From: Rachelle MIller [pcm@teleport.com]
Sent: Friday, October 05, 2001 9:02 PM

Subject: Update on Peter 10-5

Hi all,

Thank you all for your support.  Your cards and emails mean much to us
during this stressful time.  We go back and read them from time to time
and they really brighten our spirits.  And Phil, thank your church for
the encouraging card and for praying for us.  Knowing that really
touched Peter.

We had another chemo session today; it was the "long" day when he sees
the doctor and then gets all three of his medications plus the pre-chemo
meds.  Whew!  We're both exhausted tonight.  But, praise God!, the
doctor says he seems to be doing just fine.  He is tolerating the
regimen well, and his blood work shows that he has  pretty healthy bone
marrow.  His platelet count (it has to do with the ability of the blood
to clot) was 67 last week, down from about 380, his original count.
This week it had recovered to 560!  Not all of the measurements had
recovered quite that dramatically, but he is close to the normal range
in almost all of them which is pretty amazing when you consider the
effects of the drugs he takes.  I told the doctor he was a really
healthy guy for being as sick as he is!  He is still working every day,
and felt well enough last weekend to fix a chunk of the driveway ( a
root had grown underneath it and had to be removed).  Peter is losing
his hair and beard, though.  For those of us who have known him awhile,
it's quite a change from the grizzled lumberjack look of a few years
back.  I think he's cute, but then, I AM a little biased.

Please continue to send us your good thoughts and to pray for us.  Peter
has his next CT scan and chest x-ray in 3 weeks.  Pray that the chemo is
working effectively and that the results will be clear to the doctors in
the scans.  The nurses have been having some difficulty getting his IV's
started.  Please ask the Lord to help in this area.  Peter HATES needles
and getting "stuck" multiple times really is the pits.  Pray that the
side effects from the medications will not be too severe.  The 2-3 days
after his "long" chemo days are pretty rough.  Please ask for strength
and relief from the achy joints.  Pray for more patience for the
family.  Chemo is a long process...if all goes well we will be at this
until January...and children's patience and memories are short.  Even
Reba and Amber don't always remember that Dad is often tired and achy
and doesn't feel well.  And please pray for me, that I will remain
healthy and strong and able to handle the daily tasks effectively when
Peter just isn't up to helping.

Above all, please pray for the continue softening of Peter's heart, and
that the Holy Spirit will continue to work to bring him to a full
knowledge of Jesus Christ.  I do have another great praise!   Peter has
been doing a lot of thinking about his faith as well.  He has been
attending church and Sunday school regularly for a number of weeks and
we have many good conversations.  He has many questions, and has even
picked up a Bible once or twice himself to look for information.  God is
working in him, and it has been amazing to watch.  We do have a mighty
God!!


Thank you, again, for all of your support.  You prop us up more than you
could ever know.

Many hugs,

Rachelle