cover had a passage from Isaiah printed on it. Jason had left it for me at my dorm as a gift for our 6-month anniversary (no, we're not the kind of couple to celebrate every month anniversary... in fact the last time he gave me something for an "anniversary" was a single white rose on our 1-week). On the first two pages of the journal he had written a letter to me.
Yes, I don't deserve a guy like Jason- but that's because I can't deserve him. He (and this relationship) has been a gift of God's grace to me, something I can't earn. And, on days when I feel like giving up and lashing out at everyone, I'm blessed with moments like this. :)

Compassion: To Suffer With

Is it worth it?
My soul wounded,
Heart broken,
Torn by the sound
Of child's silent cry?
Yes. This is why:
The enemy's crushed
Under your foot,
Victory's won,
The hard part is done.
So, does it matter?
Yes. This is why:
Because Christ desires
To not be alone,
He asks His beloved
Come share in His pain.
Do I have enough strength
To do this for You?
To bear up this cross,
To feel all this pain?
Yes. This is why:
I cannot rely
Upon my own strength.
So capture my heart,
Let me feel what You feel.
I give you my life,
It's all yours, O Lord.

Because my brain is contesting work

I really don't like calling people. I have to be honest, I used to be phonophobic, and a part of that still lives in me. I know, it's just a phone. But somehow it's the scariest thing on the planet when I need to call someone whom I haven't talked to in a long time. Sometimes I think that we should go back to the days when letters were the only way of communication, aside from face-to-face. Why am I ranting about this? Well, I'm doing a summer training school through City Central called Catalyst. I know it's what God wants me to do, and I know He'll provide for me. But it's a scary leap of faith, because I need to raise over $3,000 for the school and for our trip to South Africa. I wrote support letters, but I took Adam's advice to say that I would contact each individual within 7 days. That means I'm going to have to call some people. Can contact mean e-mail? I mean, people should take into consideration my condition as a phonophobic. Just pray for me, I'm too afraid to call you!
All that being said, I'm looking forward to summer. It's going to be good. :)

Update on my uncle and aunt

Here is the latest e-mail I got from my uncle:

Randy MacInnes
May 2, 2009

A week ago I found out that I have leukemia. This came so sudden, even the doctors were shocked. The doctors had been taking frequent blood tests and bone marrow biopsies. This should have given us enough warning to prevent leukemia and have the bone marrow transplant I needed to save my life. We lost the battle. What this means is my treatment is going to be much longer, much harsher, and much more dangerous. Yet JESUS is with us EVERY STEP OF THE WAY. We may not understand why this is happening, but we know that Jesus loves us and wants the best for us.

I brought a plaque to the hospital that has the scriptures: “I know the plans I have for you, plans to prosper you, not to harm you…” I keep reading this plaque, especially during the hard times.

The last seven days have been extremely hard. They are giving me chemo to kill off all my immune system. Today should be the last of the chemo. Then for the next 3-4 weeks, while still in the hospital, they will be watching me for infections and reactions. I am already going stir crazy, and I have months more of hospital stays to look forward to’

One of the biggest dangers of the chemo they are giving me is that I have had too much of it for a life time. A person is only supposed to get 400 units in a life time. Any more than that could cause heart failure. And if I have heart failure, I CAN NOT have the bone marrow transplant. I would then die of the cancer, in a very short time. So please pray that my heart stays strong and healthy. They did a heart test before the chemo and my heart looked very strong, praise God.

Please keep me in your prayers. This treatment has been extremely harsh and very hard to deal with at times. The other night Penny told me that I was doing crazy things. She was so worried that she stayed the whole night and didn’t go to work the next day. Penny has been a wonderful wife, a pure delight to have around and she has sacrificed so much to help me. God gave me the best 33 years ago.

I better go as Penny is staying the night again and she needs her sleep.

Sorry for not emailing before now. I’ve been so sick I couldn’t do hardly anything, plus or laptop was in for repairs. It finally came back today in worse shape than before. We are not happy with Best Buy.

God bless, and thank you for the cards, calls and visits. They help a lot.

Randy & Penny MacInnes