The Calm Before the Storm
We tried to keep our composure but it was impossible. We said most of our goodbyes in the room so we could part quickly and avoid the deluge of emotions. It’s not just the pending separation this time, but all…
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leukemia
New Year, New You
This is the time of the year when we see all those self-help articles touting a few easy steps to a better life. The popular ones usually don’t demand much in the way of personal sacrifice, which is why they…
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Extra Crispy
Imagine the worst sunburn you’ve ever had, multiply it by ten, and add one. That describes the 6-inch wide streak along my spine from the proton therapy. My ears have fared even worse (no jokes from the peanut gallery about…
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Fear and Courage
Have you ever been really afraid? I don’t mean startled or jittery after watching a scary movie. I mean have you ever experienced bone-chilling, gut-wrenching fear? I have. Like the time I was in a Humvee driving down a road…
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Why Suffering?
Why do bad things happen to good people? It just doesn’t seem right, does it? How can a loving God tolerate evil? How can he sit by and watch the suffering of innocent people, children even? I see this in…
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Never Quit
“A pinch and a burn.” This is the warning right before my tormentor inserts the syringe of lidocaine into my lower back before starting the lumbar puncture. It usually takes a few injections before the area is numb, but it’s…
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Why We Serve
When I was ten years old, I had a company’s worth (about 100) of GI Joe action figures. I had taken over my Granny Blessing’s living room with a six-foot long toy aircraft carrier. Her house was a frequent battleground…
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The Day I Didn’t Want to End
We got home from Texas late Thursday night after two days of driving. What a blessing it was to walk in our house after being gone a month and a half. Thanks to our wonderful neighbors, we even had groceries…
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First Things First
The first week of the second cycle of this clinical trial will be over tomorrow. So far, so good. I’ve faced the requisite nausea and depressed appetite, but overall there isn’t much to complain about. My neutrophils are low again,…
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Lessons from the Playground
Sunday was the perfect Texas fall day. The temperature was in the mid-seventies with low humidity and there was barely a cloud in the sky. The nice weather and a growing case of cabin fever prompted us to take the…
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