Wednesday, June 13, 2012

Two month Checkup

Well today I went in for the day long 2 month check up.  Actually I had to go get a MRI and then wait for them to read it then go see my regular doctor at the Cancer center all of this took pretty much all day....but I digress.  I am pleased to know that my tumor has NOT grown and has NOT changed types.  Yes it is unfortunately still there, but other than disappearing this is the next best thing for me.  I had lots of questions for my doctor today since I had started venturing out and reading some about the type tumor I have.  I asked about Clinical trials which right now I do not qualify for. But she did tell me about some things that are on the horizon for Low grade tumors....including a vaccination which could help me which was encouraging.  Overall, I am very pleased with the  appointment, now my next appointment will be August 15 for my next two month check up.
       I have been very burdened lately, not for myself, but for people I have met lately as well as others.  I tried to explain it Sunday in our community group and I don't think I really explained it how I feel.  I really want to point everyone I meet to the Lord and tell them how great He is.  I don't want others that are Christian to tread water and waste so much of life like I did just making it through the day, instead of enjoying all that God has done for us.  Serving others and helping others has become a priority for me as well.  I can't always help everyone but I can try to help as many as possible.  Taking time to listen to others and to share what is going on in my life and how the Lord has been working on me has come to the fore  front as I believe God has given me this tumor for a reason and I want to leverage it to help others.  God has given each one of us a "story" leverage it to point others to him.

Thank you for praying for me and my family, please continue to do so!

Friday, June 8, 2012

God's ability to put people in our lives just when we need them.

It is funny how God works in our lives to put someone in your life at just the right time.  I was at the hospital on Wednesday night visiting a friend, when we were waiting for the elevator at the parking garage.  A lady and two Teen girls walked up to get the elevator as well.  I happened to look over and one of the girls had a shirt that Said “Hope” with a gray ribbon and it also said the Robert Preston Tish Brain Tumor clinic on it as well.  I told her I liked her shirt.  Her mom chimed in and said that the girls dad had a brain tumor in 2008 or 2009 and they thought that he would not make it.  But he had surgery and chemo and radiation and the tumor is completely gone.  Then I proceeded to tell them that I have a brain tumor and was diagnosed back in February.  The whole family said “God is good!” and the mother told me that her husband’s doctor told him that he was a walking miracle, since they did not think that they would be able to do anything for him.  
            Kara and I talked on the way home and I told her that God has been putting strange scenarios in my life, and I am not sure why.  I said that I feel he put that one in my life as a comfort to us.  I told her that I am still not sure why the accident was put in my life on Wednesday morning, but I am sure He will reveal that to me when I need to know. I just pray that Marcus recovers well from the accident, please pray for him.  
            Also, I had several “episodes” yesterday.  It is disappointing when this happens.  Yes I know I have a brain tumor, but it is a lot easier to cope with it when I am not having any symptoms.  Please pray for me as I go this coming Wednesday to see if the tumor has changed any.  Please pray that it has either stayed the same or gotten smaller.  I am good with it being there as long as it doesn’t grow.  But I am also good if the Lord decides to work a miracle in my life and make it vanish.

Wednesday, June 6, 2012

What is wrong with us?

This morning I was on the way to work thinking about so many things that are up in the air in my life right now when I drove by a Jeep Cherokee sitting in the ditch on the other side of the road.  I looked as I went by and it was a fresh accident….but no one was stopping.  I drove down a little ways to the next driveway and watched in my rear view mirror as car after car passed but no one stopped.  I turned around and went back to the Jeep and got my umbrella and got out to see if anyone was in the car.  As I looked  in the car I saw someone slumped over the steering wheel.  I opened the car door and about that time someone had pulled up behind me (She had turned around as well) and came up to the car about the time I opened the door.  Thank God she was a Nurse as she  knew what to do, she checked his pulse and couldn’t find one and she yelled at the man and no response.  She dialed 911 and they walked her through questions and dispatched paramedics.  After about 5 minutes he started to come to.  She asked him his name and he said it was Marcus (At least that is what we made out) He said his back hurt really bad and he could not feel his legs.   About that time the paramedics came and she went over to fill them in on what was going on.  He started to try to move and I told him don’t move until the paramedics came over.  I told him that the most important thing was to not move yet. Strangely enough the next thing he said was “I am going to be late for work”.  I told him to not worry about work he wasn’t going today. I then thought, I should pray for him.  So I started to pray for him in a forced fashion, not a natural reaction as it should be. They got him out of the car and into the ambulance and that was that.
There are many things that have bothered me since I left.   The first, why have we gotten to the point to where we don’t help others unless it is convenient?  It was pouring rain, and people were hurrying to work, and everyone passed this car thinking, someone else will stop.  This time I did stop (And a nurse too) but how many times have I seen someone that needs someone, and did not take a minute to help them?  It makes me sick that even as a Christian I have this ability to not care inside of me.  Since I have been diagnosed, I have tried to make a conscious effort to help others when I can. I still fail all the time at doing this but each day I try to do better.  
Another thing that bothers me was that prayer was not the first thing I thought to do.  Marcus needed prayer, and from me it came as “oh yeah, I should pray” and then it was a struggle to do.  Again, it makes me mad that I am a Christian and have been for many years, and still it is not a natural thing for me to do.  I am sure I am not the only one with this problem, and that makes me sad.  What has gotten us as people to this point?  Our friends hurt and we do nothing because we have other more important things to do that it will interrupt. Others need us, even if it is to just listen to them so they don’t feel so alone.  The point is we need each other, and we should be there for each other, but yet we are not, not truly anyway.  You catch a glimpse of it here and there but on a consistent basis, we are not.  I am tired of being that way…you should be too.

Pray for Marcus, pray that he is healed.  He said his birthday is Friday, he will be 21.  Pray that he has a better future ahead of him. Maybe if you start by praying for him, the next time someone needs you, it will be easier to do, and each time will become easier until it is second nature.  I pray to God that I can become the person that when there is a need, they will come to me.