CHAPTER SEVEN
GOD IS THE CREATOR AND THE HEALER
Matthew 7: 7-8
“Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and
it will be opened to you. For everyone
who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be
opened.”
On July 14, the ophthalmologist
visited me regarding my right eye. The
brain cancer had affected the right side of my body (left sided brain injury),
so even my ear, eye, and mouth were giving me problems. My right eye would not close, even when I was
sleeping, and this was a health hazard because the eye needs to close for
protection and blink for lubrication in order to function properly.
The ophthalmologist was
concerned. He ordered eye drops and said
he would check back to see if things improved.
My right ear also had problems,
not painful, but very annoying. For
several months my ear kept clicking and I felt as if there was fluid blocked in
my ear. It sort of felt the same as
‘swimmers ear’. My ear finally cleared
up in November (5 months later) when an ear specialist removed wax from the
right ear canal. What a relief that was.
Another problem was the inability
to move my tongue to the right side of my mouth. Consequently, food particles would lodge on
the right side and I could not dislodge them.
It was amazing to me how the most fundamental, ‘take for granted’
movements became impossible to perform. And to think that this was caused by
the trauma in the left thalamus of the brain. Our bodies are so intricate and
amazing. It again made me realize the
magnificent, detailed human bodies fashioned by our Creator.
I started the chemo that night and
was curious as to how I would feel and what reactions I would have. Carin summed up the situation:
Mom had a wonderful night last night. She stayed up the whole four
hours of the chemo treatment and insisted on sitting up in the chair for the
last 1/2 hour. The nurse commented that she couldn’t remember a time when a
patient wanted to witness the final drops of a chemo IV! We praised God as the
bag became empty! She also said that the image of Jesus was kissing her through
the night. Wow! We sure have a faithful Savior!
Eye doctor just came for a visit. He is concerned with her right eye
because it is unable to close all the way. It is more irritated today than 2
days ago. Please pray that the nerves heal and she is able to close that eye
before any damage can occur. She has an incredible joyful attitude. The nurses
have commented how she is a pleasure to work with because of her great mindset.
-Carin
The doctors gave me a new drug the
next day that worked closely with the chemotherapy, methotrexate. Over the next few days Beth, Carin, Diana,
and Glenn all made some comments:
Mom has been given an IV with the drug Rituxan that will continue to
help kill the cancer cells using her own healthy b-cells. This drug actually
puts a target on the cancer cells so healthy cells know to attack and destroy.
Amazing! She is doing very well. She is being monitored VERY CLOSELY because of
side effects. The nurses had to take vitals every 15 minutes. But all is well.
The physical therapists walked her out to the hallway and back. She was able to
swing her right foot forward most of the time with assistance. Please
specifically pray for her right side to heal and be able to function normally.
While sleeping, she dreamed Jesus handing her flowers from His garden.
Thousands and thousands of flowers. She was sobbing with tears of joy.
-Carin
Continued healing
Posted Jul 16, 2010 9:48am
When I came in this morning, Carin and Mom showed me how she is now
able to fully blink and close both eyes... a huge improvement! Mom also moved
her right arm twice! She has a splint on her right leg and is even able to lift
it with this extra weight. Thank you so much for your targeted prayers on
having her regain strength on her right side. Please keep praying! Mom is so
touched by the many people who have become involved in her healing. Everyone is
amazed at how well she is doing with her chemo. So far, no side effects!
-Diana
A new dream last night was she was STANDING BY HERSELF out in the hall
and the nurses behind the desk and around it were looking at her with mouths
wide open. She could also see angels surrounding the whole place! When she told
the nurse about it the nurse answered "I think you could eventually do
that" Mom answered, I WILL do that! Jesus has been so good to me! Matthew 21:22 And whatever things you ask in
prayer, believing, you will receive!
Blessings to everyone and BELIEVE!
-Carin
Posted Jul 18, 2010 8:39pm
It is amazing how Mom is improving day by day. I recently traveled to
Boston this week for my new job and was forced to be away for 3 days. Seeing
Mom on Friday, Sat and Sun this weekend (July 16-18th) has been a huge testimony
on how positive attitude, prayer and belief in the power of God can heal all
things! For those of you that are reading this and not seeing Mom in person I
want everyone to know that Mom is improving fantastically. Just ask the
opthamologist who said...."that the healing in her right eye has been a
miracle." Thank you so much for your prayers, cards, gifts and messages.
What we are witnessing here in Syracuse-University Upstate Hospital is a true
Miracle.
-Glenn
It's been almost 2 weeks since I've seen Mom and I'm so impressed by
how much better she looks! The first thing she did was showing me how she can
close both eyes now! She also was very excited to show me how much her smile
has improved. I've also noticed how much better her color is - she no longer
looks drawn out and pale like she did when I left a couple weeks ago.
-Beth
CHAPTER EIGHT
WHAT A
JOY TO KNOW THE HOLY SPIRIT!
John 6:63
“It is the Spirit who gives life.”
When I was a young girl, probably
about seven years old, I had a wonderful vision. I was standing in the clearing of
woodland. The sun shone down on me in
beautiful rays so that I stood there amazed.
A warm feeling came over me and as I looked up it was as if the heavens
opened sending down God’s presence on me.
I have never forgotten that picture.
In fact I wrote about it when I was in the 8th grade in
Ridgefield Park, NJ and as a result won The Barbier Award for Teenage Success
for that submission.
God has always been in my life and
I’ve always looked for His leading. So
when this illness hit me, God was not new to me. I had a personal relationship with Jesus
Christ since 1971 when we had a Lay Witness Mission at our Wyckoff Reformed
Church in NJ. Led by chairperson and
friend, Skip Nagelvoort, a team of lay people from other churches visited our
congregation and shared how Christ had changed their lives. We heard testimonies that weekend we had
never heard before. The evangelistic
team poured love upon us, unlike anything we had ever experienced. When I witnessed the kind of love that
radiates on people’s faces and out of people’s hearts, I wanted it too!
On Sunday morning that weekend
during both services two thirds of our congregation walked to the front of the
church to give their lives to Christ! In
fact, the entire choir, about thirty, without plan or prompting, filed out of
the choir loft to stand in the front of the church for Jesus! It was an historical event for our church.
As I learned over the years, a
person starts a close relationship with the Lord, but great growth takes place
in subsequent years through Bible study and prayer. Several small groups began intense Bible
study and prayer following the Lay Witness weekend, in order to further our
understanding of what it meant to be a Christian.
So here I was, in the hospital,
facing a serious, possibly deadly illness, and yet I knew God was with me. It was a certain revelation. God gave me such a strong vital faith during
that time that I knew without a doubt that His presence filled me.
I frequently had moments when
Jesus appeared at my bedside and spoke to me and stretched out His arms to
me. Yes, Jesus stood by my bed and by
looking at Him I knew I would be lovingly cared for. He stood there wearing a flowing white robe,
His presence radiating light. His arms
reached out to me as if He was embracing me and I would hear a soft whisper, “Do not be afraid. I am here for you.” The chemotherapy was
emotionally frightening, knowing these chemicals were flooding my body. Yet I would see Jesus and the fear left.
About a week after my brain biopsy
I had a visit by the ophthalmologist. He
was very concerned because I could not close or blink my right eye. He ordered drops and promised to return to
check on me. A few days later he
returned, prepared to operate on my right eye to force the blinking. He entered my room and stood there shocked as
I smiled and blinked my eye. I had
successfully blinked within the past 24 hours and I knew he would be pleased.
The eye doctor stopped in his
tracks and stared. “You can blink!” he
exclaimed. “I can’t believe this. Why, this is a miracle!” At that point his feet did a quick dance step
and he grinned with joy. “Do you realize
that I was prepared to do a surgical procedure?
Your eye was in serious trouble because of your inability to blink. Yes, this is truly a miracle.”
I laughed with him, overjoyed at
what the Lord was doing with my life.
Again He had poured out His grace and mercy upon me. I knew the Lord had a job for me to do.
I began to pray for the other
cancer patients on the floor. One night there were disturbing sounds of someone
crying, someone moaning and someone confused with loud disturbing words. I lay in my bed and prayed. If the Lord ministered to me, certainly He
would help and comfort others. Later
that night the floor grew quiet and I praised God for His love.
At about 6:00 in the morning a few
days later, the night nurse offered to take me outside for a breath of fresh
air. I was thrilled. Here it was late July and I had not been outside
for over a month! I always loved the
freedom of fresh air, the broad sky above, the sweet smell of dirt, the bright
colors of fresh blooming flowers, the sounds of birds and bees. And that morning this thoughtful, caring
nurse chose to take me through all the long passageways of the hospital and out
to a roadside display of petunias; bright blooms on a still sleepy street,
awakening to the warm mid-summer sunshine.
I felt blessed. For over 20
minutes I breathed in the early morning fresh air. It reminded me that God’s world, in all its
natural beauty, was created for us to enjoy.
What a magnificent Creator we have!
By the middle of July my hospital
room was decorated with over 200 cards.
I was overwhelmed with the response of friends and family who cared
enough to send me thoughtful cards usually with a message of hope and
love. Dick started taping the cards on
the walls. The staff commented on the
number of cards, amazed at the outpouring of support.
Two of the night nurses visited me
at separate times and told me how my room had become a refuge for them. They shared with me how they would come
quietly into my room when I was sleeping and spend a few moments. They each reported how my room radiated a
sense of peace and love they could not find elsewhere. The Lord was there in my room. His presence not only blessed me but others
as well.
Every day I saw a host of doctors
as they made their rounds. One week a
neurologist stopped by my room. He
rarely smiled and never laughed. Just as
the doctors had completed their assessments, I said directly to the
neurologist, “Why don’t you ever smile? You really should.” All the doctors suddenly stopped in their
tracks and turned and looked at him. The
neurologist paused, looked at me and gave a shy genuine smile. I laughed as they all left the room.
Later that week I was awakened
from a nap and looked toward the door.
The same neurologist was standing there all alone. I smiled at him and he nodded. Later on he appeared again and orally gave a
report on the condition of my brain. He
was the only doctor in the room. I felt
very touched as he reported I was going to be in good condition. Then he took my hand and spoke words of deep
compassion and tenderness, his eyes communicating love, “Thank you for being my
friend.” I smiled and responded, “You
are my friend too.”
Early on, when I was on steroids,
which must have been during the first weeks of my hospitalization following the
brain biopsy, I became very confused.
The nurse asked me simple questions and I couldn’t even tell her my
name. Two of my doctors appeared quickly
and there was much discussion between them.
They seemed a little more relieved after they gave me some medication
and I was able to recall my name, but Dick and Carin were in the room with me
and they became very upset.
Dick left to get some rest at
Glenn’s and Carin stayed with me for the night.
She was emotionally frightened and crawled onto my bed to lie next to
me. I held her with my left arm,
soothing her by saying, “Everything is going to be all right, Carin. Jesus is here and he’s taking care of
us.” I was comforting my child when she
was frightened, just like the mother I still was.
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