Monday, November 16, 2009

Cancer

Interrupting the series on "the wall".

13 days ago my wife had a cyst (we thought) removed from her upper right leg. Only, it was cancer. Sarcoma, they call it. This one is rare, a spindle cell sarcoplasm, I think.

So, in a moment our lives changed. I think the genie's out of the bottle, and you can't get her back in. Cancer is the rest of our life. That is, even if the medical team wins a "cure", we will always be living with the possibility of cancer, the return of cancer, the effects of cancer, the annual visits to the doctor who treats our cancer. It's amazing what one 15 minute conversation with the surgeon who took out the sarcoma can mean. Our lives turned on a dime, and they will never be the same.

I don't believe that our experience is really any different than pretty much everyone who lives on the planet. Like the radio broadcast on Sunday, December 7th, 1941. Or the announcement at 1:30 PM, November 22nd, 1963, that the President had been shot. Or the phone call to Susan on Friday, September 28th, at about 5:30 PM, that my brother was dead. These moments show up unexpectedly, and we are not only wrenched from our boredom, or lethargy, or illusions.

We are forced to lay down our belief that we are in control.

That only God is in control.

That GOD IS IN CONTROL.

Has this ever happened to you?

8 comments:

Amy said...

So weird that you are addressing this when Colonial's message on Sunday was on Romans 8:28.

Because God is in control, everything is for the greater good even when we don't understand the who, why, what and how.

Prayers for Susan, yourself and your family during this time!

Paulandbeth said...

Yes
When we found out Beth's immune system will be attacking our twins girls red blood cells the entire pregnancy and my work cut our insurance benefits so that we'll be on the hook for thousands of dollars instead of hundreds.

Unknown said...

yes. when my brother shot himself.
when our adopted daughter was more than "language delayed"
when dan's church fell apart
when our grandbaby died

what would we do without God?
jane

dwbee9 said...

http://www.mormon.org/mormonorg/eng/basic-beliefs/jesus-christ-our-savior/jesus-christ-our-savior

Discovery School at First Baptist Heath said...

So many times, I am reminded that only God is in control, and that our time line, never, ever lines up with his! You think I would learn eventually. The Burke Family is praying for Susan, for You and your family. You blessed our lives in so many ways. My girls still talk about sweet Micah!

Team Kelley said...

When my college roommate, Melissa, died last December - 7 months after being diagnosed with leukemia I became passionate about leukemia, again (I had been a pediatric oncology nurse for many years.) I ran a marathon in Melissa's honor - raised $7500! The day before the race, my dad called and told me his cancer was back. The day after the race, another college roommate called to tell me she had pancreatic cancer. I couldn't seem to escape cancer. I was beginning to think people shouldn't be friends with me because they might get cancer! Then a wise friend said - maybe God wants them to be friends with you so you can show them faith. I sometimes don't want to show them my faith - I want to show them I am God!!! But in the end ... it is all about Him. I just wish He would consult sometimes ... missing you guys.

io said...

ho letto con attenzione il tuo post , vivo in un altro paese ma il cancro regna ovunque ......mia zia di 50 anni dopo 30 giorni di cancro diagnosticato ci ha lasciato ...nella disperazione tremenda e otto anni fa anche mio figlio cancro... 26 anni ...non rispsrmia nessuno e siamo nelle mani di DIO

Deanna said...

Yes, we have had that moment, those moments, but God, in His mercy, provided prayer warriors who surrounded us, sustained us and carried us when we felt we could not go on.

Sending our love and prayers from Central Texas,
Charlie and Deanna