update

Hi Everyone:

Sorry I'm posting so late. I've been a bit out of sorts lately. Well, a lot lately.

Well, Jim's CT scan shows that the antibiotics that he's been taking are working. So, the corynebacterium (not the one that causes diptheria) but the one that is everywhere and on everybody is the infection that was causing the coughing. He's also done coughing. Jim also has the aspergillis, but it is colonized, so that's not an issue, but he will have to take a small dose antibiotic every day of his life to stop any little infections from sprouting. Jim does have a compromised immune system, but WHY this infection???

Now, the bigger questions.... Jim went for his biopsy of the skin on his leg. 3 skin doctors at the Cancer Institute said it was cGVHD (the c is chronic) His old GVHD of the skin was acute. But they biopsied it anyway for a clear diagnosis. And the reason they did this is because the rare cGVHD of the lung usually presents itself in someone that already has cGVHD somewhere else on their body and in someone with prior lung issues. Jim has both. So, their thinking is. WHY did this infection take hold in Jim? He probably has cGVHD of the lungs.

Jim thinks he doesn't. I think he does. The docs will let us know. They wanted us to come back in 2 weeks. We said, "NO." We'll come in 3 weeks. And they okayed that. Thank you Lord for the break.

When Jim goes back in 3 weeks, he will have a full round of pulmonary tests. These tests will show the docs if Jim's lung compacity is dropping, failing, etc. And the leg biopsy will be back, despite the 3 docs thinking it is. Oh, by the way, Jim thinks it isn't. Gotta love these Baldauffs' self diagnosis'.


I put a question out there. Not really for you to answer, but just something I've been wondering. God said through Paul's letter to the Corinthians, "For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all." And there's tons more talk about the cross. Jesus says, "If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me" oh never mind.

I've been thinking a lot about Joni E. Tada who now, after everything else, has breast cancer. I think of her husband Ken and his amazing love for her. I love that she thanks God for the wheelchair that has helped her move, and that when she gets to heaven she wants to then throw that same wheelchair into hell where it belongs. Why don't we pray for more pain if our eternal glory for outweighs what we go through here? LOL. Oh, I know I know. Let's see. I wasn't made for it, but was made for the garden and perfect fellowship with God. Who really wants to hurt, but I think the real answer it closer to, I'm selfish and I don't fully trust my God or know Him. And that saddens me. But it's honest, and as Amy Grant says in her new song,

We pour out our miseries
God just hears a melody
Beautiful, the mess we are
The honest cries of a breaking heart
are better than an Hallelujah sometimes.