Relapsed

Hi Folks:

Without a PET scan it's not official, but all the evidence and the doctors report that Jim's cancer has come back, and that he does have a resistant strain which is going to take a harder approach, with some possible stem cell replacement and such. I don't know all the info yet. We're still recovering from the shock. Jim is back on oxycontin, and this is helping his pain of course, but it was very sad to go back on that, we rejoiced so much when he got to go off of it.

This past Tuesday Jim would have had his 6th and final treatment. We thought that was the end of it, and we looking forward to going to Minnesota (Bob and Carol, you didn't even know we were coming) the cottage, and talk about our futures and ministry. In fact, this weekend was camp rising spirits. I called it camp cancer. LOL. They hated when I called it that. But for $25.00 you went away and got your spirits raised, so they said. For 25 dollars, I knew I didn't have to cook for 3 days, and they had knitting classes (something I wanted to do all winter, but couldn't), fishing, swimming, whatever you want to do, and if you're too sick, you can drive the golf cart around to each thing. We were looking forward to that sooooo much.

So, this Sunday, we find ourselves looking at a whole different game.

The doctors said that originally that it was an 80 percent chance that Jim would recover. Now it's 40. My initial reaction was, "well, if he couldn't make it in the 80 percent, 40 percent doesn't hold much hope. Then I realized percentages are nothing. God is sovereign. If Jim is going to be healed, he will be healed, even if he has a 1 percent. And if God is calling him home, he could have a 99 percent chance of success, but he's out of here. So, I'm not caring about percentages right now. Who cares about them. but Jim is sick, and I do know this.

So, I pray without ceasing that the Lord doesn't take my Jimmy home yet. I pray that God heals him here, rather than there. I pray that God's will be done. I then ask God for His will to please be that he doesn't call Jim home yet. I don't know what His will is, but I pray to God asking for Jim to stay here, if for no other reason but simply because the daughter that he loves asks her Dad for something she desires with all her heart. And it's not a big request for God my father. He is the father of all compassion. And He just might do it for no other reason but because he loves me.

And you keep praying too.

Gloria