“You are the most resilient man I have ever known.” That’s what one of Dave’s doctors said to him yesterday. This doctor has been with us during the craziness of our journey – the pain, weakness, and extreme setbacks. This doctor has seen Dave work his way back to strength after being pushed to the brink of despair. Leukemia, chemo, stem cell transplant, relapse, chemo again, spinal cord damage, relapse again, and now chemo again. Ugh.
It’s true. The resilience in this man, the perseverance in the face of discouragement and suffering, are truly inspiring. The road we are on is scary. We have no idea what is going to happen. But Dave continues to push beyond the ugliness. If God chooses to give us more time (which we are begging him for every day), Dave will work his way back to strength, he will continue to work on walking again, and we will make the most of every single day.
At this point, we travel to Cedars two or three times a week. Most of those days are really long. There are so many tests – MRIs, blood work, x-rays, bone marrow biopsies, just to mention a few. And then there’s chemo. Ugly.
We don’t have any definitive answers yet as to whether the chemo is working this time, but some of the symptoms like headaches and disequilibrium are diminishing. That’s a good sign. We are hopeful. We will continue to be hopeful.
Where does this resilience come from? Well, it’s just who Dave is. Character in the face of hardship lived out in real life. But more importantly, it’s because of the foundation he has built his life on. Dave depends on God’s faithfulness and strength every day. He looks daily to the profound truths found in the Bible. He knows God is with him in all of this, even the really horrible things.
“Not by might nor by power, but by my Spirit,” says the Lord Almighty. Zechariah 4:6
Please keep praying for Dave! He needs every prayer for healing, strength, and encouragement.
Thank you!
Carol