Remember your word to your servant,
in which you have made me hope.
This is my comfort in my affliction,
that your promise gives me life.
(Psalm 119:49-50)
This week, along with all of you, my Lenten Journey begins in a very concrete fashion. Nancy and I received the good news that my much needed stem cell transplant has been approved by the insurance company and the medical team at UCLA. I also signed the consents and we now have a schedule. It has been a small battle staying healthy and out of the hospital but I am grateful for the Lord’s mercy in being at home for over a week.
I find in the schedule signs of our Lord’s assurance that He is with me. Today, the day after Ash Wednesday, I have begun to receive Neupogen injections which stimulate stem cell production in the bone marrow. Stems cells can mature into platelets, red or white blood cells. They also can divide to form more stem cells. The Neupogen injections will also cause these extra stem cells to be released from the bone marrow into the blood stream. The week of March 13, beginning on Monday, is when Nancy and I will travel daily to UCLA in order for stem cells to be collected from my blood. This is far less painful then extracting them from the bone marrow.
On Monday, March 21, I am scheduled to be admitted to UCLA Hospital where I will receive a very high dose of Melphalan, a chemotherapy drug, that will have the effect of killing all the cells in my bone marrow. My bone marrow will literally die. It will be unable to produce any blood products. This Melphalan does not distinguish between good and bad cells, so in order to get the bad the good has to killed too. Obviously this puts me at risk since the immune system in my body will be compromised entirely. It also means that I will need to depend on transfusions for blood. The 21st will be my “Good Friday” for, in order to live, I must die.
Tuesday March 22, is a “day of rest” a Sabbath if you will. It reminds me of Holy Saturday where are Lord rested in the tomb. Yes, on the schedule UCLA calls it a “day of rest.” However on Wednesday, March 23rd they reintroduce the stem cells that were collected the week prior. This is considered day zero. It is considered the day of rebirth. It will be another eight days before there are signs that the stems cells have engrafted to the bone marrow and have begun producing blood. The significance of eight days is not lost upon me. The eighth day was the day of circumcision. It is also, in our “last days,” considered the day of resurrection, since, in seven days the Lord created the earth, the eighth day is the day where the creation is reborn. Many orthodox churches are eight-sided, and so are Christian baptismal fonts.
The time between the 21st and the 31st of March will be a critical time for me. Your prayers during this time will be warmly welcomed. If everything works according to plan, I may be released from the hospital the week of April 3rd and then moved to a hotel near the UCLA campus called the Tiverton House in order to continue my recovery for another two weeks.
These signs in the schedule speak to me as I enter into my Lenten journey with my Lord. This whole process could have begun in Epiphany but it has started immediately in Lent. I see our Lord’s promises in these signs that come from the Lord and it does give me comfort in my affliction. I have the promise in my baptism that I have been crucified, buried and raised with Christ. Regardless of the outcome, that promise cannot be taken away.
