Nelson continues working on projects each day that have nothing to do with cancer, checking off his to-do list. But he was surprised today to hear, from two sources, that he may not live too much longer.
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October 19, 2022
I went online last night and found this portal that the Hawaii Bank guy didn’t mention, and it seemed like I could move money from there to here. Now, I don’t know the limits, but I started the process anyway. Maybe if that goes through, we don’t have to drive up to Minneapolis every day.
“The fear of man will prove to be a snare, but he who trusts in the Lord will be kept safe.” (Proverbs 29:25) That verse is one I’ve even worked up a whole message and preached on, but have I mastered it? Not at all. I fear what people will think on so many levels. And why is that?
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The role of a wife is SO important. I would never have bought this house without her encouraging me along. I wouldn’t have even cared enough to want to do it. To be honest, if life is just me, a sleeping bag and a few bucks is enough. I don’t think much beyond that is worth the effort.
But with a family to take care of, I want it to be better for them, and that makes it worth it. After all is said and done, my prayer, Lord, is that we get to close this thing on Wednesday as planned. I don’t care what I have to do between now and then.
The thing about prayer is that God does more than you ask or imagine. You have to be out there playing the field, but if you are willing and looking, he can do things you couldn’t have imagined.
On a different note, I got a follow-up call yesterday from a guy at the US Social Security office who wanted to work on finishing up my application for a disability benefit.
When he asked about my disability and heard me say “Stage 4 lung Cancer,” he told me I would definitely qualify and that the payout would be labeled a “compassion benefit.” It would also carry on for Annso and Will in my absence.
He didn’t come right out and say it, but thankfully, the benefit would continue even if I did not. What a wonderful thing, and for it, I’m very thankful. But it’s also sobering in another sense when statistically the world sees you as a man who will not be alive 5 years from now. Think about it. How would you feel if you knew that you would be gone within the next 5 years?
Later the same day, Mom and I went to a check-up at the Mayo Clinic. My Mom is the queen of questions and she kept on firing away at the doc.
One thing she asked was, “If the chemo meds have worked this good so far, can we expect them to keep working this way until the cancer is eventually totally gone?” We got more sobering news.
The doc said that in her experience, there will be a plane-ing off, then sometimes a turn before the cancer starts to grow again. But, at that point, we will come up with another plan. “Wait a second, what?”
The effect this info had on me was a strong reminder that I’m not out of the woods at all, that this kind of cancer is resilient and resistant to even the best treatment… and that most of the time, the medical community encounters some road blocks to a smooth, speedy recovery… even with a genetic match and some of the most advanced chemo treatment available.
Apparently, the ‘Match’ they found for me is not guaranteed to be the Silver Bullet I was hoping it would be. Hmmm. Once Mom and I were in the elevator talking about the meeting, I shared how I felt.
“Twice today, I was basically told by professionals that I won’t be around long.” Without skipping a beat, Mom said quickly, “But they’re leaving out the God-Factor.”
Yes! The God-factor! Of course, how could I forget that? With only science and medicine, we can go part of the way, but it’s faith in the Creator of all life that finally brings the ship ashore. Common sense and reason only take me part of the way. It’s faith that brings me home!
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“He guards the lives of his faithful ones…” (Psalm 97:10)