Ok, that's it...

...it's time to wind up all this medical fun. (let the church say "amen!" *grin*)

Here's the latest reason why it's time to wind it all up. Today, for pre-surgery bloodwork, guess how many vials of blood were drawn from me. Go ahead; pick a number. Got your number? What'd you pick, 2? 3? 5?

Fourteen vials of blood!!! That's 1-4. Fill up 10 of those test tubes; then fill up 4 more! I asked the phelbo...phlebat...the lady drawing my blood if I'd still have any blood left when she got finished. I'm not sure she tracked with my sense of humor. Which was pretty warped before all of this summer's festivities. Now it's really disturbingly warped. (For the times that shows up here on the blog, well, I'm...you're welcome! *smile*)

Anyway, most of you will go to sleep tonight without having had one single test tube full of blood removed from you. I feel so sorry for you...I'd have been most willing to have let you fill up 4-5 of those 14 vials earlier today. Oh well, your loss.

We are go for check-in at 5:30 Friday morning. (sorry...just watched Apollo 13 for the 63rd time & lapsed into the movie version of aerospace engineer-speak; hey, we do drive right past NASA - Houston on the road to this place!)

Surgery will follow right about whenever they get a round tuit. (Actually, surgery is scheduled for around 7:30 a.m.)

Last time, I was awake in recovery by about 10:30 a.m. And that surgery removed multiple spots. This one only needs to remove one.

Lisa and I are very pleased to be at this point. Metastatic melanoma is...*searches for appropriate word for a family-oriented blog*...very nasty. The odds of Jim & I getting really bad news last week were quite high, actually. The odds of going from "melanoma is back" in May to (the whispered dream phrase...shh! Not yet!...) in August approach zero. Those tendencies are well-documented. But my God created mathematical properties such as the Law of Large Numbers and statistical measures of central tendency & dispersion; He is most definitely not bound by them! (Aside: why does this seem to be so hard for some people to understand? *mini-rant ends*)

I will always be convinced that we are at this point because He has chosen to answer the prayers offered on our behalf by so very many people. He did not have to get us to this place, and He would not have been any less glorious had He chosen not to do so. But we're sure glad He has us here!!

The hardest part of tomorrow will be the waiting. (Not by me...I'll be in anesthesia-land, without a care in the world.) Lisa will sit there in the surgical waiting room. And wait...and then...wait...some...more. And watch the second hand on the clock move o h - s o o - s l o w l y while waiting for her name to be called with an update. James & Anne will be sneaking peeks at the clocks on the walls @ PCS and in the Pharmacy School @ UM. Jim will be doing his project management thing, but will mostly be sending & receiving texts & emails to his friends who are bombarding heaven on our behalf. (Thanks, my central AL friends! Lift a couple for Jim & Sandi too, won't you?) Mom will try to do other things besides stare at the phone. To very little avail.

So, once again, please pray for Lisa especially, and also for the rest of my family who are hanging in there on this journey. In terms of family, I am most highly blessed.

THANKS FOR ALL OF YOUR PRAYERS, CARDS, CALLS, TEXTS, COMMENTS, LETTERS, HUGS, AND ACTS OF SERVICE! Ray Boltz sang it years ago: "Thank you, for giving to the Lord! I am a life that was changed..."

We love y'all! Since we'll be rolling out about 4:45 a.m., I doubt I'll blog in the morning. Perhaps Lisa will update later tomorrow once we get to a room.

With hope,
Mike

p.s. - there are suggestions that a celebration party might need to be in order after all of this. As Spock would say, "fascinating!"...

p.p.s. - Words to "Thank You" by Ray Boltz, 1994. The song always makes me cry. (as it's doing now...*blush*) Picture me singing this--with a better voice that my own--and you are the "you" referred to. That gets toward capturing my full heart this evening. And thanks!

I dreamed I went to heaven
And you were there with me
We walked upon the streets of gold
Beside the crystal sea
We heard the angels singing
Then someone called your name
You turned and saw this young man
And he was smiling as he came
And he said, Friend, You may not know me now
And then he said, But wait
You used to teach my Sunday School
When I was only eight
And every week you would say a prayer
Before the class would start
And one day when you said that prayer
I asked Jesus in my heart

CHORUS: Thank you for giving to the Lord
I am a life that was changed
Thank you for giving to the Lord
I am so glad you gave

Then another man stood before you
And said remember the time
A missionary came to your church
His pictures made you cry
You didn't have much money
But you gave it anyway
Jesus took the gift you gave
And that's why I am here today

(Repeat Chorus)

One by one they came
Far as the eye could see
Each life somehow touched (Mike says, "my life somehow touched...")
By your generosity
Little things that you had done
Sacrifices made
Unnoticed on the earth
In heaven now proclaimed

And I know up in heaven
You're not supposed to cry
But I am almost sure
There were tears in your eyes
As Jesus took your hand
And you stood before the Lord
He said, My child look around you
Great is your reward

(Repeat Chorus)
I am so glad you gave
©1988 Gaither Music/ASCAP. All rights reserved. International copyright secured.