November 12, 2007

Prayer for Dr. Cook

Today marks Day 31 that Dr. Cook has been hospitalized for Acute Myelogenous Leukemia (AML). Since Friday, October 12, he has been stationed in one of the cancer wings of Baylor Hospital. In fact, the only excursion he has had since that week was a trip to the first floor this weekend to have a CAT Scan performed. He was very excited to have this little bit of change of surroundings and is incredibly anxious to leave the hospital.

As the doctors shared with him at the beginning of this journey, Dr. Cook was expected to spend his first month in the hospital. That month is now completed, and he is looking forward to coming home.

However, he will not be released until he is able to go two days without running a fever. As you know, he has been running a fever periodically for the past several weeks, and in fact, was running a high fever on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday of this last week. Thankfully, on Sunday, the fever went away, and he woke up this morning without a fever. If he can make it through today and tonight, then he will likely come home from the hospital on Tuesday or Wednesday.

Dr. Cook asked if you would please pray for him that his fever would not return so that he could return home.

We are very grateful that he has not developed any major problems, such as pneumonia, but he is still suffering some of the other side effects of the treatment. There are signs that his strength is returning, and he has been able to walk 30 minutes a day this past week.

Please pray first and foremost that the fever will not come back so that he can come home. Also, pray that he is able to regain his strength and will continue to hear back positive results from the tests that they are running on him.

Dr. Cook asked that we share the following poem with you. He received it in a card from two dear friends, and it has meant so much to him, and he thought it might be meaningful to someone else.

God hath not promised skies always blue,
Flower-strewn pathways all our lives through;
God hath not promised sun without rain,
Joy without sorrow, peace without pain.

But God hath promised strength for the day, 
Rest for the labor, light for the way, 
Grace for the trials, help from above, 
Unfailing sympathy, undying love.

Annie Johnson Flint