I honestly don't even know where to start except to say that our God is an awesome God that sometimes chooses to go beyond our wildest hopes and fondest dreams. As I have already stated in my prayer request here this morning, my friend's wife has suffered with a brain tumour for some time now ... actually two of them. The first occurrence was on the right side of her brain where it was promptly removed thru surgery followed up with both chemo and radiation treatments. A few years later, another tumour showed itself on the left side of her brain where the identical procedures as above were followed. Fast forward to the past year and a half which has seen my friend off work on sick leave to tend to his wife, being her primary caregiver. Fast forward yet again to two weeks ago, where she was taken into emergency by their two adult daughters because of her condition slipping ... and fast. It needs to be stated that during the past year or so, Marlene's body has also struggled with various forms of organ infections as well due to her immune system being depleted from her cancer treatments, not least of which has been her bladder. At her recent two week emergency visitation, the physician on duty had both explained and showed to my friends two adult daughters how the tumour was showing "branches" now extending out and spreading to other area's of her brain. In other words, it was getting near the end. And this information they had withheld from my friend Gary in the hopes that they could spare him the inevitable until the last minute (which appeared to be Friday night) ... because his own physical and mental condition was now so utterly depleted. Marlene is currently in the hospital as I type this. Well my friends, I've just returned from visiting Gary and sitting with him for a while and the following is what he told me had transpired just this A.M.... a short half-hour before my arrival. He received a call from the doctor overseeing his wife who had asked him when he was planning on taking her home. My friend responded that he cold no longer maintain the standard of care that she now needed and was considering between the two hospice facilities available, of which would be the best suited for his wife. The doctor then suggested that she could arrange for him to receive more help at home if this was all he needed. He went on to inform her that with her cancer now spreading and her condition greatly worsening, he wasn't sure if this was the wisest route to take. He was too tired and worn down. The doctor responded to him with this question ... "who told you that her cancer was spreading ? ... I see nothing in her MRI to suggest anything of the sort. We are treating her for a bladder infection and nothing more ". His disbelief was so great that he called this doctor back twice while I was visiting just to be sure that he had heard and understood her correctly. And he received the same assurance from her each time (she reviewed the test results) with a suggested meeting set up for his family tomorrow morning for even further confirmation. His calls to his two daughters were something to behold as well as they too were utterly dumbfounded by the news. The one daughter had even asked to speak to me ... because she was worried that her dad was overly exhausted and was merely speaking wishful thinking. All of them are in a state of shock from the news. They were prepared for what they had thought and were previously told (by another doctor) was the end. And all I could do was give thanks to our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ for what appears to be a reprieve and more time granted to my friends. And I am availing this turbulent and puzzling period in their lives to share the gospel and love of our God in the hopes that all of them will turn their hearts towards Him and trust in His loving mercy and grace freely given to all who ask for it with sincerity. He had tears of relief and joy in his exhaustion today as I was leaving. And I could hardly hold that against him. I too am singing the praises of our God ... and have reminded my friend that it is in our Lord's hands and it is His to decide when any of us are to be called home. Ours is to love Him and trust in Him with all of our hearts and lean not to our own understanding. These are the words I left my friend to contemplate. God in Christ be praised forevermore ! Thank you from my heart for your prayers on their behalf. Whether it be the result of one physicians mistake ... or be it the hand of God, it matters not to me. May one who had no hope, perhaps now, God-willing, see.
