Countdown

It is official! We are making plans for a Bone Marrow Transplant at Johns Hopkins in Baltimore, MD. The actual date has yet to be finalized but we are planning on getting started by the first week of June, possibly sooner. We have been in contact with the doctor and other Hopkins staff to make all the necessary arrangements.

Communication with the hospital has been smooth and easy. It is all the other arrangements that generate stress and anxiety as we get closer to June. We are planning on moving the whole family out for the two months that I will be at Hopkins. Kelly and the girls will be staying with friends in Elkton, MD, about an hour away from Baltimore. Kelly will be with me as often as she can, but it is important for her to be with the girls so that their summer is as normal as possible.

Summers off are easy for a teacher, but a nurse does not share the same luxury of vacation time (at least not as much). Kelly is having to take unpaid leave from work for at least two months which leaves us with some financial needs. God is already providing for some of those needs through the generosity and creativity of friends and family. Our good friends Curt and Emily hosted a weekend of photography sessions and donated the fees they received to help us cover our summer expenses. Other friends have donated money to The Brian Porteous Donation Fund that is set up at the Whatcom Educational Credit Union. WECU will accept donations at any branch or through the mail to WECU, PO Box 9750, Bellingham, WA 98227-9750.

Please do not misunderstand us. Many of you have asked us if you can support us financially and the account gives you an opportunity to do so. More important to us than money are your kind words, your thoughts, and your prayers as you have followed us and continue with us through this process.

I am still relying on blood transfusions about every two weeks to sustain me. At first it was frustrating but now I see it as more of a means to and end. If the transplant works, not only will transfusions be a thing of the past but so will the laundry list of medications. I feel like a car that needs to completely fill the engine with oil and water every time I stop for gas. As my body uses up the previous transfusion, my energy begins to drag and I feel tired which does not mesh well with a full work schedule and early mornings.

With a busy schedule, it is easy to lose a Godly perspective. I am guilty of forgetting that it is only through Christ I am saved, only by God's grace that I exist, and only by God's blessings that I have an amazing wife, two wonderful daughters, a loving family, and friends that love me closer than brothers. I need to find time for God to speak to me through a hectic schedule, chronic fatigue, and consuming preparation and planning. Only then can I reclaim the peace of mind that God promises amidst the most difficult of circumstances.

Thank you again for your prayers and your thoughts.