As I sit here once again in the chair at the oncology office, I celebrate that this is the last week of chemo. God has been so good to me in renewing my strength through this whole 6 - 3 week cycles of chemo. Sure, I have had times when I was just out of energy, but it always seemed to work out to be when I was at home and could rest without disrupting anything. God has carried me through work, commitments to groups, moving, building beds, a dining room table, and a ton of shelving in the garage at the new house, and so on, and especially when I needed energy, He was there. As I have quoted so often "Those who wait [trust] upon the Lord will renew in their strength, they will soar on wings of eagles." ~Isaiah 40:31
Every so often, the reality of the possibilities of the situation set in, and I get down. We just lost another friend who I grew close to in discussions on Facebook, and knowing his sister and family so well at church. I never actually met the guy face to face, but we had some great discussions via text. At any rate, he had stage 4 colon cancer and died at the young age of 41. What a great encourager he was through it all. I look forward to meeting him in heaven. Another one was a walking inspiration that I met at the cancer support group at church. He was a retired veteran, Chaplin, and medical field professional who died of cancer a couple months ago, but was a great friend also sharing this burden of the disease. Seeing 2 great people get taken out by cancer, while you are on chemo because of cancer, is not easy. The mind wanders....As humans we tend to for some reason devolve to thinking about the worst case scenario and then dwelling on it. I guess God knew this, which is why Jesus addresses "worry" smack in the middle of the sermon on the mount [ Mat 6:25-34 ]. Worry is real. Jesus ultimately offers the solution in one of my all time favorite verses which is Mat 6:33 - " But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well." He's saying, "Drop your mask where you are the one in the driver's seat with it all together and be real with me, come to me first, and I will take care of your needs." He is saying, "Look I am God, and I am in compete control. I may not answer your prayers right away, or the way you want, because I am shaping you for something greater, but if you come to me first, you are going to be fine."
I tend to pray a lot in the car since dealing with all of the crazies on the road alone would suck. JK...it is one of the few places where it is quiet, and cruise control and watching the yellow and white line go by creates an opportunity to do that. At any rate, this weekend was kind of a rough patch where worry set in. Friday I met with the oncology doc and we discussed that this is my last week of chemo and the 6 cycles will be complete. From there, I have to get scans and if all is good, let life-jimbag part II begin. If not, I will endure a bone marrow napalm followed by re-injection of my own harvested stem cycles [another thorough bone marrow aspiration] to try to reset my system, OR the new immunotherapy which was just released in October. Bad PET/CT scans presents a daunting iffy future in the hospital for a couple months, in the pit of misery with no Bud Light...Dilly Dilly!, to say the least.
At any rate, you know how you kind of hit the end of a worry cycle and you feel like you have to do something, becasue it is driving your nuts..? I landed there in prayer, in the car, this morning. Its that time when you have to throw your guard, pride, rationalizations, control, worry, and so on, aside and just get real with God. So once again in saying the tough prayer to God and admitting my God given faith is weak, "I've gotta be honest with you God, you didn't answer my prayer last time when we all prayed and the tumor would just miraculously be gone and there would be no cancer (He is doing it another way), I am afraid, I don't know why this all has happened or what is to come. I believe that you are sovereign and in complete control, but I am not sure I believe that you are going to rid me of cancer for good. I come to you as you said in Mat 6:33 and seeking you as my only answer. Will you give me what I need to get through this worry? I am coming to you and asking for help and healing as you promised in Psalm 30:2."
As the way so many stories go, "And then God..."
And then God presents me with a reflection back on all of the awesome stuff he has provided through it all....I have endured chemo through His power and grace. I have grown spiritually a ton. I was able to sell 3 houses, move twice, miss only 1 day of work, restore an important busted relationship, live through hurricane Harvey in Houston, never get sick, and so much more. Jesus was the answer then, and He is still the answer now. Then in true grand God style the next song on Sirius XM channel 63 is Amy Grant "King of the World". Check out the lyrics and maybe give it a listen...
"I tried to fit you in the walls inside my mind
I try to keep you safely in between the lines
I try to put you in the box that I've designed
I try to pull you down so we are eye to eye
When did I forget that you've always been the king of the world?
I try to take life back right out of the hands of the king of the world
How could I make you so small
When you're the one who holds it all
When did I forget that you've always been the king of the world
Just a whisper of your voice can tame the seas
So who am I to try to take the lead
Still I run ahead and think I'm strong enough
When you're the one who made me from the dust"
Mind = blown...And reset, and I'm back. I figured there is enough worry out there, where maybe someone may be in a state of worry, and I felt like I should share the story.
Anyway, today's big kick off drip, 4 to-go bags of chemo this week, and a final drip Friday and I'm ready to rock life part II. As of Friday late afternoon, I will have taken 21 liters of chemo over the 18 total weeks, and believing all will continue to be well this week and I will remain on wings of eagles [Isa 40:31] with no horrific experience, and ultimately I will be done with chemo. Then I have to get busy growing my eyebrows back. :-)
To quote Captain Jack Sparrow, "Bring me that horizon."
Monday, January 15, 2018
Saturday, December 30, 2017
Bring on the new year!
As I reflect back on 2017, a plethora of thoughts and emotions come to mind. Kelly and I have seen an awful lot of ground covered, growth both together and spiritually, experienced family events, cancer, and our lives uprooted and moved to an island in beautiful NC. Here is the short list I threw together of things that happened in 2017...
January - Discovery of an 8cm tumor in Jan, revived an important dead relationship.
February - Failed upper left lung lobectomy with on the spot non-small cell lung cancer diagnosis (pics of cells and on site pathology) and given 6-12 months to live for Valentine's Day, evicted dead beat tenant from townhouse in Feb, GBPC church stepped in and helped us repair all of the damage and ultimately sell the place later in Apr. Incredible outpouring of prayer for us.
March - Inconclusive lab work on non-small cell diagnosis, trip to MD Anderson which confirmed it (PRAYERS BY MANY ANSWERED), Sunny dog died after 14 years upon returning from MD Anderson.
April - Began cancer support ministry at GBPC in April, Cinnamon (13 year old Golden retriever) mysteriously dies of lung cancer just after I was cleared.
May - Decided to build a house and move to Currituck NC on the water in May, Megan graduates PT school and gets married in May, finally went on our honeymoon a year late to Antigua, large dosages of Prednisone (80mg/day) to try to kill off unknown tumor May - July.
June and July - prepped 2 houses to sell in August. Chesapeake house and the Jellyfish in KDH. thank goodness for Prednisone.
August - Open chest lobectomy round 2 in August successful, met with Joel Osteen, diagnosed with Lymphoma cancer in August no trace of non-small cell present from pics earlier, in Houston for hurricane Harvey, sold primary residence in Chesapeake and moved to a 900 sq ft apartment and loaded up storage in August.
September - Kelly's father dies in September at his home in Dallas, closed OBX Paddle Company with minimal profits (but no loss), began 6-cycle EPOCH-R chemo 3 weeks/cycle regime. Sold Jellyfish house in KDH, completed 4 month summer rental season (blessed with great renters again this year) over on 4th st in KDH all summer.
October - I went to ER in Oct due to chemo reaction, Kati announces that she pregnant with grandchild #3 due in June 2018, Jim hit on 464 in minor accident returning to work from chemo.
November - Achieved half way point for chemo treatment Thanksgiving week. Clear PET and CT scans showing no cancer.
December - Closed on new dream house on water and moved in (thanks for all the help to some great friends from church), our new nephew Elliot was born. 5 of 6 chemo cycles complete.
Whew...what a year! I'd raise a glass (or a few) of my favorite, but this Nuelasta shot I get post chemo treatment prevents any such fun!
Through it all I have to say it was one of the craziest, but best years ever...A blessed plight. It was not easy going through it, and there is still more to go as I sit here writing during the last drip of cycle 5 of chemo, with cycle 6 looming 3 weeks out and a couple procedures I have to get done in early 2018. However, 2017 was a year of massive growth for me mentally and spiritually. Being told you are going to die soon presents you with a choice of how you will handle it. I am happy to say that I ran to God, and He gave me the faith and attitude that I needed when I asked. I showed up with far too little of each, and because of God I have plenty. I will also testify to my favorite verse in the Bible [ Isaiah 40:31 ] being 100% true. If you are willing to place your faith and hope in God, He will renew your strength when you need it. He will position you to soar on wings of eagles. You will not grow weary. You will not faint. Go fight the long, hard, good fight, and win with God. It may not go how you thought it was going to go, but by committing to God and His divine purpose you will come out on top.
Looking into 2018....
I have to get my trachea scarring issue fixed and regain proper air flow beyond the 60% it is now, get rid of this stupid chemo port (Kelly - another new souvenir Christmas ornament!), get running and conditioning, and go run the Rock and Roll 1/2 marathon once again in defiance of a health issue. My current assessment is that will be a challenge as I get winded walking up stairs now, but with Christ I can so all things [ Phil 4:13 ]. The 2 previous times were a heart issue in 2005, and when I ran in my daughter's place in 2007 when she blew her knee out. As it turns out. I won the 16-year old girls bracket that year. In 2018 I pray that I will run it in at least the same or better time, even with 1/2 a left lung, a repaired trachea, and a newly recovered immune system this coming spring.
Once I get the clean bill of health and my immune system comes back, God has put what I believe to be a vision in me, to go create a new mission trip where we can work to build a relationship with a group of people in a different country. From what I have seen they could really use a hand. It would be great to come along side a church there and hopefully help take it from devastation and grow it into something great on the power of God, for the glory of God, for those people. I plan to embark on scouting out that journey in May if all works out well, and God points us there. I can not wait to get the clean bill of health, walk away from cancer for good having learned and grown much in 2017, and go begin to fulfill the next chapter of my God given purpose in 2018, and beyond.
See you on the beach in KDH this coming summer. Bring your SUP or kayak, spear gun, and snorkel gear. Assuming we get a prevailing east wind and warm clear waters to follow, me and Jake the Viking will be out on the wreck at MP 7 getting dinner.
January - Discovery of an 8cm tumor in Jan, revived an important dead relationship.
February - Failed upper left lung lobectomy with on the spot non-small cell lung cancer diagnosis (pics of cells and on site pathology) and given 6-12 months to live for Valentine's Day, evicted dead beat tenant from townhouse in Feb, GBPC church stepped in and helped us repair all of the damage and ultimately sell the place later in Apr. Incredible outpouring of prayer for us.
March - Inconclusive lab work on non-small cell diagnosis, trip to MD Anderson which confirmed it (PRAYERS BY MANY ANSWERED), Sunny dog died after 14 years upon returning from MD Anderson.
April - Began cancer support ministry at GBPC in April, Cinnamon (13 year old Golden retriever) mysteriously dies of lung cancer just after I was cleared.
May - Decided to build a house and move to Currituck NC on the water in May, Megan graduates PT school and gets married in May, finally went on our honeymoon a year late to Antigua, large dosages of Prednisone (80mg/day) to try to kill off unknown tumor May - July.
June and July - prepped 2 houses to sell in August. Chesapeake house and the Jellyfish in KDH. thank goodness for Prednisone.
August - Open chest lobectomy round 2 in August successful, met with Joel Osteen, diagnosed with Lymphoma cancer in August no trace of non-small cell present from pics earlier, in Houston for hurricane Harvey, sold primary residence in Chesapeake and moved to a 900 sq ft apartment and loaded up storage in August.
September - Kelly's father dies in September at his home in Dallas, closed OBX Paddle Company with minimal profits (but no loss), began 6-cycle EPOCH-R chemo 3 weeks/cycle regime. Sold Jellyfish house in KDH, completed 4 month summer rental season (blessed with great renters again this year) over on 4th st in KDH all summer.
October - I went to ER in Oct due to chemo reaction, Kati announces that she pregnant with grandchild #3 due in June 2018, Jim hit on 464 in minor accident returning to work from chemo.
November - Achieved half way point for chemo treatment Thanksgiving week. Clear PET and CT scans showing no cancer.
December - Closed on new dream house on water and moved in (thanks for all the help to some great friends from church), our new nephew Elliot was born. 5 of 6 chemo cycles complete.
Whew...what a year! I'd raise a glass (or a few) of my favorite, but this Nuelasta shot I get post chemo treatment prevents any such fun!
Through it all I have to say it was one of the craziest, but best years ever...A blessed plight. It was not easy going through it, and there is still more to go as I sit here writing during the last drip of cycle 5 of chemo, with cycle 6 looming 3 weeks out and a couple procedures I have to get done in early 2018. However, 2017 was a year of massive growth for me mentally and spiritually. Being told you are going to die soon presents you with a choice of how you will handle it. I am happy to say that I ran to God, and He gave me the faith and attitude that I needed when I asked. I showed up with far too little of each, and because of God I have plenty. I will also testify to my favorite verse in the Bible [ Isaiah 40:31 ] being 100% true. If you are willing to place your faith and hope in God, He will renew your strength when you need it. He will position you to soar on wings of eagles. You will not grow weary. You will not faint. Go fight the long, hard, good fight, and win with God. It may not go how you thought it was going to go, but by committing to God and His divine purpose you will come out on top.
Looking into 2018....
I have to get my trachea scarring issue fixed and regain proper air flow beyond the 60% it is now, get rid of this stupid chemo port (Kelly - another new souvenir Christmas ornament!), get running and conditioning, and go run the Rock and Roll 1/2 marathon once again in defiance of a health issue. My current assessment is that will be a challenge as I get winded walking up stairs now, but with Christ I can so all things [ Phil 4:13 ]. The 2 previous times were a heart issue in 2005, and when I ran in my daughter's place in 2007 when she blew her knee out. As it turns out. I won the 16-year old girls bracket that year. In 2018 I pray that I will run it in at least the same or better time, even with 1/2 a left lung, a repaired trachea, and a newly recovered immune system this coming spring.
Once I get the clean bill of health and my immune system comes back, God has put what I believe to be a vision in me, to go create a new mission trip where we can work to build a relationship with a group of people in a different country. From what I have seen they could really use a hand. It would be great to come along side a church there and hopefully help take it from devastation and grow it into something great on the power of God, for the glory of God, for those people. I plan to embark on scouting out that journey in May if all works out well, and God points us there. I can not wait to get the clean bill of health, walk away from cancer for good having learned and grown much in 2017, and go begin to fulfill the next chapter of my God given purpose in 2018, and beyond.
See you on the beach in KDH this coming summer. Bring your SUP or kayak, spear gun, and snorkel gear. Assuming we get a prevailing east wind and warm clear waters to follow, me and Jake the Viking will be out on the wreck at MP 7 getting dinner.
Friday, October 13, 2017
1 cycle down 5 to go.
This morning was the final check for cycle 1 of my 6 cycle chemo regime. Each cycle consists of 5 days on and 16 days off (3 weeks), a Neulasta injection in week 2, and as of now I know WAY more than I ever thought I would about chemo.
The short story is it has been a relatively easy 1st cycle, which is to be expected I am told, since it takes multiple cycles for the big cumulative effects to build up in one's body, as well as the ramp up in quantity of drugs administered. However, putting 3,350ml of weird chemicals to kill cancer into your body is certainly not without its effects. So I guess I write both to those who have asked, "how's it going?" as well as to those who may be entering into a chemo regime.
As I have mentioned to many, there are many types of chemos out there, and often they differ quite a bit. I am on DA-EPOCH-R which is the tried and hopefully true treatment plan for NHL B cell patients. Specifically, I have primary mediastinal diffuse large B cell NHL (Non Hodgkin's Lymphoma). EPOCH-R is the preferred method over the standard Lymphoma R-CHOP.
Day 1-5 I am blessed with 5 days of a 100mg dose of Prednisone (NO! not again!). Then its chemo first thing Monday morning with an 850ml bag dripping for 4-5 hours into my chemo port which was installed under my skin just below my right side clavicle a few weeks back. They have nice reclining chairs at Va oncology and make things pretty comfortable, but man is it weird watching this stuff drip into you day 1. I was actually able to work from the clinic with a laptop, their wifi, and some headphones which makes the time fly by. As a hint, for anyone about to enter this sort of thing headphones are a good idea as you will be in a room full of people also getting chemo who speak at different volumes with all kinds of different content, share their music with you, and so on. After that, I get a to-go order of a red 500ml solution which pumps from a bag into me for 24 hours while I work, sleep, and carry on as usual. I go back to the docs office 24 hours later and get another to-go bag of joy and repeat this through Thursday's to go bag of joy. Friday they disconnect me from the bag, do a final different 500ml drip onsite, for about an hour or so, and then I am done for the 5 days.
I cannot tell you how liberating the Friday afternoon session is to get rid of the to-go bag of joy fun for the week, get my last drip done, and bust out for the weekend. With that comes a pretty cool system where they do a time released injection of Neulasta, which fires Saturday evening for 45 minutes and pushes 6mg of that drug into your arm. It is essentially a patch which has a circuit board, the drug, a needle, and a beeper to let you know when it starts and stops. Very cool...very expensive. That runs about $8k per injection. Its $7k to go in, so what the heck...? With each 3 week cycle running $60k or so what's another grand between friends to not have to go back on Saturday evening.
Day 7 Sunday - the Neulasta kicks in. I experienced an elevated heart rate (100-120 bpm relaxed), which freaked me out, I wound up in the ER where they ran some tests, and then I got sent home. That elevated heart rate is an allergic reaction to the drug and of course is rare. Why is it that I always wind up being the anomaly? At any rate, Neulasta is a wonder drug, aside from its side effects, that causes your white blood cell count, which have been nuked by chemo, to go way up fast...Like 3-4x what it normally would be way up. That essentially puts your immune system back on track temporarily which is nice if you want to stay active, out, and about.
Day 8 - 12...Neulasta is beating a brother down. Bone pain, which is the most common side effect, and is due to your bone marrow producing white blood cells and getting your immune system back on track. The back pain escalated up through Friday at which point they gave me stronger pain meds to help me sleep and function more easily. [hint] Get these earlier than the Friday after chemo is done (7 days later) and you will likely sleep better all week and not get to this point.
Then, like nothing happened, I woke up on day 13 of cycle 1 [Saturday] at 100% in Kill Devil Hills. Was this all a dream? :-) Anyway, no back pain, no need for meds, nothing. WOW...Now this sounds like a good day to go out on the beach, drink beer, stay up late with friends, and generally speaking totally over do it in celebration, and hope for the best! Ok maybe not my brightest move, but come on, give me a break! Lesson learned...take it easy and cut the go wild thing.
Days 14 - Day 19 [today] - I have had a little back pain, tapered back off of the stronger pain meds, and generally done fine. Bring on tomorrow!
All in all, Isaiah 40:31 is my verse and it works. Faith and hope in the Lord, leaning on family and great friends, and the one thing I can control...my attitude, remain the key elements to get through this and as the verse says, soar on wings of eagles, run and not grow weary, walk and not be faint.
The short story is it has been a relatively easy 1st cycle, which is to be expected I am told, since it takes multiple cycles for the big cumulative effects to build up in one's body, as well as the ramp up in quantity of drugs administered. However, putting 3,350ml of weird chemicals to kill cancer into your body is certainly not without its effects. So I guess I write both to those who have asked, "how's it going?" as well as to those who may be entering into a chemo regime.
As I have mentioned to many, there are many types of chemos out there, and often they differ quite a bit. I am on DA-EPOCH-R which is the tried and hopefully true treatment plan for NHL B cell patients. Specifically, I have primary mediastinal diffuse large B cell NHL (Non Hodgkin's Lymphoma). EPOCH-R is the preferred method over the standard Lymphoma R-CHOP.
Day 1-5 I am blessed with 5 days of a 100mg dose of Prednisone (NO! not again!). Then its chemo first thing Monday morning with an 850ml bag dripping for 4-5 hours into my chemo port which was installed under my skin just below my right side clavicle a few weeks back. They have nice reclining chairs at Va oncology and make things pretty comfortable, but man is it weird watching this stuff drip into you day 1. I was actually able to work from the clinic with a laptop, their wifi, and some headphones which makes the time fly by. As a hint, for anyone about to enter this sort of thing headphones are a good idea as you will be in a room full of people also getting chemo who speak at different volumes with all kinds of different content, share their music with you, and so on. After that, I get a to-go order of a red 500ml solution which pumps from a bag into me for 24 hours while I work, sleep, and carry on as usual. I go back to the docs office 24 hours later and get another to-go bag of joy and repeat this through Thursday's to go bag of joy. Friday they disconnect me from the bag, do a final different 500ml drip onsite, for about an hour or so, and then I am done for the 5 days.
I cannot tell you how liberating the Friday afternoon session is to get rid of the to-go bag of joy fun for the week, get my last drip done, and bust out for the weekend. With that comes a pretty cool system where they do a time released injection of Neulasta, which fires Saturday evening for 45 minutes and pushes 6mg of that drug into your arm. It is essentially a patch which has a circuit board, the drug, a needle, and a beeper to let you know when it starts and stops. Very cool...very expensive. That runs about $8k per injection. Its $7k to go in, so what the heck...? With each 3 week cycle running $60k or so what's another grand between friends to not have to go back on Saturday evening.
Day 7 Sunday - the Neulasta kicks in. I experienced an elevated heart rate (100-120 bpm relaxed), which freaked me out, I wound up in the ER where they ran some tests, and then I got sent home. That elevated heart rate is an allergic reaction to the drug and of course is rare. Why is it that I always wind up being the anomaly? At any rate, Neulasta is a wonder drug, aside from its side effects, that causes your white blood cell count, which have been nuked by chemo, to go way up fast...Like 3-4x what it normally would be way up. That essentially puts your immune system back on track temporarily which is nice if you want to stay active, out, and about.
Day 8 - 12...Neulasta is beating a brother down. Bone pain, which is the most common side effect, and is due to your bone marrow producing white blood cells and getting your immune system back on track. The back pain escalated up through Friday at which point they gave me stronger pain meds to help me sleep and function more easily. [hint] Get these earlier than the Friday after chemo is done (7 days later) and you will likely sleep better all week and not get to this point.
Then, like nothing happened, I woke up on day 13 of cycle 1 [Saturday] at 100% in Kill Devil Hills. Was this all a dream? :-) Anyway, no back pain, no need for meds, nothing. WOW...Now this sounds like a good day to go out on the beach, drink beer, stay up late with friends, and generally speaking totally over do it in celebration, and hope for the best! Ok maybe not my brightest move, but come on, give me a break! Lesson learned...take it easy and cut the go wild thing.
Days 14 - Day 19 [today] - I have had a little back pain, tapered back off of the stronger pain meds, and generally done fine. Bring on tomorrow!
All in all, Isaiah 40:31 is my verse and it works. Faith and hope in the Lord, leaning on family and great friends, and the one thing I can control...my attitude, remain the key elements to get through this and as the verse says, soar on wings of eagles, run and not grow weary, walk and not be faint.
Monday, August 28, 2017
Status and treatment plans
It dawned on me that I have not provided much detail on the diagnosis and what we know about treatment. So for those interested in the deets here they are:
- First, and foremost, I am extremely thankful to my sister-in-law for hooking us up with Dr Fayad. https://faculty.mdanderson.org/profiles/luis_fayad.html He is obviously very experienced and well published, and has a great sense of humor to boot. My kind of doc. He will QB the process from MD Anderson.
- The actual treatment will be in Va Beach with Va Oncology and we think Dr Lee who was my doc back when we thought this was non-small cell lung cancer. We are still working on getting in with him soon, through some friends close to the group.
- I will be on R-EPOCH which is a pretty intense chemo regime where I will be in the hospital hooked up to a bag for 5 straight days. I then get 2 weeks off. Then repeat for 3 cycles and go back to Houston for another work up. I am told that Rituximab, which is a bio drug, is a key drug in this mix.
- Work ups include a bone marrow aspiration and bone biopsy which is essentially taking a core out of the back side of my pelvis bone (they should offer this at Sandals. it is a real treat). PET Scan, blood work, and I think ECG and EKG. From there Dr. Fayad can eval me and figure out if I need 3 more cycles. At this point he has said it will likely be 6 cycles.
That's about it. Once we figure out what hospital and when and all that, we will communicate that out. Please feel free to come visit. Staring at walls, and the boob tube on the wall, is going to be boring!
Sunday, August 27, 2017
Sometimes you just have to go through it
As I sit here watching the news reports from Hurricane Harvey and all of the flooding in the Houston area, I reflect on not just the storm and how blessed we are to be high and dry as of 11am this Sunday morning, but also my medical situation. Many in the area have lost everything except their lives. Massive devastation here for millions. While my prayer is that the water not infiltrate this house, on a much greater scale and perspective, I also pray for so many who have suffered catastrophic loss.
With regard to my medical sitch, lots of unknowns and attempts to resolve my tumor leading up to mid August to no avail. So, we decided to come to MD Anderson and have the open chest upper left lung lobectomy procedure done. We, along with so many praying for me, asked God for a miracle to take the tumor away, and as it turns out that that was to happen via God's sovereign hand in the surgery and not via a non-surgical miraculous healing. The tumor is malignant and I was diagnosed with Non-Hodkin's Lymphoma on Thursday at 2pm per a call from our surgeon's office reporting pathology findings. It sounds like it is treatable and there is a 93% cure rate via intense chemo. So, while chemo does not fix many types of cancer much of the time, it would seem that in this particular type it has good results. I am very blessed to have these odds at a cure. With other forms of cancer, this is not the case.
Sometimes you just have to go through it....
I am reminded of Acts 27 when we find Paul telling the people who were to take him to Rome in a ship that there is going to be a shipwreck and they should not go. No one listened to him and sure enough they wound up shipwrecked off of Malta. The sailors planned to kill all of the prisoners, but they did not. God provided Paul and the other prisoners with favor in the storm via a Centurion who prevented the sailors from carrying out their plan to kill the prisoners. Once he reached land, Paul gets to work helping out and winds up getting bit by a viper while helping out with building a fire. At first the islanders thought that Paul was a murderer because of his plight of being bit my a venomous snake, but he shook the snake off into the fire and suffered no effects from the bite. Paul then proceeds to heal the chief official's father who was sick by praying to God and using the very hand that was bitten. After that the islanders provided everything they needed to get back to sailing to Rome. God used a terrible shipwreck where valuable cargo was lost, reversed a plan to kill Paul, a near death experience in the storm, a snake bite, and then used the very hand that was afflicted by the bite to heal and show the people of Malta who God is through Paul's obedience in the storm. It was God's will, and it just had to be for the people of Malta.
The one thing that sticks out to me is Paul's great attitude. He is a great example of how to keep calm, keep the faith, help out where he saw opportunity, and trust in the Lord completely. So often, we find ourselves in a bad situation, and only looking at our immediate surroundings and falling into a pattern of worry and asking God to get us out of this mess. If we follow Paul's example, we can look beyond, and look at Jesus for greater perspective and grow in the storm. God's purpose for the shipwreck was clearly so that the people of Malta could be saved. And then the end result is that the sailors heading to Rome were provided with everything that they needed to get back to sailing. A clear example of what our role is, and what God's role is. We are in charge of our obedience and He is in charge of the outcome of our situation. Seek God first (Mat 6:33), help others when you can in the storm, be a good example (Acts 27,28), and God has a way of providing favor in the storm (Isa 43) and working things out for His glory and our good (Rom 8:28).
As difficult as it may be for those who suffer from cancer or other afflictions to do, there is often opportunity to stay positive, celebrate seeing God's hand at work in the storm, and the favor He provides. I look to Isaiah 43 where God promises favor in the storm. For example verse 2 says "When you pass through the waters I will be with you; and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you; when you walk through the fire you will not be burned, and the flame shall not consume you."
I have been so blessed through this whole blessed plight of the tumor and now cancer. All the way back to March and the first appointment that Kelly's sister Krista got me with the lung cancer oncologist and then the thoracic surgeon just a couple days after we decided to come to MD Anderson. She got us hooked in with one of the best chest surgeons in the world. Then this past month I had my chest opened up and the upper left lobe of my lung successfully removed. God's healing hand was on me and I got off of the narcotic pain killers in 3 days, and managed to be able to walk roughly 3 miles comfortably just a week after surgery. I have also been able to go through testing (bone marrow core aspiration / bone sample, ECG, PET Scan) requiring me to lay on my chest and rib cage and raise my arms over my head. Incredibly fast healing and clearly the hand of God at work. I got to peek at my Xray, and the tech and I were not able to see any trace of surgery on my sternum 7 days after surgery. An incredibly successful surgery and God at work.
Another example of God working out favor in the storm was that we got the call telling us the pathology results on Thursday at 2pm. Because of my sister-in-law Krista we were sitting with the lead Lymphoma oncologist at MD Anderson who has 100+ published papers and decades of experience at 4pm that day. He ordered a battery of tests, and by 1pm on Friday (less than 24 hours later) God orchestrated that all of it would be done, and done early, because of cancellations due to the hurricane. We got through a bone marrow aspiration, bone sample, EKG, ECG, XRay, and a PET Scan on Friday morning in time to grab a late lunch at 1pm in the cafeteria. I was afforded the chance to witness to God's healing hand from the surgery to several doctors and nurses who were amazed that I had been through an open chest operation just 7 days before. All glory be to God!
I guess the flooding is a similar experience for my sister-in-law and her husband Chris. They have a beautiful house in a nice suburb here in Houston and while there is clear and present danger of water infiltrating the house and ruining a lot of really nice stuff, Krista remains focused on those who have lost it all, a lady who is pregnant and was due to induce this week next door, people that need things like insulin, and so on. A remarkable demonstration of perspective in the storm. I guess nurses just have that...especially those that work at MD Anderson and see a lot of tough stuff.
Sometimes you just have to go though it for a greater cause...
With regard to my medical sitch, lots of unknowns and attempts to resolve my tumor leading up to mid August to no avail. So, we decided to come to MD Anderson and have the open chest upper left lung lobectomy procedure done. We, along with so many praying for me, asked God for a miracle to take the tumor away, and as it turns out that that was to happen via God's sovereign hand in the surgery and not via a non-surgical miraculous healing. The tumor is malignant and I was diagnosed with Non-Hodkin's Lymphoma on Thursday at 2pm per a call from our surgeon's office reporting pathology findings. It sounds like it is treatable and there is a 93% cure rate via intense chemo. So, while chemo does not fix many types of cancer much of the time, it would seem that in this particular type it has good results. I am very blessed to have these odds at a cure. With other forms of cancer, this is not the case.
Sometimes you just have to go through it....
I am reminded of Acts 27 when we find Paul telling the people who were to take him to Rome in a ship that there is going to be a shipwreck and they should not go. No one listened to him and sure enough they wound up shipwrecked off of Malta. The sailors planned to kill all of the prisoners, but they did not. God provided Paul and the other prisoners with favor in the storm via a Centurion who prevented the sailors from carrying out their plan to kill the prisoners. Once he reached land, Paul gets to work helping out and winds up getting bit by a viper while helping out with building a fire. At first the islanders thought that Paul was a murderer because of his plight of being bit my a venomous snake, but he shook the snake off into the fire and suffered no effects from the bite. Paul then proceeds to heal the chief official's father who was sick by praying to God and using the very hand that was bitten. After that the islanders provided everything they needed to get back to sailing to Rome. God used a terrible shipwreck where valuable cargo was lost, reversed a plan to kill Paul, a near death experience in the storm, a snake bite, and then used the very hand that was afflicted by the bite to heal and show the people of Malta who God is through Paul's obedience in the storm. It was God's will, and it just had to be for the people of Malta.
The one thing that sticks out to me is Paul's great attitude. He is a great example of how to keep calm, keep the faith, help out where he saw opportunity, and trust in the Lord completely. So often, we find ourselves in a bad situation, and only looking at our immediate surroundings and falling into a pattern of worry and asking God to get us out of this mess. If we follow Paul's example, we can look beyond, and look at Jesus for greater perspective and grow in the storm. God's purpose for the shipwreck was clearly so that the people of Malta could be saved. And then the end result is that the sailors heading to Rome were provided with everything that they needed to get back to sailing. A clear example of what our role is, and what God's role is. We are in charge of our obedience and He is in charge of the outcome of our situation. Seek God first (Mat 6:33), help others when you can in the storm, be a good example (Acts 27,28), and God has a way of providing favor in the storm (Isa 43) and working things out for His glory and our good (Rom 8:28).
As difficult as it may be for those who suffer from cancer or other afflictions to do, there is often opportunity to stay positive, celebrate seeing God's hand at work in the storm, and the favor He provides. I look to Isaiah 43 where God promises favor in the storm. For example verse 2 says "When you pass through the waters I will be with you; and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you; when you walk through the fire you will not be burned, and the flame shall not consume you."
I have been so blessed through this whole blessed plight of the tumor and now cancer. All the way back to March and the first appointment that Kelly's sister Krista got me with the lung cancer oncologist and then the thoracic surgeon just a couple days after we decided to come to MD Anderson. She got us hooked in with one of the best chest surgeons in the world. Then this past month I had my chest opened up and the upper left lobe of my lung successfully removed. God's healing hand was on me and I got off of the narcotic pain killers in 3 days, and managed to be able to walk roughly 3 miles comfortably just a week after surgery. I have also been able to go through testing (bone marrow core aspiration / bone sample, ECG, PET Scan) requiring me to lay on my chest and rib cage and raise my arms over my head. Incredibly fast healing and clearly the hand of God at work. I got to peek at my Xray, and the tech and I were not able to see any trace of surgery on my sternum 7 days after surgery. An incredibly successful surgery and God at work.
Another example of God working out favor in the storm was that we got the call telling us the pathology results on Thursday at 2pm. Because of my sister-in-law Krista we were sitting with the lead Lymphoma oncologist at MD Anderson who has 100+ published papers and decades of experience at 4pm that day. He ordered a battery of tests, and by 1pm on Friday (less than 24 hours later) God orchestrated that all of it would be done, and done early, because of cancellations due to the hurricane. We got through a bone marrow aspiration, bone sample, EKG, ECG, XRay, and a PET Scan on Friday morning in time to grab a late lunch at 1pm in the cafeteria. I was afforded the chance to witness to God's healing hand from the surgery to several doctors and nurses who were amazed that I had been through an open chest operation just 7 days before. All glory be to God!
I guess the flooding is a similar experience for my sister-in-law and her husband Chris. They have a beautiful house in a nice suburb here in Houston and while there is clear and present danger of water infiltrating the house and ruining a lot of really nice stuff, Krista remains focused on those who have lost it all, a lady who is pregnant and was due to induce this week next door, people that need things like insulin, and so on. A remarkable demonstration of perspective in the storm. I guess nurses just have that...especially those that work at MD Anderson and see a lot of tough stuff.
Sometimes you just have to go though it for a greater cause...
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