MRI Results

I had an appointment with Dr. Dang today (actually his P.A. was the one we talked to). She was very encouraging. The tumor has shrunk some, which is what they were hoping. Maybe not as much as we would like, but some. I will be taking a maintenance dose of chemo by pill for 1 yr. (5 days out of each month). They will do MRI every 2 months to check on growth of the tumor. If there is any change, they will treat accordingly. I will accept this as a good report, not the one I hoped to get, but a good report.

I have been reading a little book by Joyce Landorf Heatherley called Silent September about suffering. She lived in constant pain in her head and jaw from TMJ for 9 years. There was a time in her illness when she was so overwhelmed by her circumstances that she had NO FAITH for God to heal her. She talks about how important the faith of her friends and loved ones was during this time of suffering. Using the story of the paralytic, in Matt. 9, Mk. 2, and Lk. 5 she writes about the faith of his friends that brought about his healing. Another example of a "man not responsible for his healing--yet and incredible healing took place in his life was Lazarus. The brother of Mary and Martha had been dead for 4 days when Jesus gave him the ultimate of healings. His faith, or lack of it, had nothing to do with God's healing. But the healing had everything to do with God's sovereign plan." A phone call from a friend that prompted this writing went like this: "Joyce, the paralytic man had no faith of his own, but his friends did. I am your friend. So I asked God what, as that friend, I could do for you in regard to faith. The lord so explicitly said, "Loan her your faith." So I've called to tell you that I've got lots of faith. I'm not low on it at all, and I'm joyfully loaning you all the faith you need...for as long as you need it." Another friend called her and said he would loan her his hope and ask Jesus to loan her His love. She writes that "Jesus loans us His love through the faces, hearts, touches, and responses of his children."

I will have to say that I have not experienced the kind of despair that Joyce has (Praise God!), and I must believe that one reason is because of so many of you who have lifted me up in prayer. Thank you so much for praying, for believing and for having faith in my behalf.