Getting off drugs

I never thought I'd be one of those sad people who begin the day counting out pills into pots, then sorting out their mouthwashes and potions. I am that person.

Some are once a day, some twice, one 4 times a day, one every other day, and one 3 times a week. I order some on the NHS app from a GP to a local Chemist; and some from the Cancer Specialist Nurse at Bart's, which arrive by post.

MORNING POT

Today we go away for 3 weeks on a Northern tour, beginning with a family wedding (my niece in Nottingham) which is going to be great. Packing the drugs for 3 weeks is interesting, especially making sure you have a supply of them all in advance.

THE STASH

Here's the good news - at last - the Prof says I can start to reduce the dose of the main drug, Ciclosporin. I'm going down from 150mg twice a day, to 125.

Everything is going well - bloods stable, Haemoglobin at 124, mouth less sore (eating mild curries, and apples, which are surprisingly acidic), mental physical energy are at about 85%.

So, he asked me, 'do you want to try coming off Ciclosporin, or do you want to leave things as they are for a bit longer?'. Well, you know what I said.

So, again, please pray.

Pray that as I lower the dose the GVsHD (Graft vs Host Disease, which manifests in me as a sore mouth) doesn't flare up again. Pray that I can gradually and smoothly reduce the dose until I am off it completely - and then come off most of the others.

I don't really understand why I need Ciclosporin - an immunosuppressant that stops me rejecting Caroline's cells - when her stem cells were 'a 100% match'. Any medics out there who know the answer? I must ask the Prof next time I'm in Bart's, in 6 weeks time. He likes to do a bit of teaching.

WHAT AM I LIVING FOR?

'Fruitful labour'. Back to St Paul and his Blog to friends in Philippi - 'for me to live is Christ, and to die is gain. If I am to live in the flesh that means fruitful labour for me'.

About a month ago, on our holiday driving around Northern Spain (recommended), I woke early one morning with ideas for a sermon, and then for a sermon series. Hello, I said. Inspiration. The Holy Spirit was back to waking me up early in the morning.

So, I am seeking a licence to preach again, from the Bishop of Chelmsford, Bishop Guli. Her father was the Anglican Bishop in Iran when the Shah's regime fell in 1979, and the Islamic Revolutionary Council took over. Freedom. That was 45 years ago. How much longer will they last?

I will probably start to preach and lead services again in neighbouring Clacton-on-Sea, newly famous. The vicars here are working in difficult conditions, with no big staff teams, because of high levels of social deprivation - poverty. It seems to be much poorer than when I worked here 35 years ago from 1987-92. Why?

I aim to start again in the New Year, health allowing. Please pray that it does.

So, that is all promising.

But what I really want to do is read the Bible with a small group of men who want to read it because they have never read it, and given an open invitation by a new friend, are intrigued, and find themselves saying, 'Yes, I'd like to do that'. Pray that I will be that person.

Thanks for being on this journey with me.

Please, if you have news to share, and would like me to pray, send me a message. I pray for quite a lot of you anyway.

with love, Jonathan