Cycle 6, Scan #3

 Hello Everyone!  I hope you are all doing well and feeling peace and joy in your life.  Amid all of the trials we face in this life, there are the tender mercies and peaceful moments where we feel Heavenly Father's love for us and his assurance that our future is known to him and he has already prepared the way for us to return to Him.  As we press forward in faith we will feel more confident in God's plan and our desire to Follow Him will increase.  Your prayers and faith in my behalf have helped me to wake up each morning grateful for another day to experience this life, to learn and grow, to be there for someone in need, and to make connections with other people.  This is a truly amazing experience we have been given.

Well, I had my scan on Monday, Oct 4th.  We talked to Dr. Slotkin on the 5th.  She was pleased with the results of the scan.  Everything was pretty much unchanged from the previous scan.  She had been a little concerned about the previous scan because it showed mixed results, which can be a sign that the medicine is losing it's affect.  She liked that this scan showed stability throughout the body.  She said that it even leaned slightly to improvement, but nothing significant.

HOORAY!!!!  We love stability.  We will keep going with the study 💪😀😁💓

Angela and I were here all summer long.  She flew back to Utah after Labor Day to be with the kids and wrap up some loose ends.  She came back to New York and is now back in Utah.  She will come out one more time and then we will go back to Utah together.  WE ARE SO EXCITED TO BE TOGETHER AS A FAMILY!!!!!!  This experience has really helped me to appreciate the sacrifices that our troops make to protect our nation.  They have to be away from their families much longer than 4 months and they have a difficult job to do while they are gone.  Thank you to all those serving to make us safe.  

I will have to fly back and forth to New York every three weeks to get the trial drug, but we got permission for me to be in Utah for the rest of the cycle where I am not getting the trial drug.  This is a huge blessing.  We are so excited to be together.

While Angela has been gone, different families in the Manhattan 1st Ward have brought me meals.  They did this all on their own with no solicitation, I promise.  They said they wanted to serve and this was the idea they felt was most impactful.  I have been able to visit with several brothers when they drop off the food. Being able to talk to another person after working all day remotely and being alone in the hotel, is a wonderful sanity saver.  These are wonderful men trying to raise righteous families here in the city.  They are an inspiration to me.

Angela and I have been taking a Self Reliance course through our Utah stake.  It is a great course that is helping us become less dependent on others and teaching us some really good skills that we can teach our children.    It is fun to interact with the other member of the class and create new friendships.  

I am so thankful for General Conference.  It was very uplifting to hear the messages and feel the power of the speakers' testimonies.   I am thankful for a living Prophet and Apostles and other church leaders that are in tune with the Spirit and share God's counsel with us.  I recognized several areas that I would like to improve in before our Savior returns. I will work on it in small degrees like the British cycling program.  Steadily improving, one adjustment at a time.

I thought that reference to Naaman and washing in the River Jordan was very applicable.  The prophet may counsel us to do something that does not make sense to us, but if we trust the Lord and his promise that we will never be lead astray by the prophet, I believe will be blessed.

Thanks again for all of your faith, prayers, love, and support.  You bring the silver lining around the darks clouds of life.  We feel your love and are strengthened by it.

--Doug--