Multiple Myeloma is a cancer of your plasma cells, a type of white blood cell present in your bone marrow. Plasma cells normally make proteins called antibodies to help you fight infections.
In Multiple Myeloma, a group of abnormal plasma cells (Myeloma cells) multiplies, raising the number of plasma cells to a higher than normal level. Since these cells normally make proteins, the level of abnormal proteins in your blood also may go up. Health problems caused by Multiple Myeloma can affect your bones, immune system, kidneys and red blood cell count.
Multiple Myeloma typically affects middle-aged or elderly persons. It accounts for 15% of all hematological malignancies. Approximately 15,000 new cases are diagnosed each year. Multiple Myeloma is more common in men than women, and in African Americans than Caucasians. Over 50,000 Americans are currently living with Multiple Myeloma.
On April 13, 2009 my aunt Diane was diagnosed with this rare form of cancer. Most of you already know this, but for those of you that don't, I wanted to provide you with a little background before going on.
Diane began chemotherapy in July, and just finished her last treatment September 18th. Friday, she will begin preparation for the stem cell collection, and will meet back with the doctor on the 20th for further planning.
Through it all, she has been a pillar of strength, a shining light in the midst of the darkness that is trying to surround and overtake her. Satan absolutely had no idea who he was messing with when he sent his little sickness demons to Diane - but God knew! :) God knew that she was going to come straight to Him! To come running into His arms, and lean on Him through it all! Pointing everyone that came into her path right back to Him! Being more of a witness than pastors, evangelists or missionaries, simply by "living out loud!"
The Monday following her last treatment, as I was preparing to go to work, God gave me a very powerful picture regarding Diane. I immediately called and shared it with Mama, and she was also touched by what He had shown me. That Friday afternoon, I was off work, and I had some time alone with God, just soaking Him in, and enjoying the rest, when He began expounding on the picture. I opened up the laptop, and He poured the words into my heart, and out my fingertips.
I would like to share with you what He shared with me, and ask that you join our family in praying for Diane as she travels this journey:
And now, the rest of the story
He is seated at His desk. His white robe billowing out around Him, and His hair shining and flowing around His shoulders - He is the picture of peace. He has a book opened in front of Him and He reaches out to adjust the ink well before picking up His quill to begin writing where He left off. He dips the quill into the well, and leans into the book - tenderness, compassion and excitement etched into His face - as if this is the single most important thing He will ever write.
He pauses, takes a deep breath, and decides to take a look back before He moves on. As He reads through the pages that contain the happenings of her last six months, He has tears flowing down His face - He is reliving the fear, apprehension, pain, hurt, nervousness, and joy she has felt during that time.
He plays back the clips, in His mind's eye, of the times He has sat and held her, catching the tears she cried in His hand, and closing them over His heart. Her pain has been His pain, her joy has been His too. He remembers the sleepless nights, and the long days when He held her hand as she prayed to Him. He thinks on the times she has poured out her heart - her questions, longings, dreams and desires - as she has poured words out into her journal, and notes out of her piano. Oh the joy! Oh the beauty of her worship to Him! How it makes His heart sing!
As He looks over at the Father and He nods, letting Him know that He too has seen and felt and been there through it all, their faces shine with glory, and an excitement is tangible in the air around them. You see, what they both know is that this is only the beginning. This season has been preparation for all that is to come! She has gathered many lessons during this time, and will now go out into this world as a shining light - stronger than she's ever been before, because she's come to lean on them more than she ever has.
She has touched many lives to this point, but the lives that will be touched in the future far surpass anything she could imagine. She will now be able to impact people she never would have had the opportunity to meet, before this time.
Oh yes, this story has only just begun.
