A Transplant for the Cure - A Bump in the Road

Janette Luehrman Fuller and Karen Luehrman at the
University of Kansas Cancer Center.

The Cancer Treatment Center of America in Tulsa was an awesome place, but the treatment that Karen received there did not result in remission. Her doctor said she needed a stem cell transplant.

A medical professional shared an analogy about how chronic lymphocytic leukemia works that really stuck with me. She told us to imagine a movie theater shooter. A deranged person goes into a dark movie theater and starts randomly shooting. Many movie viewers are caught off-guard and are killed. However, some run out into the lobby, some hide under the seat and some play dead. They stay hidden until it is safe to come out. I know this is distasteful imagery, but she said this is how the cancer cells survive repeated chemotherapy treatments. The cancer cells will go into hiding, but they will not be permanently destroyed.

Karen's health insurance would not cover a transplant at the Cancer Treatment Center of America, so she was referred to the University of Kansas Cancer Center. She had her first appointment at the bone marrow clinic in April, 2015. Since she already had a donor (that would be me), things moved along pretty fast.

The date of May 29 was set for a stem cell transplant at the KU Hospital. I was given the following pre-transplant tests:

• A chest x-ray.
• Blood tests.
• EKG.
• Consultation and consent.

My tests were all acceptable and I signed the required paperwork (I will share more about this in a later post). The only thing we were waiting for was the results of Karen's bone marrow biopsy.

Karen posted the following message about the results of her bone marrow biopsy on Facebook dated May 18.

Ok, time for an update. I was scheduled to go in the hospital this Saturday to start the pre-transplant procedures and have the transplant on Friday, May 29. All of that has been POSTPONED! I consider this good news.
I was called this morning to come in to see the doctor about the results of my bone morrow biopsy last Wednesday. I had a biopsy 4 weeks ago in Tulsa. In just 4 weeks, the results changed from being CLL/SLL to PLL( Prolymphocytic leukemia), a more active, aggressive form of lymphocytic leukemia. I consider this good news because it was caught early and a treatment plan of using a monoclonal antibody (not a chemo drug) that targets the lymphocyte cells will be started this Wednesday. I will have to go up for shots 3x a week for 4 weeks and then do another biopsy. When it is in remission, the transplant can be done which is still a possible cure.

So, thank you to all who have volunteer to help me. It looks like now it may be around the middle of July before I need to reschedule people. Watch for updates!
I am still standing on the Word of God ( Is 53:5 and 1 Peter 2:24) that through the atonement on the cross, Jesus bore my sickness and disease and by His stripes I am healed. It doesn't matter how many doctor's reports I get to the contrary, that does not change what Jesus has already done for me. Through Heb 11:1 and Mark 11:23 faith, I will hold on to these precious promises to see them come to pass.
Blessings!

I had my airline ticket purchased and was ready for the trip from Houston to Kansas City when I received this news. I cancelled the tickets and waited.

A Transplant for the Cure - Finding a Donor

Karen Luehrmen, Janette Luehrman Fuller, Lois Luehrman Crane.
The Cancer Treatment Center of America in Tulsa is in the background.

Many changes were coming in 2014. Karen had been living with CLL/SLL (Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia/Small Lymphocytic Lymphoma)  for six years. She decided it was time to leave her job at Joyce Meyer Ministries and move back to our childhood home in Higginsville, Missouri.

She sold her house in St. Louis and completed the move by mid-July. She was feeling good and enjoyed helping our mother on the farm.

In November, Karen was feeling symptoms of the disease and knew that it was back. She decided to make an appointment with a doctor at the Cancer Treatment Centers of America in Tulsa. Her new doctor strongly encouraged her to consider an allogeneic stem cell transplant.

In March of the next year, Lois and I decided to accompany Karen to her doctor appointment in Tulsa. Even though Karen had not decided to have a transplant, the doctor wanted to have Lois and I tested to see if we were a match. An allogeneic transplant uses cells from a volunteer donor. The chance that any one sibling would be a perfect match (that is, that you both received the same set of HLA antigens from each of your parents) is 1 out of 4.

When the results of the testing came in, Lois was a 50% match and I was a PERFECT MATCH!

I was totally shocked when I heard that I would be a donor for my sister's stem cell transplant. I don't even give blood! At the age of 62, I was unprepared for this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to give the gift of life.

However, Karen was still not convinced that a transplant was the right choice for her future treatment. She posted the following message on Facebook the week after we received the results of the donor testing.

Now that you know how my family feels, I would like to speak for myself. I originally received a diagnoses of CLL-SLL in 2008. For the past 7 years, I have had oncologists tell me there is no cure and eventually I will have to die from this. This doctor says a bone morrow transplant will cure the disease but can only offer a 50% chance that it will be successful. The other option is to continue using chemo to attack the disease until it is no longer effective and I die from the disease.
Now, I am not against doctors and medical science but they are NOT God. This is what He (Jesus, my Lord and Savior) has to say about my situation:
Exodus 15:26 "...for I am the Lord that healeth thee".
Ps. 118:8 "It is better to trust in the Lord than to put confidence in man."
Ps. 103: 2 - 5 "Bless the Lord O my soul and forget not all His benefits: Who FORGIVES all your iniquities; who HEALS ALL YOUR DISEASES; who REDEEMS your life from destruction; who CROWNS you with loving kindness and tender mercies; who SATISFYS your mouth with good things, so that your youth is renewed like the eagles".
Is 53:4 - 5 "Surely he hath borne our sicknesses and carried our pains; yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted. But HE WAS WOUNDED for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes WE ARE HEALED".
Matthew 9:35 "And Jesus went about all the cities and villages, teaching...and preaching...and HEALING EVERY sickness and EVERY disease among the people".
I Peter 2:24 "Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by who stripes ye WERE HEALED.
Gal. 2:20 I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by FAITH in the Son of God, who loved me and gave HIMSELF for me.
Col. 1: 13 Jesus HAS delivered me from the power of darkness and translated me into the kingdom of the Son of His love
Romans 8:2 For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made me free from the law of sin and death
Prov. 4:20 - 22 "My son, give attention to my words; incline your ear to my sayings; do not let them depart from your eyes; keep them in the midst of your heart; for THEY ARE MEDICINE to those who find them and HEALTH to ALL their FLESH.
Mark 11:22-23 Have faith in God. For assuredly I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, be removed and be cast into the sea, and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that those things he says will come to pass, he will have whatever he says.
Mark 9:23 IF you can believe, ALL THINGS are possible to him who believes.
Jesus said the devil comes to steal, kill and destroy. Jesus has already carried my disease in his body and by his stripes, I AM healed. Circumstances come to exalt themselves above the knowledge of God but I will NOT tremble in fear at the lies of the devil. He has already been defeated and I have the victory. Healing is mine and I will NOT allow him to steal it from me.
My request is that you stand on these scriptures with me and pray in agreement with me that the manifestation of my total and complete healing will be verified and documented through medical test by this doctor, that she may come to know the God who brought about this miracle. Gods timing is perfect and He is never late. Praise His holy name! Greater is He who lives in me, than he that is in the world!!

This Facebook message demonstrates the strength of Karen's faith in the healing power of Jesus Christ. The time would soon come when she realized that God uses doctors to assist in His healing work.

Expect A Miracle

Oral Roberts, the famous televangelist from Tulsa, Oklahoma, frequently proclaimed, "Expect a miracle".   Today my sister is traveling to Tulsa to be treated at a Cancer Treatment Center of America.  We are expecting a miracle.

Karen was diagnosed with Non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma in August, 2008.  She took a series of chemotherapy treatments and the cancer was in remission in Jaunary, 2009.  In February, 2010, the lymphoma had returned.  Karen rejected more chemo treatments and tried an alternative treatment using food supplements and a strict vegetarian diet.  The cancer has spread so she went to the CTCA last week for a three-day evaluation. 

My sister will have a PET scan tomorrow and then meet with an onocolgist on Friday to review the test results and plan her future treatments.  I will document her progress on this blog.