Grace and Grace alone

The Lord has again has been so gracious to me and my family, undeserving Grace. This is indeed true in many aspects. Although the care I received at Surrey Memorial Hospital was exceptional, the care at home is served with mountains of love and care. It is much quieter and I don’t have to put up with room partners that snore like Harley motor bikes. It appears that healing works much better in the home environment. All in all I am glad and thankful to the Lord to be home.

Now that I am home I have to take it very easy, I get tired quickly and don’t sleep like I use too, at least not yet. Again I lost 10 Lbs during my week in the hospital. However, my appetite is again returning and I am again starting to gain weight slowly. I am often amazed how that the Lord is blessing me in so many ways, also in preparing me again for the next step of treatments.

On August 5 we met with the surgeon who did the surgery. He removed all the staples (it looked like a zipper). One of my first questions was if I could drive again, he looked at Henrietta then at me, hesitated and then said to my relief, sure, start with short distances only. He was happy with the results and told us that he was able to remove the Kidney with the tumour and Adrenal gland. To remove them he had to make a 12 inch cut. Due to the nature of the surgery it will take 4-6 weeks for recovery. Although he was happy with the results, he told us in carefully chosen words that he as Urologist had completed his task, but that the cancer still remains in my lungs at stage 4 and still the fastest growing cancer there is. I was aware of that, yet it is good to be reminded of the seriousness of the cancer that remains in me.

On August 18 I will be visiting the Oncologist again to hear about further treatments. I have already been told that most likely more Chemotherapy treatments will be given. Not something I am looking forward to, however I don’t believe there is another choice at this point. We continue to pray for complete healing and when God gives that, no other treatments will be necessary.

During my hospital stay the Lord comforted me in special ways in the darkest hours. I was not scared or nervous before or after surgery, yet it is amazing how that Satan can try to drive a wedge between ones faith and God. I can tell you though that when these trials came the Lord again gave me light on my path in the middle of the night when I read 1 Peter 1. I suggest you read this chapter or at least the first 12 verses. The Lord is Gracious and full of compassion. Thank you for those who visited me or contacted us in many other ways. Thank you for your prayers.

John