Hi,
Glad to report that David's blood test on Monday during showed his Haemoglobin level has improved from 10 to 12.2, which is a good sign. Praise the Lord for every encouraging sign. Dr William Hwang explained that the treatment will be altogether 6 courses of chemotherapy, i.e. 3 more to go. The ist was given at Tan Tock Seng Hoospital.At the end of the 6th round, there will be a bone marrow test to determine if David's condition is suitable to harvest his stem cell for the autologus stem cell transplant (from David's own stem cell). If successful, it will prolong his life for up to around 8 years. If there is no stem cell transplant, even though the bone marrow test showed the myeloma cells are in total remission, the chance of the relapse is high and generally the patient's life span will be shorten to around 2 or 3 years. The curative approach is to have a allogenic transplant, i.e. stem cells from a donor (likely from a sibling), which comes with a high risk of up to 50% moratility rate.
Even though this is not the first time I have heard about the options available to treat David, it was still emotionally disturbing. I really need you to believe with me that God will do a miracle act of healing. The Lord reminded me that it will be done according to our faith and it is His desire to heal! It may be a long drawn process, really need the supernatural strength of our Lord who is our tower of refuge (Ps 61).
David's hiccups are back due to the steriods, it is much better now because there is no pain. The rashes on his body are also clearing up. Praise the Lord! Please continue to pray for David. His right pelvis is aching slightly. Pray for strengthening of his bones and against any further bone destruction. Also for protection from infection and good immunity.
Please pray also for Joshua, our dear son, who is now suffering from high fever for the last 2 days. We observed that since David's hospitalization, Joshua has been falling ill. He had high fever during David's hospital stay, had fever again 3 weeks later when David went for his 2nd treatment, now Josh is having fever again. Seems to us it is not merely a coincidence. Even though we do not want to allude everything to spiritual attacks, we covet your prayers for spiritual covering esp over Josh.
Please also pray for me. I have been quite paranoid about maintaining a healthy diet which I fear may be getting on David's nerves. My worries over Josh is also not helping. I was edgy and I guess that did not help David to be positive and keep his spirit up. David reminded me to abandon, surrender and entrust our whole family to the Lord whose love is unconditional and never ending.
Sorry for the long e-mail. Really appreciate your prayers and participation in this spiritaul warfare! We have never felt so blessed and loved by the ever-growing family of God. Do feel free to look up the web-site at http://prayfordavid.blogspot.com and post your prayer requests as well. We want to be praying for you too. We believe our praying together was never about us but it is all for His glory.
Just like to share these verses which to me is a declaration of faith as well as indicative of the purpose of God for us to pray individually and in unison as a body of Christ:
"Yes, we had the sentence of death in ourselves, that we should not trust in ourselves but in God who raises the dead, 10who delivered us from so great a death, and does[1] deliver us; in whom we trust that He will still deliver us, 11you also helping together in prayer for us, that thanks may be given by many persons on our[2] behalf for the gift granted to us through many. " 2 Corinthians 1:9-11.
Trusting in Him,
Whee Ling
