Fighting Anew

About a month ago I was celebrating being in remission for six months. Well, it seems our old friend Poindexter had other ideas. Over the past month a place has grown on my right shoulder to the point it looks like I'm trying to grow a second head. A biopsy confirmed that it is a plasma cytoma, a recurrence of the Multiple Myeloma the autologous stem cell transplant had put in remission. While not the best of news, it is not the worst of news either. My oncologist assured me that it is not desperation time, that there is still much that can be done, including the possibility of another transplant. He is currently consulting with the transplant team at the University of Chicago where my transplant was done, to see what treatment they want to do. In the meantime I will begin radiation treatment on the tumor on my shoulder to stop the bone damage it is doing. Before I spoke of this disease being a gift. It still is. I knew it would come back, I simply hoped it wouldn't be this soon. No, I'm not happy, but I will do what I must, the most important thing being to trust God and pray. God has brought me this far, I'm not giving up on God now. So, pray as I enter the ring again, and start fighting anew.
Deacon John
Saturday of the Fifth Week in Lent
April 4, 2009