My wife and I have been at Mayo Clinic for the past two days. They conducted various tests on her including an MRI and a blood work-up. Yesterday we met with the surgeon and radiation specialist. She will undergo surgery April 2nd and then 6 weeks of radiation five days per week.
The tumor is fairly small and though they cannot tell if it has spread until after the surgery and the pathology results are in, they are optimistic that it is in the early stages and can be successfully treated.
As for my back I am still in considerable pain and am experiencing numbness, but I seem to be improving slowly and I am hopeful that I will not have to undergo another major back surgery. Tuesday I am scheduled to have a myelogram which is yet another scan, only this one uses dye to add more contrast whereby the nerves can be more easily seen and then another doctor’s appointment Thursday to hear his recommendations.
The surgeon explained to us yesterday that some 2000 years ago during Roman times the average age was 28. Most people died of pneumonia, but then antibiotics were discovered and life expectancy increased to 40. Then advances were made in heart disease treatment and it increased and so forth right up until today. Basically he told us that if women live long enough eventually a significant portion will get breast cancer. My doc told me the same thing about my degenerative spine condition, (stenosis).
Basically if we live long enough something is eventually going to kill us.
I’m very active and do not think of myself as being old, but compared to the Romans I guess I’m ancient. My wife and I were laughing about how odd it seems to be getting on up in age at 68, because we think of ourselves as though we were still in our thirties.
I don’t want to say goodbye to my family, but aside from that and knowing I cannot help anyone else find Jesus I am not dismayed in thinking about the brevity of my life or its aches and pains along the way. When I’m called home I look forward to heaven and hope to hear, “Well done my good and faithful son”. Until then all we can do is keep on praying, witnessing, being a disciple to others, avoiding sin, and performing compassion ministry to anyone we encounter who needs help.
When we got home last night I reminded my wife that we need to offer praise and thanksgiving to the Father for the answer to our prayers and good news. I think it is as important to thank God when he blesses us as when we are praying to Him to bless us.
I’m happy to be back home and am more inspired than ever to resume work on the website for the Jesus Alliance today and try to do as much as I can to lead others to the Lord. I saw many looks of fear at Mayo Clinic. There are so many sick people who are closer than ever to meeting the end of this vaporesque life. I pray that they know God as their personal Savior before it slips away, but I’m fearful that many are not ready and are terrified at knowing that they might not leave that place alive. We need to go “All In” in helping prepare as many others as we can before we cash in. Once we go toe up it’s too late!
Isaiah 40:6
A voice says, “Call out.” Then he answered, “What shall I call out?” All flesh is grass, and all its loveliness is like the flower of the field.
March 19, 2015 – Click here to listen