First Day of Treatment

"Hey Dad, you have to get better, because who will I annoy the heck out of when I get to be a teenager?" or "Hey Dad I'm getting really rolly polly and fat, so you have to get those arms fixed so you can tote me around without getting a hernia!" or "Aw heck, I'm just cute so look at the picture, will ya?!"

Hello again everyone,

Today was the first day of treatment for my possible new condition. Though we don't know for sure just yet, the doctor feels very certain that I have Polymyositis, so certain in fact, that she didn't want to wait to start the treatment.

Today, I took my first big round of steroids. If you've never been on steroids, especially large doses, you don't know what you are missing! :-) They are terrible bitter pills that make you ill the instant they hit the tongue. The taste stays with you about an hour or two. When they hit the stomach, they are like acid. They tear your stomach up so bad. It makes your stomach hurt, you feel very sick. Then the real symptoms hit. It is tough to describe how they really make you feel. Let's just say it is a strong feeling of being uneasy and sick. Basically, they make you feel absolutely awful. I hate them, but I have to take them. Tomorrow is an equally strong dose, so it ought to be a hoot. :-)

Tonight, my best friend Tony Burns came up to see us. We went out to eat. I was really sick, but I needed to get out of the house so I wanted to go. I was really suffering towards the end of the dinner and when it came time to get up and leave, I could not get up. No matter how I tried, the legs just wouldn't listen. It was so painful. If Carrie wouldn't have been there, I would still be sitting there. As you can imagine, it is much the same way with day to day activities like going to the restroom or getting a bath.

Typing this letter kills me, but I don't mind because it is both therapeutic to write it and a much easier way to keep people well informed like so many of you who have written me back. I intend to send out one more "all call" email tomorrow or this weekend, giving those who don't have it this web address. Then I will only answer the emails that need / warrant a personal reply. Typing is so hard right now, I may have to get Carrie to do some of it for me. I don't mind, all of the prayers, words of encouragement, and responses really serve to lift my spirits. If it is not too selfish to ask, keep them coming. There will be hard days ahead.

One last thought, I have been so richly blessed. I have a great family with a loving wife, two beautiful sons, great parents, and on and on. I have friends all over the country, and four churches whom we love and who loved us back. Suffice it to say, while I or no one else knows the future, God does. As for me, my job is to fight and keep on serving God while I do. I intend to do just that.

For those who are new to this blog, as always here are some of my little joys and reasons to keep on fighting:

My wonderful family. My loving wife of 17 years, Carrie, and my two incredible sons, Zachary, who is 13 and Samuel, who is now over 4 months old. (This was our anniversary night out in July, as we were dropping off the kids at my brother's house)

SOME of my brothers and sisters and my mother after my Grandmother's funeral in 2005. Left to right is my little sister Tiffany, yours truly, the "Heavy Revy", my wonderful mother, my baby brother J.R., my baby sister D.D., and my oldest brother Keith.

Three rather good looking generations of Mauldins. :-) My Dad , Zachary who makes me so proud and myself at our "annual" Rangers game with the family. This is something I look forward to every year. I get to see a game with my Dad who has always been my hero, my family, my uncles, and this year, a cousin and his kids. It was awesome. Of course, the Rangers trashed the Astros which made it even better! :-)

And last, but not least, my little Samuel. Not sure what he was looking at here, but the picture is kind of neat. He must have been thinking "How did my Dad get so darn handsome?" (more likely, how did my Dad get so darn fat?!" :-)

Love you all. Thank you from the bottom of my heart for your love and prayers. To God be the Glory.

In His Service,

Micah