Good News!

Don's Journey

I want to provide a quick update on our situation. Since Gail did not have the chemotherapy treatment yesterday, we enjoyed an early dinner with friends yesterday afternoon. Since she will not be ill with chemo this weekend, we want to take advantage of every moment. It’s the little things! :)

Gail’s doctor had promised to call after seeing his patients yesterday. He is quite an amazing man, very dedicated to his patients and to conquering cancer. We waited with anticipation, knowing that he would provide answers to some questions we gave him earlier in the day. The call came, and we put him on speakerphone. He inquired about her status and then approached her questions. After hearing of our situation, he suggested that she skip a treatment and stay on the same schedule. He said that patients do this often in the quest to balance what one’s body can tolerate from chemotherapy, and, keeping the cancer at bay.

After more discussion, we decided to go this route. Gail will not have chemo next Friday, but the Friday after, as was previously scheduled. I feel that this is a good, perhaps God, thing. Her treatments are wrecking her body and we are praying that a break will be helpful. Meanwhile, there is fear that the cancer can grow because of missing a treatment. This is one of the conundrums of cancer treatment.

Gail was up last night with some rather severe abdominal pain and swelling, but it is finally subsiding. It is always so scary when she has pain in that area.

I am completing my sermon this morning. I am excited to teach tomorrow because the message will revolve around one question: How far would you go to follow Jesus? It seems that this is a question with which we are all confronted time and again throughout our lives. For me, cancer has brought this issue to the surface many times over the past year. Jesus Himself provides quite a compelling answer to this question through His actions recorded in Matthew 3. I’m trying to follow His example of following God, doing much better on some days than others. I hope you’ll join me tomorrow in person at 9:00/10:45 or online at 9:45. How far would you go to follow Jesus?

Meanwhile, please pray that Gail’s body recovers well in the next two weeks and that the cancer does not grow. And, of course, that the cancer is simply eradicated! Either way, we will keep trying to go as far as God pleases in our journey through this life with Him.