Time
I had a CT scan yesterday and learned that the liver tumors haven't decreased or increased much since the last scan taken 6 weeks ago. That was not bad news, but it was different news than what we expected. I am very relieved to hear that the tumors in the right lobe of the liver didn't grow as aggressively as they have in the past, but on the other hand, we (including the doctor) were a little disappointed that the tumors in the left lobe, where the majority of the microspheres were administered, had not shown more response.
So what do I do from here? I continue to choose to rejoice in the good news. I learned that the ulcers were caused because some of the radioactive microspheres traveled to my stomach. But even though the ulcers have caused me no small amount of pain and aggravation, even they are healing. The healing is very slow, but there is progress.
I have learned another lesson out of this. Healing often isn't fast. I know that isn't profound and that everyone knows this, but when one is going though a hard place the time element is one thing that can get frustrating. My niece, Meaghan, has been fighting cancer of the spine for about 4 months now and she is making amazing strides, yet it's been the toughest 4 months of her life. There has been encouraging news on her healing- one of the tumors has disappeared and the other is smaller, yet she struggles everyday just to try to do the simplest things she used to do without thinking. If there was a way that we could instantly fix everything, we would do it in a heartbeat. But I think since there isn't such a thing, the best we can all do during any adversity is to take each day as it comes, make the most of the situation, focus on the progress without dwelling on the setbacks, and thank God for the grace He gives us to just go on one more day.
All this reminds me of a verse from one of my favorite passages from the Bible, the 8th chapter of Romans. Verse 18 states, "For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory that is to be revealed to us." In this verse, the sufferings we experience in this world are not dismissed, but are put in perspective of the eternal reality we can't see yet.
So what do I do from here? I continue to choose to rejoice in the good news. I learned that the ulcers were caused because some of the radioactive microspheres traveled to my stomach. But even though the ulcers have caused me no small amount of pain and aggravation, even they are healing. The healing is very slow, but there is progress.
I have learned another lesson out of this. Healing often isn't fast. I know that isn't profound and that everyone knows this, but when one is going though a hard place the time element is one thing that can get frustrating. My niece, Meaghan, has been fighting cancer of the spine for about 4 months now and she is making amazing strides, yet it's been the toughest 4 months of her life. There has been encouraging news on her healing- one of the tumors has disappeared and the other is smaller, yet she struggles everyday just to try to do the simplest things she used to do without thinking. If there was a way that we could instantly fix everything, we would do it in a heartbeat. But I think since there isn't such a thing, the best we can all do during any adversity is to take each day as it comes, make the most of the situation, focus on the progress without dwelling on the setbacks, and thank God for the grace He gives us to just go on one more day.
All this reminds me of a verse from one of my favorite passages from the Bible, the 8th chapter of Romans. Verse 18 states, "For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory that is to be revealed to us." In this verse, the sufferings we experience in this world are not dismissed, but are put in perspective of the eternal reality we can't see yet.
posted by karen @ 10:17 AM
1 Comments:
At 10:57 AM,
jim said…
This may be a little out of context but I have always held a similar view of I Cor 13:12 (Now we see but a poor reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known.). Because we cannot see the extent of God's plan, we continue on in faith, love and hope believing that it will all be put into perspective (as you say) in our eternal reality. God bless.
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