I think the Carlton Gang has the traveling bug in its veins.

Last week, we went to Starkville, MS for a basketball game. This week, we jumped into the car and went down to Greenville, MS to drop in on my dad for his birthday. He turned 74, and he’s a young 74, I must say. We surprised him by showing up at a restaurant where we and mom enjoy going. I do believe he was caught off guard. Since we have never done something like this before - drop-in on him for a mid-week visit - I think he really got a kick out it. The food was good, the company was grand, and a good time was had by all.

As we last reported, my treatments and the after effects have been pretty mild. I am still taking Dexamethasone and Revlimid at home. This protocol has me experiencing some good days and some bad days, meaning that my fatigue and pain level vary from day to day. In general though, my pain management has been good.

My lab values from last week fluctuated a bit with my platelets falling down to around 23, and my potassium got low a few times, but overall my labs were stable as well.

We did have one scare this past week, and it came in an unusual way. On Thursday, while we celebrated Alexis and Bill’s birthday I had an accident. I took a bite of chili and somehow cracked a tooth. For most people cracking a tooth on a bite of chili is kind of a weird thing. For me, it’s pretty weird too.

For me, it presents a series of problems that include avoiding infection, considering which treatment option to use because of my low platelets, and long term, I have to watch my temperature really close because it seems to fluctuate so much.

So, here’s where the really cool stuff comes into play. Peggy and I didn’t sleep well that night since we were not sure what we would do next. Well, praise God for the way He can “walk in our footsteps” many times before we even take them. The next morning Peggy and I got up to find the phone number for Dana. Dana is our dental hygienist, friend, fellow soccer mom. She has also walked a journey or her own this year with cancer and knows all to well the sensitive issues you can find yourself in. Dana, and Dr. Clark were so sweet to see us on their day off.


We are so happy for the blessings God gave us. First after checking the x-rays, the crack in my tooth was no where near as deep as we first imagined. It was shallow and clean, meaning it wouldn't have to be pulled, avoiding the platelet issue. Secondly, after the repair had been sealed, Dr. Clark, Dana, Peggy, and I bowed our heads and praised God for the ease of repair and the fact that as believers we can be thankful that in moments like these. We knew that God had prepared the way for this event and had turned what could have been a disaster into a blessing.

God is so good, He is so good to me!

Frank