Dean P. Demos

(Sorry I didn’t get this up yesterday)

Patty and I met Dr. Solomon, my transplant physician, at 8:00 a.m. yesterday at the Northside Hospital Blood and Marrow Transplant Center (BMT.)  He had a smile and told us that again, the bone marrow biopsy could not detect any bad myeloma cells, and that my blood work and kidney function were good.  There was a slight rise in what they call the “M spike.”   That is the measure of the useless proteins produced by myeloma cells.  So, Dr. Solomon is recommending a slight increase of my Revlimid dosage.  Revlimid is the most effective drug available that keeps myeloma in check.

There you have it.

We are encouraged.  I get exhausted easily, (what 66 year old doesn’t?) but generally feel good most of the time.

We are grateful for your prayers.  Please don’t let up.  I get reports of others who haven’t done as well.  It grieves us to hear that.  It hits close to home.

Dr. Charles Stanley had a message on TV this past Sunday that addressed pain and suffering in a Christian.  Essentially, he encouraged me to see God’s care and purpose for it.  Also, that it works in us a greater trust and dependency upon the Lord.  I’m there.

Last February, I underwent a stem cell transplant at Atlanta’s Northside Hospital Blood and Marrow Transplant Unit (BMT.)  It was a memory for Patty and Me to visit again last Friday to have another bone marrow biopsy and skeletal xray survey done to evaluate my condition.  I will get my results from Dr. Solomon on Tuesday, March 24.

We look back and see the grace God gave us to go through that process for my diagnosis of Multiple Myeloma.  I am happy to report that I am feeling good, and my energy levels have steadily improved since the transplant.  In just the past two weeks, it seems that I don’t “Hit the wall” as early in the day … say 1:30 or 2 p.m.  I have been able to last some entire days.  I’m grateful.

Thanks to an understanding and capable leadership team, Trinity Christian School has not seemed to miss a beat in my periods of absence.  For that, I am also grateful.  The health of the school means a great deal to me.

I will report the test results on this blog as soon as I get them.

Thanks for your prayers and interest in my well-being.  It’s wonderful to belong to the family of God.