Fourth Anniversary

December 7, 2010

Today marks the fourth anniversary of the day when my doctor leaned over his desk and said these seven words: “David, it looks like you have cancer.” Believe me that will start one contemplating one’s mortality. At least, in my case I had to rethink what was really important in my life.

Last year I thought of the expression, “When life throws you a curve ball...” I added, “You need a big mitt.” My big mitt included my wife, Avis, and the rest of my family. It doesn’t stop there: my Sunday school class, my quest group, the hundreds of encouraging notes I’ve received from David Coolidge’s e-mail ministry, friends from college, and at least twelve Baptist churches in Alabama have prayed for me. That’s important.

Soon after the news of my cancer, I started thinking about God’s word. I grew up in the church but had never read through the whole Bible. I began reading at Psalms and read straight through to Revelation. Reading from Genesis to Job was difficult, but I managed to read at least a chapter a night until I was finished, nine months later. Recently I was given a copy of Eugene Peterson’s The Message. I find myself wanting to read more than just one chapter a night as I had planned.

Last week, I received the best news from my oncologist. The markers that demonstrate the activity of myeloma have dropped from six thousand to five hundred. This indicates that I will qualify for my second stem cell transplantation in January. It also means that it is unnecessary for any chemo or any further mantenence at this time.