Perspectives

I really enjoy the conversations I've been able to have with the staff at the clinic.  I'm getting to know them better, learn some of their stories, hear their perspectives on all different topics, and share my own perspectives.  I've also had the joy of sharing good Christian fellowship with a couple of them.  Alicia is my main nurse, and I've spent a lot of time with her the past three days while she administered the ozone treatments.  She's a beautiful young woman who has her RN degree; she's very competent, friendly and helpful, and it's been neat to hear about how she arrived in her position at this clinic.  I met Tracy for the first time this week, too, because she does a therapy known as "lymphatic massage" after the ozone treatment.  Tracy seems to have a personal relationship with Christ, and we've had a few good conversations on spiritual things.  The ozone therapy is done in the same room as the hyperbaric chamber, so we can also chat with the HBOT attendant.  There are three who regularly rotate on HBOT duty--Crystal, Pam, and Kim--and it's been fun and interesting talking to them more this week, too.

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Isn't it strange that when a cancer patient who chose alternative treatments dies, a common response is, "See, alternative treatments don't work."  Yet when cancer patients die after receiving standard medical cancer treatments, the common response is excuses like "the cancer was just too strong" or "we did everything we could"--but the treatments themselves are not blamed for not working.  It's pretty amazing how blind people are to the obvious double standard.

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Have you ever imagined God the Father delighting in you and singing about you with joy?  I hadn't until I read this verse, Zephaniah 3:17.  I know God loves me with an indescribable love, shows mercy and grace to me, grants indescribable peace, is longsuffering with my constant failures, forgiving, etc., etc., but those things are all on the serious side.  I never thought of God's lighter side--delighting over me and rejoicing over me with singing.  And what is He so cheerful about?  Me, a dirty rotten failing sinner.  This verse blew my mind when I found it.  My friend, Nancy, colored the picture, wrote a sweet note on the back and gave it to me last week.  She didn't even know how much I like the verse!

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The Brat Fry benefit a couple weeks ago was a big event and far exceeded our expectations, but people have continued to give us gifts, and the generosity of people has just been overwhelming!  Encouraging cards, a bit of cash here, a check there, a gas card.  Last week while he was at work, Bob was presented with a large wad of cash from a 50/50 raffle that takes place at work regularly.  Not only did they decide to give the proceeds from that raffle to Bob, but the winner donated his winnings back, too, to add to the total!  Bob told me that he was overcome, and when he went down to the locker room to put the money in his locker, he just lost it and had to stay in the locker room for 10-15 minutes before he could compose himself enough to return to the line.  It was very good for him to be able to release all the pent-up emotions he's been carrying around.  Oh, my Love.  He's been everything I need him to be and a rock for me to lean on.

Another example is a far-away Facebook friend who generously ordered a rebounder and had it shipped to me after reading that I was looking for one.  She said her family have been praying for us and really wished they could have been around to help with the Brat Fry, so when she saw my post about a mini-trampoline, they jumped on the idea, since it was a way they could help.  She even ordered one with a handle bar, which has allowed me to still rebound when I'm tired or my leg is hurting.  Such a blessing!

"Rebounding", bouncing up and down on a trampoline--the motion of resisting gravity--has proven very effective in ensuring proper movement of lymph through the lymph vessels.  Lymph vessels do not have muscles like blood vessels to automatically move fluid through.  Lymph vessels rely on movement of the body to move the lymph fluid along.  And since the lymph system is a crucial part of the immune system, we want it to be moving freely and often.

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I have had some pretty serious leg pain the past three evenings and even ran a low fever for several hours a couple nights in a row.  However, I was still able to sleep well the whole night, which is a big praise.  The only thing I've done differently is added the lymphatic massage treatments, which have been targeting my leg and knee.  I told my nurse, Alicia, and she asked Dr. Coleman about it.  He said that it may well be that all the treatments are "stirring things up", "messing with" the cancer--which doesn't like to be messed with, causing it to react.  :)  Either way, it's a sign that things are working and having an effect, so I'm not going to complain about the pain!  It is common in natural healing for things to get worse before they get better.  The pain was so bad that I could barely walk, and I know it bothers Bob and the kids to see me like that.  And it bothers me that it is bothering them.  They are all very willing helpers and get me whatever I need.  I am learning to be the receiver instead of the do-er.  Partly because I really could use help, and partly because I know how helpless they feel and that the more they can do to help, the better they feel.    (The photo is Alicia giving me the IV ozone treatment.)

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A few sermons lately from my brother and from Pastor Schultz have been encouraging.  A few weeks ago my brother, Steve, pointed out that all the people Jesus healed and even brought back to life during His earthly ministry didn't live forever.  Jesus healed them at one time, but they all ended up dying of something at some point.  Since that sermon I've shared that thought with many people, and it really seems to be impactful.  Even if God heals me of this cancer now, I'm eventually going to die of something (barring the Lord's return, of course).  It helps put things in perspective.

Pastor Schultz did a sermon and word study on the differences between patience, longsuffering, and forbearance.  Patience is the ability to "stay under"--to stay and be still under the pressure of trials.  Forbearance is the ability to endure to the end, follow it through, not give up.  It was a timely message since this battle with cancer is definitely going to require staying power.  I'm so thankful I don't have to muster it up on my own because my strength is in Christ!

There has already been so much good accomplished through this trial.  We are learning

lessons that we could not have learned otherwise and are experiencing blessings that we could not have experienced otherwise.  He truly does work "exceeding abundantly" above what we could ask or think.