August 10, 2025
It’s been just over a year since my bone marrow transplant and I just had all the tests to see how my body and the treatments are doing at fighting off the cancer cells. It’s very good news. Everything looks really good! I’m in deep remission! Hopefully it lasts a long, long time.
As long as the treatment I am on is working so well, the doctors will just keep me on the same plan. The treatment is called “maintenance therapy” and consists of monthly blood tests and low dose chemotherapy shots, plus a 3 week on, one week off monthly cycle of another low dose chemotherapy pill. In addition to my gamma globulin infusions weekly for my primary immune deficiency, that’s the extent of the plan. The side effects from the chemo are usually mild and last less than a week each month. All in all, it’s manageable.
The big exciting news is that Bill and I and our kids and their spouses just got back from 10 days in Europe. We got to see Prague, Czechia, Nuremberg, Ger, Salzburg, Aus, and lots of places in between those cities. The history, architecture, art, nature and experiences were thrilling. We got to see so many amazing places and things there. It was a long-time dream, come true.
People have asked my “favorites” of the trip. Most of all, it was seeing my family have so much fun together and support and love each other during the inevitable stresses of travel, and that I was healthy through the whole trip and able to do everything I really wanted to do. Bavaria (southern Germany) was the most scenic, Dachau (a concentration camp near Munich) was the most life changing, the best city experience was Nuremberg and my favorite event was the organ concert and tour of the St. Florian monastery and library. We took hundreds of pictures. This one is of the valley below Berchtesgaden, Germany. This is what I imagine heaven looks like.
While all the others flew home to be with their children (BIG shout out to the in-laws who took care of the grandkids!), Bill, Jeremy and I flew from Prague back into Salt Lake City to go to my Dahl family reunion. It was an unusually quiet, relaxing time. I love spending time with my nieces and nephews and their families. What a wonderful family to be part of!
We got back a week ago and in five days I’ll drive with Jeremy to start his second year at Snow College in Ephraim, Utah. We’ve had him home for two years now and it was a privilege to have him living at home while he served the Lord on a Service Mission. What a blessing for him and us and those he served. I’ll miss him, and I’m so excited to see what he does next.
Fall is just around the corner-I’ve started buying pumpkin scented things.