As several of you know, my best friend has been diagnosed with cancer. In August, at a doctor's check-up they noticed she had a uterine tumor. She was sent in for an ultrasound and then an MRI. In September, they removed the 4" in diameter mass and initally dignosed it as non-cancer. The tumor was sent to a lab and they said that 6mm was atypical. They could not confirm if it was leimyosarcoma (an agressive cancer) or a stump tumor (kind of a miscellanous tumor category). So...it made a trip to a 2nd lab and it was unconfirmed as either as well. So...another 6 weeks later...the 3rd lab said it was leimyosarcoma.
My friend is a teacher and has missed all of the 1st quarter and is now making a decision about a hysterectomy. She will see a oncology specialist next week for a second opinion. It seems like the Lord is moving in the direction of surgery...and it breaks our heart...but we are trusting God's plan. It is faith that seems to keep her together and it is so amazing to see all of the little things God has done along the way...from bringing another friend in to be her sub to getting her into an MRI the day she called because of a cancellation....I could go on...
So about 4 weeks into my friend's trials, my Dad calls me. Little did I know the "C" word would come up again! To give some background, my Dad had been diagnosed with melanoma last December or January. They did an outpatient surgery around the area and checked his lymph nodes. Now...we are in October and my Dad had found another spot above his original spot. He went immediately into the doctor to be diagnosed with melanoma again...I figured no problem...he'll just get his outpatient surgery again and get it taken care of. Well...some lung CT scans came back with 3 spots in his right lung and 2 melanoma spots by the spot he had found that couldn't be seen yet.
My Dad went in the following week to the hospital for a pretty invasive exploratory surgery. They put in a tracer. Then, they put in some tubes and deflated his right lung. After that, they removed part of the atypical spots. The inital diagnosis was non-cancer. A couple days later the final results came back that the melanoma had in fact traveled to his lung. I got the call within a couple hours of my friend's call---both had cancer---both were in waiting! That terrible waiting game!!! Dad gets more information Monday and my friend gets more information on Wednesday.
I have to admit that all of this news has been really difficult. Both of them live in VA so I feel so far away from helping them and supporting them. For awhile I didn't get much quality sleep. My friend, LORD? MY unmarried friend who is so gifted with children??? My Dad, LORD? My young 50 year old Dad??? The questions kept coming. The answers began coming. I began to remember some truth. God has a plan. He loves both of them and is holding them in His hands. He is in control. He wants to show them (and me) Himself. He wants to plant seeds of faith and sprout them in ways they could never imagine. And the being far away...I am never too far away to do the best thing I can do...PRAY...praying for all their needs...financially, sleeping at night, having peace...meeting all of their needs like I have seen Him answer when I couldn't walk or hold my newborn! He is faithful to complete the work He started. Most importantly...HE IS A GREAT BIG and POWERFUL GOD...and remember my Chapel lesson...Why We Are Here?...it's to bring Him glory!!
I came across some great videos I had seen in 2006 from Louie Giglio, How Great is Our God and Indescribable. God has also used our church's study over the summer by James MacDonald When Life is Hard. I had saw so much truth...but now God was calling me to live out my faith through the trials of my loved ones...in which I have no control, no ways to physically help and sometimes no words of comfort to give...just stunned silence.
Please pray for them...that God would be brought glory through all that they are and will be facing.
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