Thank You & Happy 16 Year Cancer-versary
16 years ago today our life changed forever! Mike had been having rib pain and Mayo couldn't figure out why so they finally did a CT scan which revealed that the tip of one of his ribs was broken off and embedded in the cartridge between the ribs (he used to swing really hard at the golf ball). The CT also revealed a small nodule in Mike's right lung so on July 18, 2001 Dr. Nichols performed the first of Mike's 3 thorocotomies. The diagnosis of Stage 1 non small cell adeniocarcinoma was shocking as Mike was a life long athlete and non-smoker!!! After a long recovery with a set back and another week in the hospital due to MRSA (resistant staph infection) we went back to our "new normal" with CT scans every 3 months, then every 6 mo., then finally yearly until the 5year mark when a new nodule was found growing in the left lung. Another thorocotomy removing another lobe of the left lung with the same protocol… living life as normal as possible thinking surely "it" wouldn't come back… until it did once again at the 5 year mark. Another thorocotomy was performed but this time they took a wedge section out of the right lung.
After Mike's second surgery I read every book I could on Cancer and healing, some of my favorites include (Radical Remission, Cancer Killers, Cancer Step Outside the Box, Knockout, Tripping over the Truth). Anyway we have done a lot of things to try to slow down or stop these nodules from growing and if you look at the survival rate of lung cancer you'd see that Mike is beating the odds!!!
I will say more on what we have done over the years to beat cancer but for now we want to say "thank you"! A lesson on iDisciple this morning titled "Gods answer for Anxiety" was perfect for today telling us to stop looking at the circumstances and instead thank Him for all He does, for our family and friends, the beauty around us, our beating heart, breath in our lungs! Mike and I thank God for this journey and for helping us become better people because of it!
Phillipians 4:6-7 Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your heats and your minds in Christ Jesus.
Thank you,
Paula