Saturday, April 4, 2009

SATURDAY APRIL 4, 2009

But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint. Isaiah 40:31.

Of all the texts that I was ready to hear today, this fits the bill completely. There is nothing like a stay in hospital to make you feel terrible even though the physical statistics are encouraging—a practical case of believing facts over feelings. I have to state why there were times of discouragement while I was there. The beds are uncomfortable, the chairs were hardly made for patients to sit in; and the hospital gowns are restrictive to movement and catch on everything. This added to the frequent pokes, jabs and checks at all hours of the day and night just make matters worse. Hospitals are built to serve the efficiency of the system, not the comfort of the patient. A great environment for learning to wait on the Lord!

However, this does not extend to the staff that work at the hospital. I was pleasantly surprised at the number of student nurses that I met in the few days I was in the hospital; it bodes well for a new crop of nurses for the future. Despite their obvious need to impress their supervisors, I really felt their personal dedication and care.

All this to say that I am overjoyed to be picked up by my dedicated and lovely wife Ann and be whisked home to an environment far more conducive to getting better; if only because I feel a hundred percent better already! Still a way to go yet, but I definitely feel that it is mostly downhill from here. Thanks again for all your thoughts and prayers.

Friday, April 3, 2009

Friday, April 3, 2009

Get rid of all bitterness, rage, anger, harsh words and slander, as well as all types of evil behaviour. Ephesians 4:31

At last; a shower! And a promise of release in 24 hours. It is easy to see how anger can build up in hospital situations where pain and hopelessness converge. But this has to be counterbalanced by the kindness and dedication of doctors and staff toward their patients. Although my situation is a passing one, it is easy to become impatient with short term progress, especially when linked to the discomfort of tubes and drip that hinder movement.

The present diagnosis is that I can leave hospital tomorrow (Saturday), with some medication and a couple of drainage tubes! A nurse will come in twice a day to make sure everything is as it should be. I find it difficult to improve strength in the hospital—the food is not all that good!—opportunity for exercise and staff help to move around is limited. But today I have been thankful again for the facilities and people available: particularly the specific doctors God has provided to us.

There will be a time of recovery. Trips back to remove staples and tubing. Must not sound too exciting, but it’s a path on the way to, we hope, permanent recovery. Thanks to all of you who have prayed and sent your warm thoughts our way. Some of you have read our blogs, sent emails, come to the hospital to chat and pray. Both Ann and I feel blessed to have such a supportive community of family and friends.

Thursday, April 2, 2009

Thursday, April 2 2009

Worry weighs a person down, an encouraging word cheers a person up. Proverbs 12:25

Well, they never said it’d be easy. This operation has turned out to be quite an ordeal, despite the caring staff and excellent facilities. The surgeon has been in a few times and indicated that my recovery has been tougher than his usual patients. Thanks a lot! But it is just the way nature works; and he tells me I will recover.

I must admit some to down time yesterday; I had some pretty intense pain during the afternoon, but they were able to get it down. Never thought I’d be thankful for morphine! But I have had a number of “encouraging words” from several friends who have checked in with me. However, I think it will be a couple of more days before I can see my home again.

Tuesday, March 31, 2009

Tuesday, March 31, 2009

Can a man scoop fire into his lap without his clothes being burned? Proverbs 6:27

As I write this, it is now over twenty-four hours since I was wheeled into the operating theatre. Yesterday, I was not concerned with what was being scooped into my lap, but what was being scooped out! As you are probably aware, yesterday’s surgery removed a cancerous prostate, and as I am writing this today it is clear that it was successful. In fact, I experienced less pain than I expected although still some awkward discomfort.

The surgeon looked in during the afternoon; he is taking good care of me. While he was pleased with the surgery, he indicated that there were further lumps not detected previously and he had to take out more surrounding tissue than anticipated. This included the surrounding nerves—that may grow back in several months—and some lymph node samples to detect any possible escaping cancer cells.

So, today I am left with various tubes going in and out of my body to sustain and drain me. I experienced no nausea which means I can probably eat again; I managed some clear soup and jelly yesterday. But what I do eat from now on will determine my health in the future, just as scooping fire into our lap can determine a particularly unhealthy one!

Sunday, March 29, 2009

Sunday March 29, 2009

Remember not the sins of my youth and my rebellious ways; according to your love remember me, for you are good, O LORD. Psalm 25:7.

Someone has said youth is a great time for sinning and old age a great time for regretting. Perhaps David our writer for today was, like me, in the latter years of life. As a parallel, it is too easy for us to consider misfortune a punishment for those earlier sins. In fact sin may be enjoyable for a season, but if disaster strikes, or our foolishness becomes uncovered, it can change our attitude towards it instantly. There is always that sense of accountability lurking in the background; we will not get away with it forever.

My personal sickness and surgery tomorrow is the result of sin—sickness and death are the result of sin—but I can’t say I’ve had any direct guilt feelings attached to it. As believers in the atoning work of Christ, there is no fear for the future. Not only has he atoned for our guilt, but he is there to take us through the adversities of life that sin inflicts upon us. I feel at peace, not only in the knowledge that God is good, but also I am the recipient of prayers so many of you that have offered for me.

That’s not to say I’m not somewhat apprehensive about tomorrow. It is more than a trip to the dentist, and I’m not sure how I’ll feel when I wake up, or how I’ll cope when released from hospital about three days later. There are always uncertainties we wonder about. I’m glad to say that my surgery is timed for 7.20 a.m.—no waiting time to speculate! But there will be some waiting time for you as I’ll be out of circulation for a few days. Never-the-less, watch this space for further updates.