December 16 , 2008

An Update from Dr. Cook

Dear Friends,

I wanted to give you an update on my recovery from leukemia. God has allowed me to live and to be cancer-free since I went into remission in March of 2008. My 3-month blood test was last week, and everything was just fine. The precautionary treatment is for me to take 10 chemo pills a day for 15 days every 3 months until March 2010. So I go to the oncologist every three months, and if the blood test is fine I begin taking these chemo pills for just 15 days.

I had not planned to give an update since my last report in March, but many have asked me how I am doing. How very grateful I am for the love and concern expressed by friends, the DBU family, and others in the Christian community! I decided to keep the prayer updates on the DBU website because I have had a number of individuals tell me that they wanted to share my journey with other cancer patients who are currently going through their own journeys with cancer. So we will keep the prayer updates on the DBU website for another year. There will not be any more updates unless I have a recurrence of cancer, but hopefully the prayer updates can be a ministry to those who are hurting and need hope.

I will never be able to express my deepest gratitude to all of you who have prayed for me and encouraged me with emails, phone calls, visits, and notes of encouragement. Please know that I am grateful beyond words for your love. To my Heavenly Father, I say thank you for doing a miracle in my life. I pleaded with the Lord, and He has done a miracle in my life. I am so happy to be able to celebrate Christmas this year with my wonderful wife, Sheila, my sons, Mark and David, my daughter-in-law, Nicole, and with the best friends in the world. But you know, I have now realized that every day of life is really just a gift from the Lord. I do look forward to spending eternity in Heaven with God. How wonderful that He has prepared a place for us, and how grateful I am that He sent Jesus into the world to give us abundant and eternal life. In the meantime, I ask the Lord to allow me to be a blessing to others. Hopefully, I will live many, many more years and can be a servant of the Lord.

I was a church pianist in high school for my home church in Arkansas and would often play a special hymn from the old Baptist Hymnal, “Make Me a Blessing.” I would like to close with the words of this hymn from my childhood. This is my prayer.

Out in the highways and byways of life,

many are weary and sad;

Tell the sweet story of Christ and His love;

Tell of His pow'r to forgive;

Give as 'twas given to you in your need;

Love as the Master loved you;

Be to the helpless a helper indeed;

Unto your mission be true.

Make me a blessing,

Make me a blessing,

Out of my life

May Jesus shine;

Make me a blessing, O Savior, I pray,

Make me a blessing to someone today.

Sincerely,

Gary Cook

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March 25, 2008

Wonderful News!

Dear Friends,

I have wonderful news.  God has healed me.  The 1 million cell genetic study has been completed and I have no cancer cells.  I am in remission!  I will just need to take pills now for the next year and a half.  Ninety percent of the individuals who have had my particular kind of Acute Myelogenous Leukemia (AML) and go into remission never have a recurrence.

My oncologist, Dr. Arthur Molina, has been such a great inspiration for me all the way through this journey.  He is not only extremely competent and capable, but he has also been so caring, and I am fortunate that he was the oncologist on duty the weekend that I came in with acute leukemia and therefore became my doctor. 

One particular Scripture passage that has been so helpful to me throughout this five-and-a-half-month journey has been Psalm 40:1-3. 

I waited patiently for the LORD;

      he turned to me and heard my cry.

He lifted me out of the slimy pit,
       out of the mud and mire;
       he set my feet on a rock
       and gave me a firm place to stand.

He put a new song in my mouth,
       a hymn of praise to our God.
       Many will see and fear
       and put their trust in the LORD.

When I was a teenager, my grandmother used to send me poems by Helen Steiner Rice.  I used to think they were so corny, but during this illness, one of our DBU professors, Dr. Sue Kavli, sent me this poem by Helen Steiner Rice, and I have held on to it and read it dozens and dozens of times.

"A Bend In The Road"

When we feel we have nothing left to give

and we are sure that the song has ended,

When our day seems over and the shadows fall

and the darkness of night has descended,

Where can we go to find the strength

to valiantly keep on trying?

Where can we find the hand that will dry

the tears that the heart is crying?

There's but one place to go and that is to God,

and dropping all pretense and pride,

We can pour out our problems without restraint

and gain strength with Him at our side.

And together we stand at life's crossroads

and view what we think is the end,

But God has a much bigger vision,

and He tells us it's only a bend,

For the road goes on and is smoother,

and the pause in the song is a rest,

And the part that's unsung and unfinished

is the sweetest and richest and best.

So rest and relax and grow stronger -

let go and let God share your load.

Your work is not finished or ended -

you've just come to a bend in the road.

I am so blessed that the Lord has allowed for this to be just a “Bend in the Road” and not the end of the road.  Thank you for loving me, and for encouraging me, and, most of all, for praying to the Lord and pleading to the Lord that He would give me longer life and that I would be healed.  I will always be grateful to you and to our Father in Heaven who has extended my life.  My wonderful wife, Sheila, who has taken such good care of me joins me in saying thank you and God bless you.

Sincerely,

Gary Cook

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March 11, 2008

An Update from Dr. Cook

Dear Friends,

I just wanted to give you an update.  You have been so dedicated to pray for me.  The final report sent from Baylor Medical Center to another lab will not be back for another week.  This is known as the genetic study of 1 million cells.

I just met with my doctor at 12:15 p.m. today, and he gave me the preliminary report.  The Baylor Medical Center pathologist’s report has come back, and they can find no cancer cells.  My wonderful doctor also did his own study under the microscope, and he can find no cancer cells either.

I feel that the Lord has healed me and that He has done a miracle in my life.  I will let you know when I receive the final report, but for now, it’s looking good, and I am so relieved.  By the way, thank you for praying for my white blood cells.  They went from 1.9 six days ago to 2.9 today, inching ever closer to the 4.5 normal range.

Psalm 103:1-5

Praise the LORD, O my soul;

        all my inmost being, praise his holy name.

Praise the LORD, O my soul,

        and forget not all his benefits-

who forgives all your sins

        and heals all your diseases,

who redeems your life from the pit

        and crowns you with love and compassion,

who satisfies your desires with good things

        so that your youth is renewed like the eagle's.

I am so very grateful for your prayers.

Sincerely,

Gary Cook

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March 10, 2008

A Note from Dr. Cook

Dear Friends,

I will never be able to express to all of you my greatest appreciation for your prayers.  Sheila and I have been encouraged by knowing that even Christians we do not know are praying for me.  I have been touched in the deepest part of my heart by your love and concern.

I just wanted to share with you this email that I received last week from one of our wonderful students.  God has sent to DBU some of the most dedicated Christian students in the world.

Good morning Mr. Killingsworth,

I am a student through the Adult Education program.  I have been at DBU for a year now and have enjoyed every minute.  I wanted to share with you something that happened this morning.  I work in the Plaza of the Americas building downtown Dallas.  As I was walking in this morning at 7:00 am a gentlemen was walking behind me and he saw my DBU book bag.  He asked if I went to DBU and I informed him I was a student now.  He said he had been praying for Dr. Cook as he had heard about his medical condition and how unfortunate it was.  He stated he has no affiliation with DBU but after hearing about his sickness months ago he felt compelled to pray for him.  I shared with him the latest update I had read a few day ago and asked him to continue praying and especially for Dr. Cook's white blood count to increase. 

With all this being said I just wanted to let you know that there are so many people who are not part of the DBU family who are praying for Dr. Cook.  He has made an impact not only at DBU but apparently in areas he does not know.  This man touched my heart and reaffirmed to me that God sends people into our lives if only briefly to let us know that prayer is so positive.

Please let Dr. Cook know people everywhere are praying for him.

Yours in Christ,

------ --------

Please keep praying for me.  I want so much to be healed and restored.

Gary Cook

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March 6, 2008

Prayer for Dr. Cook

Dr. Cook had his weekly appointment yesterday with his oncologist. The doctor performed a bone marrow biopsy, and it will be several weeks before the lab report is complete.  The biopsy will be sent off to another laboratory not located at Baylor Medical Center in Dallas.  We will let you know about this later when the results come back.  These results will determine if Dr. Cook has gone into remission or if he will need more treatment.  We would greatly appreciate your prayers in regard to this.

Dr. Cook is also asking for all of you who read this to pray for his white blood cells to return to normal.  About 12 days ago, they were at 1.8, and then 7 days ago, they were at 2.3.  However, when he returned to the doctor yesterday, they had moved back to 1.9.  These white blood cells, which relate to the immunity system, really need to move up to the normal range, which is 4.5-11.0.  As you will remember, during the chemotherapy treatments, they became as low as 0.4.  Dr. Cook would appreciate it if you would ask the Lord to return him to good health again, and in particular if you could pray for the white blood cells to return to the normal range. 

Dr. Cook said that the verses that are helping him right now are found in Philippians 4:6-7 and Isaiah 41:10.

“Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”

“So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God.  I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.”

(These words from the prophet Isaiah are also found in the Hymn, “How Firm a Foundation,” which has been a great comfort to Dr. Cook these past several months.)

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March 5, 2008

A Note from Dr. Cook

Dear Friends:

I am so glad to see springtime.  The trees are budding and our flowering trees on campus are just beautiful.  Spring brings new hope for all of us.  I have found that in this battle of cancer, it is very important to keep hope, and many days, I think the hope has come directly from the Lord as a gift to me.

I wanted to share with you about several notes I have received.  The individuals quote James 1:2-3.

“Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance.” 

I, of course, have read that verse many times before, but it really had a strange affect on me when I read it in the cards.  I realized that I was not counting it all joy that I had this terrible disease of leukemia.  I thought about it a good bit for several days, and dwelled on it probably too much, thinking that I should try to find some joy in some of the miserable days I was experiencing.  One of those notes came in mid-January, right after I had finished my third round of chemotherapy, and it was a very severe five days of chemotherapy.  This was the time when the doctor thought I would probably have to go back into the hospital, but fortunately, I never did have to go back to the hospital.  Anyway, I really felt very miserable, and then I got this card.

I was in my doctor’s office visiting with his chief nurse.  My oncologist has been a wonderful doctor, and I have been so grateful that he has used his knowledge, wisdom, and expertise to help me during this difficult illness.  He spent years and years going to medical school and residency and studying so that he could help his fellow man, and I am certainly the beneficiary. 

His nurse, Kathy, has been a prayer partner for me.  When she is checking my vital signs, we are always talking about the Lord.  I had received the note with the Scripture that says, “Count it all joy,” several days before my visit to the doctor.  When she asked me how I was doing, I said, “Kathy, I am doing okay, but I sure cannot find any joy in all of this suffering.”  I told her about the card I had received, and I told her I was trying to do my best to find joy, but having leukemia since October 12 has been the most miserable experience of my life.  I told her that I had come to peace with the Lord with all of this.  It is the “peace that passes all understanding” as the Scripture says, but I have found no joy in any of this, and I did not know if I ever would.

Kathy said to me, “Gary, don’t beat yourself up over not finding joy.  It’s okay.  You know, only Jesus was perfect, and there is no way you can be perfect, and you should not try to beat up on yourself over not finding joy.”  Well, these were the words that I needed to hear from a fellow Christian believer.  I broke down and started sobbing.  She came over and hugged me and prayed with me, and she truly was a ministering angel to me on that day.  I felt like she was giving me a word from the Lord that it is okay, and that I did not have to find joy in these circumstances. 

I have hesitated to share this on the website, because I do not really want a bunch of people writing me some syrupy e-mails telling me that someday I will find joy as I look back on this experience. 

However, I thought that I would share this on the website because maybe there are others out there who are either going through some terrible experiences with their health or their children’s health or other problems in their life, and maybe they have not found joy either.  I just wanted to let you know of my weakness in this area as a fellow traveler in this journey of life.  I have found peace with the Lord through all of this, but I have found no joy in the suffering and all the worry day after day.  I know it has been so hard on my family.  Sheila has done more than I could have ever imagined to help me and to comfort me.  When we took our wedding vows, I really did not understand what it meant when we repeated the words “in sickness and in health,” but now I do.  It has just been so difficult on Sheila, Mark, David, and Nicole, and certainly on my close friends and assistants in the office, as well as the vice presidents at Dallas Baptist University.  They have all had to do double duty, and I have just appreciated everyone’s love, encouragement, and support during this time, but I know it has been a strain on everyone. 

I am most grateful to my Lord Jesus for all of the comfort He has given me through this illness.  He has never left my side, and I know he will be with me until He takes me into the Father’s arms in heaven.

I am feeling better every day, and I surely have appreciated your prayers.  Please keep praying for me.  This is a long journey.

Let me share in closing a Scripture verse that my assistant, Ashley Mafima, shared with me that I have held on to for months now.  It comes from 1 Peter 5:10, and the verse states, “And the God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast.”

Sincerely,

Gary Cook

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February 25, 2008

A Note from Dr. Cook

Dear Friends:

I finished my last chemotherapy on Wednesday, February 13.  I am so glad to be through with the chemotherapy.  Hopefully, I will get better every day.  I wanted to particularly ask you if you would continue to pray for my white blood cells to go up and for healing to take place. 

I went to the doctor on Friday and had blood work and my white blood cells were down to 1.8 again.  They had gotten up to 3.1 at the time of the chemotherapy, but the chemotherapy knocked them down again as it has in the past.  (The lower part of the normal range is 4.5.)  According to the doctor, this is to be expected.  The white blood cells relate to my immune system so I need to continue to be careful, and I just pray that I will not get the flu or a cold or an infection.  So I surely would appreciate your praying for my white blood cells.  My red blood cells seem to be stable.  I am still not at the normal point, and this deals with my energy level, but they have remained stable.  The blood platelets have gone down, but they are in the okay range for now, and that is a blessing in regard to bleeding. 

Every day since Saturday, February 16, nine days ago, I have felt a little better every day.  On Saturday and Sunday, February 23 and 24, it was warm enough for me to walk outside.  I was able to walk for an hour on Saturday and 45 minutes on Sunday at a brisk pace.  So I am so happy that I am feeling better.  I just do not feel that I should be in gatherings where I can catch a cold or the flu or some type of infection until my white blood cells get back to the normal range.  I am continuing to work from home about eight hours a day, meeting with our cabinet and occasionally with individuals.

I wanted to share with you about how the Lord reached out to me and spoke to me in a wonderful way on Saturday, February 16.  This was three days after my chemotherapy.  I was very weak that day and had been nauseous and had problems with my stomach and intestines.  However, I was able to get around that morning.  At noon, Sheila prepared a meal, and our oldest son, David, came over and had lunch with us.  About midway through the lunch, I felt like I was getting ready to pass out, and I got down on the floor and did not pass out, but then David and Sheila had to help me get to the bed where I spent the rest of the afternoon. 

That morning, I had received an e-mail at 9:24 a.m. from a wonderful friend and DBU trustee, Charlie Frazier.  My assistant, Brance Barker, who serves in the president’s office, had come to work that afternoon and had picked up the e-mail for me and printed it out.  I had not seen it yet when he brought it to me.  Brance was working in the office on some dictation that I had done on Friday and opening the mail and doing some other things in the office.  He called me to see if I was ready to have the items brought down to me.  I told him that Sheila had gone to the pharmacy and was not here, and that I was not well enough to get out of the bed, and he would need to bring a key and bring the materials to our bedroom.  When he arrived, he had this e-mail from Charlie Frazier, and I had an opportunity to then read it for the first time.  I was just amazed because it was as if the Lord was sending this message directly to me.  It referred to how the Lord would sustain me up on my sickbed in my illness.  Here I was in my sickbed.  I had not felt like I needed to go to bed in the middle of the day like this in a month, since I had had my last chemotherapy.  I had done pretty well, and while I had rested, I had never thought about it being a sickbed until this particular Saturday when I felt so bad and really could not get out of bed. 

The other key word in the passage was “restore.”  That is a word that has come to mean so much to me during my illness, and I have asked the Lord to restore me to my health throughout this four-and-a-half month journey.  So here is the passage that Charlie sent to me.  He said this,

“The Lord gave me a few verses that I am claiming for you.  They are from Psalm 41:1-3

How blessed is he who considers the helpless;

The Lord will deliver him in a day of trouble.

The Lord will protect him and keep him alive,

And he shall be called blessed upon the earth;

The Lord will sustain him upon his sickbed;

In his illness, You restore him to health. 

Gary, so many times you have considered and helped those who were helpless—those who were without some type of means or capabilities to meet their own need or to achieve a worthy goal.  Whether helping make a college education a reality, to providing wisdom, counsel, and friendship to so many, among other things.  So, we will claim these promises from God's Word for you—that the Lord will sustain you and restore you to full health.”

I was so touched because if I had gotten the e-mail that morning at 9:24 a.m., I was not in a sickbed and I was walking around the house and doing pretty well.  But by the time this e-mail arrived and was delivered by Brance Barker to me, I was on my sickbed with my illness asking the Lord to restore me to health, and here was the Lord sending this message from Psalm 41:1-3 to give me a word of encouragement. 

Throughout my illness, the Lord has continued to reach out to me and encourage me.  I have pleaded with him for a miracle, and I have also asked Him on a daily basis to come and be here with me and to help me to feel His presence.  He has certainly been here with me, and I am so grateful that the Lord never will leave me and will always be here with me. 

I just wanted to share this with you and tell you how grateful I am to the Lord for giving me life itself and for being my Father and my Redeemer.  I know that my Redeemer liveth!

Sincerely,

Gary Cook

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February 12, 2008

A Note from Dr. Cook

Dear Friends:

I wanted to give you an update on my health.  I surely have appreciated your prayers.  I would appreciate you continuing to pray for me this week.  I will have a one-day dose of chemotherapy on Wednesday afternoon, February 13.  SACS, our accrediting agency, is here on campus this week.  I am meeting with them today, and I will be meeting with them on Wednesday at noon before I go to the hospital for the chemotherapy.  This will be the final dose of chemotherapy in my treatment for leukemia.  Then, in about a month, a bone marrow biopsy will be done to determine if I have gone into remission. 

I would particularly appreciate you continuing to pray for my white blood cells to go up.  They continue to go up very slowly.  A week ago, they were at 2.3, and then on Friday, they were at 2.4 when they did the blood test, and today they are at 2.5.  The doctor says that that is fine, however, and that even though they are going up slowly, they are at least going up.  They need to get to the normal range of 4.5.  This relates to my immunity system, and I am just hoping and praying that I will not catch something from someone.  There are a lot of people who have the cold or flu, and with my immunity system down, it would be easy to have something like this happen.  I have been so fortunate to not have to return to the hospital since November.  Many of the leukemia patients do have to return because of running fever or some type of infection or some other problem.  I have been able to do all of my chemotherapy as an outpatient, and I have been able to stay at home without going back to the hospital.  I have so much for which to be grateful.  However, it has truly been a struggle for me, and I am just continuing to pray that the Lord will totally heal me from this terrible disease. 

One of our DBU professors sent me this hymn.  I had never heard it before, and yet, the words have been so meaningful to me this last month.  Today marks four months for me since my diagnosis of acute myelogenous leukemia. 

This professor has endured all sorts of difficulties in her life including the loss of her dear husband to cancer.  Here is the hymn:

"He Giveth More Grace" by Annie J. Flint

He giveth more grace as our burdens grow greater,

He sendeth more strength as our labors increase;

To added afflictions He addeth His mercy,

To multiplied trials He multiplies peace.

Chorus:

His love has no limits, His grace has no measure,

His power no boundary known unto men;

For out of His infinite riches in Jesus

He giveth, and giveth, and giveth again.

When we have exhausted our store of endurance,

When our strength has failed ere the day is half done,

When we reach the end of our hoarded resources

Our Father’s full giving is only begun.

Fear not that thy need shall exceed His provision,

Our God ever yearns His resources to share;

Lean hard on the arm everlasting, availing;

The Father both thee and thy load will upbear.

I just wanted to share it with you.  Perhaps there is someone who is reading this who will find this hymn helpful.  I just pray that somehow all that I have gone through can, in some way, help others who are facing difficulties in their lives. 

I have read this hymn over and over, and I certainly know that these words have been true for me in my life.  “His love has no limits, His grace has no measure, His power no boundary known unto men; For out of His infinite riches in Jesus, He giveth, and giveth, and giveth again.”

Sincerely,

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February 6, 2008

A Note from Dr. Cook

Dear Friends:

Thank you so much for your prayers.  I am so happy to tell you that my blood platelets are now back to normal, so I will not have any problems with the possibility of bleeding.  I do need for you to continue praying for my white blood cells to return to the normal range.  This relates to my immunity system.  I went to the doctor yesterday and they had moved to 2.3 from 1.8 on Friday and from 1.2 a week ago.  They need to get to 4.5 which is the lower level of the normal range.  The doctor feels really good that they are moving in the right direction.  As you may remember, they were at 0.4 the week before.  I surely would appreciate your prayers in regard to this and also your prayers for total healing. 

I am so fortunate, indeed, to have friends like you praying for me.  I have felt God’s presence so very close during these last nearly four months.  It is hard to believe that this chapter in my life began on October 12 and it has been almost four months.  I have been particularly touched by the love and encouragement of friends who have reached out to me during this crisis in my life.

I wanted to share with you an e-mail that was sent to me on October 14, 2007 – two days after I entered the hospital.  This came from a wonderful friend who has meant so much to me.  I had just had dinner with him two nights before I entered the hospital, and I had particularly talked with him about Jeremiah 29:11-13.  This is the e-mail that he sent to me.  It surely was a comfort to me during my early days, and I have read it and reread it many times, and I just wanted to share it with you.

"You have brought Jeremiah 29:11 to life in my life during the last month.  So I offer one of God's most profound blessings as found in that verse -- as well as the promise found in another of my favorite verses – as a blessing for you as you start your chemo treatment.

Here's my paraphrased version:

'For I know the plans I have for you, Gary,' declares the Lord, 'plans to continue to prosper you and your work for me even more immensely,  and certainly not to harm you; plans to give you an even greater hope, and an even brighter future than I had planned for you before.  And never lose sight that I work all things – even a diagnosis of acute myelogenous leukemia and the difficult treatment plan to follow – together for the good of people like you, Gary, people who genuinely love me and who have been called according to my purpose.'  Jeremiah 29:11, Roman 8:28"

I have realized during my illness how much I need hope to cling on to.  Words like this e-mail message have provided comfort and hope during some dark and difficult days.

Thank you for letting me share my journey with you and thank you for your continued prayers.  My prayer is that as I recover, I can be a person who provides comfort and hope to individuals who are facing trials and difficulties.

Sincerely,

Gary Cook

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January 30, 2008

A Note from Dr. Cook

From the bottom of my heart, I want to thank you for your prayers.  Please know that God is answering my prayers and your prayers for my health.  I feel that I am getting better every day. 

I went to the doctor yesterday, and my white blood cells have finally moved to 1.2.  Over the last 10 days, when I had the blood tests on my last three visits, they were at 0.4.  So the doctor seemed quite pleased that they are now moving in the right direction, and he feels they will continue to go up.  So I want to ask you for your continued prayers for my white blood cells to go up to a normal range.  The normal range is 4.5-11.0.  The white blood cells relate to the immunity system.

I also want to thank you for praying for my blood platelets.  As you may remember from an earlier update, they had gotten down to 13,000, and I had to have a blood platelet transfusion a week ago.  They are now up to 98,000, and I am so pleased.  The average is 130,000-350,000.  So the doctor said that these are moving in the right direction too, and that is so good.  My red blood cells had gone down some to 2.84 and this relates to my energy, but they are basically just pretty stable at this point, but they need to be up to 4.5-5.9. 

I have been reading a book by Dr. Henry Blackaby and Dr. Norman Blackaby entitled, Experiencing Prayer with Jesus.  I am so pleased that Dr. Norm Blackaby is now one of our DBU professors.  I want to share a quote with you from their book.

“Jesus urged these disciples to always pray and never lose heart (Luke 18:1), to “cry out day and night” to God (18:7), and to keep asking and seeking and knocking with confident assurance of the Father’s loving heart (Matthew 7:7-11). 

This is such a wonderful book, and this particular passage has been helpful to me as I have asked and sought and knocked, and as I have cried out day and night to the Lord for healing.  When I wake up in the night, I ask the Lord for healing.  When I get up in the morning, I ask the Lord for healing.  When I go to bed at night, I ask the Lord for healing.  Throughout the day, I ask the Lord for healing, and I just feel that He is going to answer my prayers and your prayers for my health to be restored.  I must say that there have been days when I have nearly lost heart, but I know Jesus has urged us to pray and never lose heart, and I have asked him to keep me optimistic and positive.  He has certainly given me peace, and for that, I am most grateful. 

So I just wanted you to know that I am doing better and I surely would appreciate your continued prayers.  The next step will be one more day of chemo in about three to four weeks, and then I should be finished with chemotherapy.  About a month later in April, the doctor will do a bone marrow biopsy, and after the tests come back, we will know if I am in remission.  I do believe the Lord has done and is doing a miracle in my life.  Thank you for being a part of my journey and my life.  And thank you for your prayers, encouragement, and love. 

Sincerely,

Gary Cook

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January 23, 2008

Prayer for Dr. Cook

Would you please pray for Dr. Cook’s white blood cell count?  It needs to be at 4.5, and last week, after the treatment subsided, it had dropped to 0.8.  This Monday, it was at 0.4.

In addition, could you pray also for his blood platelet count?  His platelet count has dropped over the last two weeks.  The normal should be at 130,000, but over the weekend, it was around 13,000, causing him to have continuous nose bleeds on Sunday.  On Monday, he went into the hospital to receive blood platelets on an outpatient basis, and that was able to raise his count to 33,000.  He will be going back to the doctor on Thursday to see if any more transfusions are needed.

Dr. Cook is very happy that he has not had to be hospitalized again.  His doctors say that all of these issues with his blood are normal for this round of chemotherapy, but we hope to see his counts rise soon.

Dr. Cook has continued to go to his piano and play various hymns of the faith.  One in particular has given him much comfort and joy – “Trusting Jesus.”  He asked that we share the first stanza of this hymn with you.

Simply trusting every day,
Trusting through a stormy way;
Even when my faith is small,
Trusting Jesus, that is all.

 

Trusting as the moments fly,
Trusting as the days go by;
Trusting Him whate’er befall,
Trusting Jesus, that is all.

Thank you again for your prayers.

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January 18, 2008

Prayer for Dr. Cook

Thank you so much for your prayers for Dr. Cook.  Today marks one week after the end of his third round of chemotherapy, and he has been back and forth from the doctor all week as they have continued to monitor him and run various tests.

Last week, his white blood cell count was at 5.9, which was in the normal range and allowed him to take the chemotherapy.  Today, it came back at 0.5.  The doctor said that this is normal for the after-effects of chemotherapy.

In addition, his platelet count has dropped below normal which is a concern in regard to bleeding.  Currently, his red blood cell count has remained adequate enough so that he will not have to have a blood transfusion.

Thankfully, he has been able to remain at his home this week and has not had to return to the hospital, which many patients going through this have to do.

Would you please pray for his white blood cell count to rise back to normal?  Also would you pray that his platelet count also rises to where it needs to be?  In addition, we would appreciate it if you could pray for him to be protected from any sickness or illness, as he is very susceptible to germs and viruses during this time.

Dr. Cook asked that we share with you that over the past week he has read over and over again Matthew 11:28-30.

Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.

These words have been a great comfort to him, and he has continued to ask the Lord to teach him what He desires (as is stated in verse 29).

Thank you again for all of your prayers.

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January 11, 2008

Note from Dr. Cook

Dear Friends:

I am so pleased to share with you that I have just finished my fifth chemotherapy session about an hour ago and everything has gone okay for now.  I want to thank you for your prayers and for all of the concern you have shared with me.  Your notes of encouragement and e-mails have been a blessing. 

I particularly wanted you to know how much I appreciate your prayers.  I wanted to give you some information on this that I think will show you how important prayer has been for me and my recovery.

You may remember that on December 28, we posted on the website that I really needed your prayers for my white blood cell count.  On December 20, the white blood cells were at 1.0.  On December 26, they were just at 1.2, and by December 28, they had moved to 1.5.  I was supposed to begin chemotherapy on Monday, December 31, but they said they could not because my white blood cells needed to be up to 4.5, which is in the lowest point of the normal range for white blood cells for an individual.  We sent out a prayer request that day asking for you to particularly pray for my white blood cells.  They did not give me another blood test until the morning of January 7, and within that short ten-day period, the white blood cells went to 5.1.  I only needed 4.5.  Today, when I was tested, they were at 5.9.  So I want to tell you that I am so grateful for all of your prayers and for God answering your prayers, and I am grateful that I have been able to finish this third session of chemotherapy. 

What does the future hold?  Only the Lord knows, but I have turned it all over to Him, and I feel safe in His hands. 

The doctor said that there is a good possibility that this strong dose of chemotherapy that I have just gone through will place me back in the hospital within the next two weeks.  I may be in as long as six to eight days.  He does not know, but he says that about 50 percent of his patients have to go back into the hospital because of fever and complications.  So, of course, you know that my prayer now is that I will not have severe problems over these next several weeks.  However, I am just turning this over to the Lord and asking Him to use it for His glory, but I really do not want to have to go through another hospital stay.

Then, in about six weeks, he will do a one-day chemotherapy with me, and then after that, we will wait another month, and he will do a bone marrow biopsy, and he can then determine if I have gone into remission.  So that is my greatest prayer request at this time for all of you to pray for me to go into remission from the leukemia.

I am clinging on to Jeremiah 29:11 that the Lord still has plans and a hope and future for me.  I am still quoting every day my life verse from Proverbs 3:5-6 that I need to lean not on my own understanding and just trust in the Lord.  Then I continue to go back to Isaiah 40:31 and just realize that I am waiting on the Lord through all of this.  (“Be still and know that I am God.”)  He is certainly teaching me and helping me to grow as a Christian.  I cannot get to the point of telling you that I am glad that this leukemia has happened; however, I am trying to take this situation and ask God to help me grow as a Christian through it.  I would appreciate your continued prayers.  Thank you for all of your love and concern.  I will always be grateful and will never forget your expressions of encouragement.

Sincerely,

Gary Cook

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January 7, 2008

Prayer for Dr. Cook

Thank you for praying for Dr. Cook.  His white blood cell count is now back to normal, and this means that he has been cleared to begin his chemotherapy this week.

He will start treatment today and will continue every day this week on an out-patient basis. 

Will you continue to pray for him that this will be the final round that he will have to go through?

We also wanted to share this brief story with you.  Growing up in Arkansas, Dr. Cook learned to play the piano and served his church as a pianist.  On a number of occasions over this Christmas break, he went back to the piano and played through some of the great hymns of the faith, drawing encouragement from the tunes and words that helped to establish and build his love for Christ.

One song particularly ministered to him, “How Firm a Foundation.”  The tune by Joseph Funk brought a continual smile to his face, and the words by John Rippon helped him to hear God’s promises.

In the second verse, Rippon reflects on God’s Word through the prophet Isaiah (41:10).  We thought that you would also gain encouragement, as Dr. Cook has, by reading Rippon’s rendition of this incredible Word.

Fear not, I am with thee, O be not dismayed,
For I am thy God and will still give thee aid;
I’ll strengthen and help thee, and cause thee to stand
Upheld by My righteous, omnipotent hand.

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December 28, 2007

Prayer for Dr. Cook

Thank you for your prayers for Dr. Cook.  He returned from the doctor today with the following report.

His white blood cell count has been slowly rising every day over the last ten days, but it is not where it needs to be in order for him to begin his third round of chemotherapy on Monday, December 31, as they had hoped, so Dr. Cook is scheduled to begin chemo later.

Therefore, if his white blood cell count continues to rise and it is at a level that is safe to proceed, Dr. Cook will begin his third round of chemotherapy on Monday, January 7, and will continue to go in for treatments every day until January 11.

Can you please pray specifically for his white blood cell count to rise so that he can begin treatment on January 7?  Also, can you please pray for him that he will remain healthy this next week and that the third round of chemo will go smoothly?

Dr. Cook wanted to let everyone know that he is continuing to cling to his life verse—Proverbs 3:5-6—during this time by trusting in the Lord and leaning not on his own understanding.

Thank you again for your prayers.

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December 20, 2007

Prayer for Dr. Cook

Dr. Cook visited the doctor today, and he wanted to give us an update.  So far, everything is looking very good in regard to his treatment, and he will plan on beginning his next (third) round of chemotherapy on December 31, New Year’s Eve.

However, his doctor did note that his white blood cell count had dropped.  This is not out of the ordinary when someone undergoes chemotherapy, but this count will need to rise.  In this state, his immune system is not as strong as it could be, and he is susceptible to getting sick.  If he does become ill, and in turn his fever goes up, then he may have to be hospitalized.

Dr. Cook asked if we could please pray specifically for his white blood cell count to rise back to normal.  If it does, then he will be able to undergo the next round of chemo on an out-patient basis, but if it does not, and he becomes ill with a fever, then he will have to spend the beginning of the New Year in the hospital.

Thank you so much for your prayers.  They have sustained Dr. Cook, and other than his white blood cell count being low, he is feeling much better and gaining strength.  We appreciate all the care and concern that you have shown to him and his family and the DBU family during this time.

Dr. Cook has two passages that he wanted to share with you.

And the God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast.

1 Peter 5:10

 

Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured such opposition from sinful men, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.

Hebrews 12:1-3

May God bless you, and may you have a wonderful Christmas celebrating the birth of our Savior and the Great Physician, Jesus Christ.

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December 13, 2007

Note from Dr. Cook

Dear Friends:

Thank you for your prayers.  The Lord has been right here with me.  I felt so badly this weekend and the early part of the week and had so many gastrointestinal problems. 

Many times I wanted to go back to the hospital so that they could try to help me.  I pleaded with the Lord, and He came as I cried out for mercy.

Sheila became ill also with gastrointestinal problems, and we felt like we were 100 years old and on our last legs.

Anyway, it’s now Thursday, and we are both better.  Can you believe that we both drank Pedialyte for 2 days.  We used to give that to our kids when they got sick and were 2 years old.

Our youngest son Mark got home yesterday from his fall semester away and will be with us for a month, and we are just thrilled.

I should feel better every day now until my next round of chemo on December 31.  So we may not update this until then unless I have some setback.  I really do treasure your prayers.  I’m still hoping for a miracle with complete restoration.  The doctor seems optimistic that I am doing well.

I am so grateful for family and friends and our DBU family.  You are a gift from God.  This week my friend Andy Horner sent me a book he had written entitled Reflections.  He autographed it to me and wrote: “Gary, you are loved.  God has a plan and it will be awesome.”

As you know, our theme verses at Dallas Baptist University have been Jeremiah 29:11-13.

“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.  Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you.  You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.”

I do claim these verses today from the Lord, and yes, I pray that the plan will be awesome.

During this Christmas season, I’m going to hold on to these verses for hope, but I’m going to also really dwell on verses 12 and 13.

“Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you.  You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.”

I want to be listening to God and asking Him to teach me through all this and to show me what is His desire for my life.  I am seeking Him with all my heart.  During this Christmas season, would you join me in this journey with God to see what awesome plans He has for you and me.  Let’s seek Him with all our heart.

Merry Christmas!

Gary Cook

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December 10, 2007

Update on Dr. Cook

Dr. Cook finished his second round of chemotherapy on Friday, and later that evening, he began to experience several of the same side effects he had while he was in the hospital.  In particular, the chemo has caused him to have gastrointestinal issues which continued throughout the weekend and is still causing him a great deal of discomfort.

Can you please pray for him that these side effects will be very temporary and that his body would bounce back in the next few days and that in the meantime, the medicine that he is taking to minimize these problems would be effective.

Thank you for your prayers.

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December 4, 2007

Update on Dr. Cook

Today marks the third week that Dr. Cook has been out of the hospital and staying at his house.  He has been growing in strength and feeling much better over this time, and he has been able to attend various campus activities.  This past week, he spoke to the faculty and staff at the annual Christmas dinner, shared a word with the students in a special chapel service, and attended the College of Fine Arts Christmas Concert.  In addition, he has been able to meet with the vice presidents and others down at his house, so he has very much enjoyed this time of rest and return to some level of normalcy.

After visiting with his doctors, they told him that since he has made such good progress, he will be able to start his second round of chemotherapy a week early.  As you may recall, at the beginning of the process, he was told that he would undergo various rounds of chemotherapy, some while in the hospital and some on an outpatient basis.  When he left Baylor Medical Center on November 13, they told him that it would be four weeks before they would be able to begin his second round, but with the wonderful progress that has been made, they bumped him up a week, and Dr. Cook is so pleased with this.

Therefore, he is beginning his second round of treatments today at Baylor Medical Center on an outpatient basis.  These treatments will last for four days, so he will be entering into another critical area of his treatment.  With this in mind, would you please pray for him as he has this treatment?  Please pray that it will go smoothly, that it will be effective, and that the side-effects will be minimal.

He is so appreciative of your prayers, as is the Cook family and the entire DBU family.

During this second round of treatment, Dr. Cook has selected two verses that he will claim, and he wanted to share this with you.

“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”

Matthew 11:28-30 (NIV)

 

“Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time: Casting all your care upon Him; for He careth for you.”

1 Peter 5:6-7 (KJV)

He will be holding on to these promises of the Lord during this time, and Dr. Cook wanted to encourage you to do the same during your trials.

Thank you for your continued prayers for Dr. Cook, and especially for your prayers during this time.  We will update you this week to let you know how this next round of treatment is going.

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November 21, 2007

Update on Dr. Cook

We are so pleased to tell you that Dr. Cook is feeling stronger every day.  He is working from the President’s Home on campus, which is right next door to the administration building.  He is taking naps in the afternoon and then going for a walk.  Yesterday, he walked in the DBU three-mile Turkey Trot, and he finished it in one hour and three minutes.  This was the 19th annual DBU Turkey Trot, and he has never missed one.  This was the first year he had to walk instead of run, but he loved seeing all of the students, faculty, and staff.  Dr. Cook was outside and not close to anyone, and he is still needing to avoid shaking hands or being in close proximity to individuals who of course may be carrying a cold virus or infection.

Dr. Cook will be going for outpatient chemotherapy in three weeks.  Please keep praying for him to be totally healed.  He asked us to tell you thank you for praying for him.  He has really been touched by your love and concern.  He is asking God for a miracle, and he wants to give God all the glory.  Please keep praying for complete restoration, and Dr. Cook has asked that we wish everyone a Happy Thanksgiving.  He asked that we close with these words from Psalm 103:1-5.  A pastor friend sent these comforting words to him, and Dr. Cook is reading this passage over and over.

Praise the LORD, O my soul;

     all my inmost being, praise his holy name.

Praise the LORD, O my soul,

     and forget not all his benefits--

who forgives all your sins

     and heals all your diseases,

who redeems your life from the pit

     and crowns you with love and compassion,

who satisfies your desires with good things

     so that your youth is renewed like the eagle's.

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November 16, 2007

Praise the Lord Again!!!

Wonderful news!!! Dr. Cook went to the doctor today, and his white blood cell count is really doing well.

Just keep praying for him to be totally restored to good health.  He will begin outpatient chemotherapy in three and one half weeks.

Dr. Cook is so thrilled to be back on campus.  He goes for a walk 30 minutes every day, and he is able to meet with staff members and vice presidents in the President’s Home in order to conduct DBU business.

He is giving God all the glory for his good news in regard to the white blood cell count.  He wanted you to know that listening to Christian music has been a part of his therapy, and he encourages everyone to listen to Christian hymns and praise songs on CDs.  The Bible has given him Word after Word of comfort.  And he has felt the Lord’s presence very close to him throughout this illness.

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November 13, 2007

Praise the Lord!!!

On October 12, Dr. Cook entered the hospital to begin treatment for AML.

Today, November 13, he has been cleared to go home.  Praise the Lord!!!!

For the next month, he will continue to meet with his doctors and evaluate the situation, but he will be at home during this time.  He called the office today and was thrilled to be able to give us the wonderful news.

At this point, the doctors expect him to perhaps begin another round of chemo treatment on an outpatient basis in a month, but we will be providing you more of an update later.

Thank you so much for your prayers.  Please join us in giving thanks to the Lord for continuing to answer these prayers, and please continue to pray for total healing from this disease.

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November 12, 2007

Prayer for Dr. Cook

Today marks Day 31 that Dr. Cook has been hospitalized for Acute Myelogenous Leukemia (AML).  Since Friday, October 12, he has been stationed in one of the cancer wings of Baylor Hospital.  In fact, the only excursion he has had since that week was a trip to the first floor this weekend to have a CAT Scan performed.  He was very excited to have this little bit of change of surroundings and is incredibly anxious to leave the hospital.

As the doctors shared with him at the beginning of this journey, Dr. Cook was expected to spend his first month in the hospital.  That month is now completed, and he is looking forward to coming home.

However, he will not be released until he is able to go two days without running a fever.  As you know, he has been running a fever periodically for the past several weeks, and in fact, was running a high fever on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday of this last week.  Thankfully, on Sunday, the fever went away, and he woke up this morning without a fever.  If he can make it through today and tonight, then he will likely come home from the hospital on Tuesday or Wednesday.

Dr. Cook asked if you would please pray for him that his fever would not return so that he could return home.

We are very grateful that he has not developed any major problems, such as pneumonia, but he is still suffering some of the other side effects of the treatment.  There are signs that his strength is returning, and he has been able to walk 30 minutes a day this past week.

Please pray first and foremost that the fever will not come back so that he can come home.  Also, pray that he is able to regain his strength and will continue to hear back positive results from the tests that they are running on him.

Dr. Cook asked that we share the following poem with you.  He received it in a card from two dear friends, and it has meant so much to him, and he thought it might be meaningful to someone else.

God hath not promised skies always blue,
Flower-strewn pathways all our lives through;
God hath not promised sun without rain,
Joy without sorrow, peace without pain.

But God hath promised strength for the day,
Rest for the labor, light for the way,
Grace for the trials, help from above,
Unfailing sympathy, undying love.

Annie Johnson Flint

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November 9, 2007

Prayer for Dr. Cook

Dr. Cook is feeling much better and is hoping to be able to come from the hospital next week.  His good white blood cell count is going up slowly, and his other indicators are also going up slowly.  Please continue to pray for these wonderful signs to continue to increase.

Unfortunately, he has developed another fever, and the doctors are unsure as to what might be causing this, so please pray that the fever goes down and they are able to determine that cause of the fever.  On Monday, we will plan to put a new update on this board to let everyone know how Dr. Cook is doing.

Dr. and Mrs. Cook want to again thank you for all of your prayers and support during this time.  It is so meaningful that so many have reached out to them.  Thank you.

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November 7, 2007

Prayer for Dr. Cook

Dr. Cook called us today to let us know that he is feeling much better.  He is still experiencing the side effects from the treatment and his medications, so please continue to pray for a rash that has broken out, his feet that are very swollen, and the lesions that are still in his mouth.

He shared some wonderful news that his platelet count is now back to normal.  You will recall that he was first hospitalized because his count was at 22,000 and later it dropped as low as 8,000.  It is now up to 139,000!  Praise the Lord!  Thank you so much for your diligent prayers for this result.

Also, his good white blood cell count is rising, but it will still need to rise some more.  Dr. Cook asked if you would mind praying for that and also for the side effects that he is going through.  In addition, they will be running several tests this week to determine the next steps for treatment, so please pray that the results will come back very positive.

Dr. Cook remains in good spirits, and he wanted to let you know how grateful he and Sheila are for all of the prayers and good wishes they have received.

“Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.”

Proverbs 3:5-6

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November 5, 2007

Prayer for Dr. Cook

Dr. Cook continues to struggle with different health problems on his road to recovery.  He is so happy that the platelet count has come up.

He has broken out all over with an allergic rash, which of course causes him to itch.  The mouth sores keep him from eating most solid foods.  He drinks 4 Boost drinks a day and is able to eat yogurt, peaches, and to drink shakes with Bluebell ice cream.  He said to tell everyone that the Bluebell shakes are his favorite by a long shot.

Dr. Cook asked one of the doctors what we should all be specifically pray for, and he told him that it would be best to pray for the bad white blood cells to go away and that the good white blood cells to all return.  Would you mind praying this prayer for Dr. Cook?

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November 1 , 2007

Prayer for Dr. Cook

We want to again thank you for all of your prayers and notes of encouragement to Dr. Cook.

It has been over a week since he completed his chemotherapy treatment, and as often happens in the first and second weeks after treatment, he has begun to experience several side-effects of chemotherapy.  He has developed several lesions in his throat and mouth and has also developed a fever.  He has difficulty eating and swallowing and talking, and he has trouble sleeping.  At one point, he was running a very high fever, but it has come down considerably in the last couple of days.

The doctors and nurses have assured us that this is all within the realm of what is to be expected during this treatment, but it is, of course, not something that is to be desired.  He is extremely tired and miserable, and at the same time, he remains hopeful because he serves a God who is able to overcome any situation.

He wanted us to share with you that he continues to claim Isaiah 40:31, and he has this verse posted on his hospital wall and reads it throughout the day.

"But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint."

This is the first time that he has had to fully wait on the Lord because he is powerless against this disease.  And as he has waited, he said that he can feel God’s presence with him in the room, teaching him what reliance on the Lord truly means.

Please pray for his comfort during this time and that his body would begin to heal and rebound from chemotherapy.  Also pray that the tests that they will be running in the next week or so will show that significant progress was made against the leukemia.

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October 26, 2007

A Note from Dr. Cook

I came into the hospital two weeks ago today, and it has certainly been a spiritual journey these last 14 days. Your prayers, love, and concern for me have touched me to the core of my being.

I have felt pretty miserable for the last three or four days. I knew there would be ups and downs and twists and turns, and many other individuals have suffered much more than this. However, I would sincerely appreciate your prayers for me for my nausea and for the fever they are trying to get down.

The Baylor medical doctors, nurses, and staff are excellent. How fortunate for Dallas to have this world-class medical institution led by their great executive leader, Joel Allison.

I also wanted to share with you one story. I am so proud of Dr. David Hasan, one of our DBU graduates. He came to DBU in 1991, and he was a Muslim and came to know the Lord while he was here at DBU. He is one of the finest people I know. His parents love him very much, but of course they did not want him to become a Christian.

After he became a Christian, he would have had to have gone back home, but we went ahead and gave him a full scholarship for four years. He also had campus jobs in order to make extra money. Then, he went to Texas Tech Medical School, and it was my privilege to go out to his medical school graduation and to be there with him at commencement.

David is a like a part of our Cook family. He spent many Thanksgivings and Christmases with us during his undergraduate years at DBU and his medical school years.

He then went on to study for seven years to become a neurosurgeon, and now he is a professor of neurosurgery at the University of Missouri in Columbia. David flew down one day this week just to spend the day with me and to encourage me. I am so proud of him and so glad he came to DBU and received a Christian education and came to know the Lord.

I have been so privileged to have had the opportunity to serve as president of Dallas Baptist University for the last 19 and a half years. Students like Dr. David Hasan have made serving here such a blessing. I just thought you might like to hear the story of Dr. Hasan and know that there are many others whom I tried to help in the past who are now coming forward to help me during my difficult days.

Someone will post more information next Monday or Tuesday, but I just wanted to give you an update on my health. Thank you so much for your prayers.

I have in my room on the wall a beautiful banner, and I read it all the time. It is called “Footprints.” I am sure that you may have read this before, but I wanted to share it with you because it has meant so much to me.

One night a man had a dream. In his dream, he was walking along the beach with the Lord. As they walked, scenes from the man’s life flashed across the sky. When he looked down, he saw two sets of footprints etched in the sand; one set belonged to him, the other to the Lord.

As they continued to walk, he noticed that at the saddest and most trying times in his life, there was only one set of footprints in the sand. He asked the Lord, “When I needed you the most, why did you leave me?”

“My son, my precious child,” replied the Lord, “I would never leave you. During those times of trial and suffering when you saw one set of footprints…THAT was when I carried you.”

Sincerely,

Gary Cook

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October 24, 2007

Daily Prayer for Dr. Cook

We talked to Dr. Cook this morning on the telephone at the hospital, and this is his first day to be able to put on a shirt and not to just be in his pajamas. He is feeling better, and he has received some good news on his progress.  His fluid retention has diminished considerably, and after some transfusions yesterday, his blood platelet count is doing much better.  It will still be a while until he hears back from his doctors concerning the effect of the chemotherapy, but this is very good news for which we can praise the Lord.

Dr. Cook is still understandably weak. Now is the waiting time after chemotherapy to see how everything goes. So, please do continue to pray for him that he continues to progress and does not become sick.

He said to tell everybody how very grateful he is to have the prayers and love of his friends and family.

One of the DBU faculty members sent him a card yesterday and he wanted to share this with you. It had the verse from Psalm 40:1-3.

“I waited patiently for the LORD;
     He turned to me and heard my cry.

He lifted me out of the slimy pit,
     out of the mud and mire;
     He set my feet on a rock
     and gave me a firm place to stand.

He put a new song in my mouth,
     a hymn of praise to our God.
     Many will see and fear
     and put their trust in the LORD.”

Dr. Cook said that he wrote down in his Bible by that verse, “This is my prayer today, October 23, 2007; Oh Lord, thank you for giving me these verses and help me to have a new song in my mouth and help many to see and put their trust in the Lord.”

Since Dr. Cook is doing better and the doctors are positive concerning his progress, we will not be updating this every day now. But we will update it on Friday before the weekend, and then again on Monday.  We will certainly update it if there is a crisis situation. Thank you for all of your love and concern for Dr. Cook. He has really been touched deeply by the love and prayers of so many people.

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October 23, 2007

A Note from Dr. Cook

I just want to thank all of you from the bottom of my heart for your love and concern and prayers.  I feel so blessed to have people praying for me. 

Overall, the doctors have been optimistic, and have noted that I have had fewer complications and side effects than most chemo patients at this stage in the treatment.  However, while I have not had as many complications as some patients, I still have had to deal with many side effects of the very strong chemo drugs they are giving me.  The night-time, in particular, has been tough, as I have not slept well and seem to have more problems at night.  Please pray that some of these problem areas—such as my body retaining many extra pounds of excess fluid, still having a low platelet count, and dealing with nausea—will get better in the next few days.  For all of us who struggle with this illness, it is just an hour by hour challenge.  I have been encouraged by what the doctors have said so far, but this has still been a very difficult time for me.  Please pray that I will be totally healed.

I do feel so very close to God.  I do not know how people are able to make it without a daily walk with God.  He has been my comfort and my strength, and I have felt His arms of love enveloping me.  I feel like a little child being held in God’s arms. 

Sheila, Mark, David, and Nicole, of course, have all been so wonderful.  Our youngest son, Mark, is in England studying for the semester with a program set up by Samford University in Alabama, where he is currently attending school.  Mark came home and spent two nights here in the hospital with me, and it was such a special time.  David is in SMU Law School, and, of course, he as spent several nights here in the hospital too; that is a real blessing.  Then, dear Sheila has been here all the time helping me, and she has had to sleep on that little couch several nights.  She is the most wonderful wife I could have ever hoped for.

I will give another report later.  I just wanted to write all of you and say thank you so very much for your prayers.  In the mean time I am holding on to Proverbs 3:5-6 and Jeremiah 29:11-13.  These are my two life verses. 

Thank you for loving me and being my friend.  I feel most blessed to have friends who pray for me on a daily basis.

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October 22, 2007

Daily Prayer for Dr. Cook

Dr. Cook would like to let you all know how much he appreciates your prayers and how they are working.

On Friday evening, he had a particularly difficult night in response to the chemotherapy treatment.  He was unable to sleep and felt miserable.  But by the morning, God’s mercies had renewed him and on Saturday and Sunday he was able to regain enough strength to walk around the hallways for about 30 minutes each day.  He has also been taken off of oxygen.  In addition, the Lasix is working better, and he is beginning to lose some of the fluid that has built up from the treatments.  He still has a long way to go, but the power of your prayers is evident.

Dr. Cook also wanted to thank those of you who have emailed him or written him cards.  We have probably received as of today around 500 cards and emails from all over the world.

In fact, he received a phone call on Sunday from Texas Governor Rick Perry, who was at the time in New York.  Gov. Perry has visited DBU before, and he will be our keynote speaker for our annual fund-raising dinner on November 19, and he wanted to tell Dr. Cook that he was thinking about him during this trial.

Dr. Cook completed his fourth chemotherapy treatment on Saturday.  His doctors will be assessing the success of this first round of treatment.  In the meantime, he will continue to receive other medications and will remain in the hospital for the next three weeks.

This next week, Dr. Cook’s immune system will be down, and he will be very susceptible to sickness.  Please pray that the Lord will protect him from any virus, germ, or disease.

Dr. Cook is continuing to hold on to Isaiah 40:31, so let’s continue to ask God to renew his strength and heal his body.

“But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.”

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October 19, 2007

Daily Prayer for Dr. Cook

Although Dr. Cook's strength is diminished, and he is on oxygen and retaining fluid, the doctors assure us that this is all normal and to be expected while he is taking the chemotherapy treatments.  He had his third treatment last night, and we are grateful that he is not experiencing any nausea.  His fourth treatment will be on Saturday evening.

Please continue to pray for Dr. Cook's healing and that he will continue to be encouraged by this outpouring of love and uplifted through the prayers that are being offered on his behalf around the world.

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October 18, 2007

Daily Prayer for Dr. Cook

Dr. Cook is feeling somewhat weaker today, but the doctors say that this is to be expected. However, he does now have a good appetite, and he is no longer nauseous. He will have his third chemotherapy treatment this evening.

Dr. Cook continues to want everyone to know how much he appreciates our prayers. He has claimed Isaiah 40:31 and ask that we all claim this as our verse for him during his illness:

"But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint."

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October 17, 2007 - supplemental

Prayers Around the World

We have received many, many, many encouraging notes and emails, and it is amazing to know that believers from literally around the world are even right now lifting Dr. Cook up in prayer.

Dr. Cook is so grateful for all of these prayers.  Thank you for joining with him in the fight against this disease.

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October 17, 2007

Daily Prayer for Dr. Cook

Dr. Cook had his second chemotherapy treatment last night. He reports that he is still very weak and on oxygen. His platelet count is still low, and he is having some problems with his nose bleeding because of this low count. He asks that we please pray that the Lord will intervene.

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October 16, 2007

Daily Prayer for Dr. Cook

Dr. Cook is a little weaker today than he was yesterday, and he is now on oxygen. Despite being on Lasix, he is retaining fluid.  Although the doctors said that this is to be expected, if it continues, it might become a problem.  Please pray about this situation for Dr. Cook.

Dr. Cook wanted to let everyone know how much he appreciates your prayers. It is a tough struggle for him, but he knows that many prayers are being offered, and God is a God that answers prayers.

Tonight he will have his second chemotherapy treatment.

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October 15, 2007

Daily Prayer for Dr. Cook

Please pray that Dr. Cook's platelet count will start to increase. Right now, this is one of our greatest concerns. On Friday, October 12, Dr. Cook's platelet count was 22,000 at 12:00 noon, and it should have been 100,000. By 7:00 p.m. the count was down to 13,000.

On Saturday, Dr. Cook received a platelet transfusion, and he had a chemotherapy treatment on Sunday evening. However, his platelet count has only increased to 15,000. We are praying that the transfusion and the chemo will reverse the low count and that the platelets will start to increase to greater levels.

Dr. Cook is extremely weak, and he is also experiencing nausea from the chemotherapy. Please pray that the doctors will be able to treat these side effects from the treatment and that he can regain strength and an appetite.

Dr. Cook really appreciates your prayers. Just as a miracle occurred here on University Hill in 1988, we pray that God will perform another miracle in Dr. Cook's healing.

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October 14, 2007

Prayer Needed for DBU President Gary Cook

DBU President Dr. Gary Cook was diagnosed with Acute Myelogenous Leukemia (AML) on Friday, October 12, and he was hospitalized as soon as they discovered the disease.

AML is a form of leukemia which is very aggressive, and once someone is discovered to have this disease, they are required to begin treatment immediately.

He will be undergoing treatment for the next several months; however, for the next month, he will remain in the hospital.

On Sunday, October 14, they began his first round of chemotherapy.

Unlike other forms of cancer, AML does not necessarily have stages associated with it, and it is still very early in the process to know what the overall diagnosis is.

He is in good hands, and he is being treated by some very capable doctors.

Early test results seem to indicate that the particular form of AML that he has will respond well with treatment.  Also, since Dr. Cook has remained in such good shape over the years, we are very optimistic about his treatment and recovery.

Prior to Diagnosis

Dr. Cook had not been feeling his usual healthy self in the weeks prior to this.  He had a coughing spell and shortness of breath and some fatigue.  Since he was going in for his annual physical on Friday, October 12, he decided to ask the doctor about this when he saw him.

When they ran some blood work, they noticed the problem and immediately hospitalized him.

No Visitation

Dr. Cook is unable to see any visitors given the treatment he is receiving, and he will also be unable to receive any flowers or food or phone calls.

He will be able to receive cards, notes, and emails, so feel free to pass those along to him.  If you would like to send him any greeting, you may send emails to Blake Killingsworth at blake@dbu.edu, or you may send cards or notes of encouragement to the President's Office, Dallas Baptist University, 3000 Mountain Creek Parkway, Dallas, Texas  75211-9299.

Prayer

The best thing that anyone can do is to pray for Dr. and Mrs. Cook, as well as the Cook family (David, Mark, and Nicole).  We serve a mighty God, and over the years, Dr. Cook has turned to God in prayer, and God has been faithful to answer these prayers.  So Dr. Cook trusts in the power of prayer, and he has humbly asked for others to pray for him during this time.

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