MERRY CHRISTMAS!! Well this has certainly been a very interesting year! For those of you who have been following my posts, you pretty much know everything. For those of you who have not been along for the whole ride, I will hit some high points, and talk about WHY this is a very MERRY CHRISTMAS!
Im going to back up a couple of months, October of 2011. October 10, 2011 my wifes mother died. It of course was not a good day. However, God does work in mysterious ways. We "just happened" to be in Raleigh NC visiting our daughter and son in law at that time, and were able to tell her face to face as opposed to a phone call. I "just happened" to have enough airline points to get her a free flight to come home for the funeral, with us on the same flights. I mention this just to give you a perspective on what my lovely wife had to deal with this last year. With the funeral barely 2 months past, last Christmas came. Of course we celebrated, but it was not quite the same, then just a month later I come down with what we thought was strep throat, till we were told the news that it was something a bit more serious. They diagnosed me as having Squamous Cell Carcinoma. That was not bad enough, but it was on my voice box, threatening my voice. What a fun diagnosis. That was on January 28, 2012, not even a month later came the biopsy and the confirmation that it was indeed that bad C word. Here again, we "just happened" to be in Raleigh visiting our daughter and son in law, (YES we did that a LOT!) LOL In fact we were getting ready to head out to a birthday dinner for my wife when the phone call from the Dr office came that the biopsy did in fact confirm the diagnosis. Yes it was an interesting way to start a special dinner! It was a shock to the system, but somehow there was peace in the midst of that storm. Not knowing everything myself as far as what treatments would be etc, I allowed conversation to the restaurant and that was all. (It was an hour long drive)
So why is this a Merry Christmas? Well after TONS of prayer by too many people to count, chemo treatments, 37 CAT scans, 35 radiation treatments, and still more prayer, there is NO sign of that horrible disease that affects so many. God is indeed awesome! My wife was there the whole time supporting me, taking care of me when I got sick, (not too often, but a few times), hauling me to Dr appointments, rearranging her work schedule to make it all happen, taking off when necessary just everything that ones helpmate needs to do when taking care of someone. Im sure she probably wondering if it was ever going to end. In the midst of all of this, there was estate stuff to do. I felt well enough for the most part to get her parents house and contents ready for auction, but having to say good bye to all the things that were remembered, and going thru parents belongings, Im sure it was very difficult for her to do. NOW this year things with most of the estate are accomplished, and her life has calmed down to normal everyday stuff. Our daughter and son in law moved back here in July, interesting enough just a week after my final radiation treatment.k So YES this is a VERY MERRY CHRISTMAS!!
There are so many things I could say about this last year. It all seems like such a whirlwind of a year. Everything that has transpired, but I would probably need pages and pages to write it all, besides you have it all here in previous blogs. Suffice it to say, GOD is still a MIRACLE working God. He still reigns, and is still on the throne. I have spent time wondering WHY He chose to heal me. I know that I have been able to tell others about this. I know that fears I have had about talking about things of God are no longer there. (Such as the fear of what others would think about me). Has this year been a "piece of cake"? Not so much, but it also has not been as bad as it could have been. For example, this last summer in the middle of radiation treatments, I was able to work JUMP, which is a Vacation Bible School on steroids at our church. (SLFC.org) A very full week of work, it was hard, but I did it. God gave strength as needed! BTW I was not the only one there dealing with treatments. One of the Pastors wife was dealing with chemo treatments as well.
This past October I rode my bike 25 miles for Pedal the Cause, a cancer research fund raising campaign. Once again God gave strength as needed. It was a very cold day, and really my 1st major ride of the year. I also made an install trip to CA in September. I put in 4 - 15 hour days in a row. Once again strength as needed. I continue to be amazed at Gods work in not only my life, but the lives of my family and others around me.
This past few months I was able to work out in a special program at the Y called LIVESTRONG. It is sponsored in part by the LIVESTRONG foundation and is for cancer patients, their families, and conquerers. (I prefer that term to "survivor") Its an awesome program to help strengthen a body ravaged by chemo and radiation. I got to meet some awesome people who went thru horrible treatments, and survived. Massive operations that forever scarred their bodies, yet were there working out, doing what they could to strengthen their bodies. We all developed a "kinship" that I hope will never go away. Many thanks to our coaches during those 13 weeks. Terrie, you were AWESOME!!
Well I hope you can now know why this is a VERY MERRY CHRISTMAS for my family. I pray that you will also find the real meaning of Christmas this year. Remember that God sent us His son in the form of a baby to a girl that was probably scared to death to find she was pregnant and unmarried. Her fiance could have walked away and not been blamed, but and angel told him all was good. Now we have eternal hope because that same baby chose to die on a cross for our sins. REMEMBER JESUS IS THE REASON FOR THE SEASON!!
MERRY CHRISTMAS TO EVERYONE from my family to yours!!
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