If you’ve read my previous posts, you know we have had a crazy year. My husband, Bill, never had any health problems. Since early 2017, it seems like he has dealt with one issue after another. He is self employed as an auto mechanic. He owns his own business, but hasn’t been able to work for about a year.
Several people have asked about his health, recent tests, and pathology reports. So, I thought I’d give you an update.
He is still dealing with ongoing chronic health issues including back and nerve pain, heat intolerance, and fatigue. He has been discouraged about not being able to work, but is hoping that things improve so that he will be able to try to open the shop, at least part time, when the temperature is cooler.
Some of his labs indicate a possible problem with his parathyroid and still show abnormal liver function. Neither of those things are bad enough that they require any immediate interventions. They will just continue watch his levels.
He had several scope procedures this month. They removed a precancerous polyp and another small neuroendocrine tumor. The biopsy samples they took showed some other cellular changes/precancerous areas. The pathology report still indicates Crohn’s/Colitis and Autoimmune Atrophic Gastritis. These conditions increase his risk of several different cancers and are likely the reason for the areas of concern that the tests continue to show. Unfortunately, there is no cure for the Crohn’s or Autoimmune Gastritis. There’s not really a treatment to help prevent future problems. The plan is to continue to monitor things, remove any new growths, and deal with whatever happens as it comes.
The good news is that precancerous does not mean Cancer. Our prayer is that it will never turn into that. We will do our best to be proactive, but know that none of this is within our control. There’s nothing like the mention of the word cancer to make you realize just how powerless you are and how fragile life is.
We may believe we are the master of our own destiny, but that is just an illusion. There are very few things in life that we truly have control over. We may not be in charge of everything that happens, but we are responsible for how we respond. Our response to the challenges and uncertainties of life is to put our faith in God. After all, He is the one who made us. He cares about every detail, knows the number of hairs on our heads, and knew us before we were even born. There is no one better to trust than the One who gave us breath and spoke all of creation into existence! He knows what our future holds, and already has a plan to get us through it.
God has been so good to us. He has provided, given us wisdom, strength, and peace. We are especially thankful for the people He brought into our life that love us, pray for us, and walk with us through the valleys, as well as celebrating with us on the mountaintop.
We have been blessed with another day. If you are reading this, so have you. The gift of more time with those you love is so precious. Our days are numbered. Don’t waste them doing a job that you hate or in the pursuit of more money or material possessions. At the end of this life, you can’t take those things with you.
In my final days, I doubt that I will regret what I didn’t buy. I don’t think my social status will matter much. I will probably reflect on the time I wasted on selfish ambitions, anger, broken relationships, and the unwillingness to forgive. Maybe I’d wish for another chance, or just one more day.
Today is my one more day. It’s yours too. Today is a chance to look around and thank God for the gifts in life. It’s an opportunity to be content no matter the circumstance. God has given us the miracle of more time. We get to choose how we spend it. I want to spend mine loving God and sharing His love with others.
We can’t take any of our worldly possessions with us when our time here is over. However, I believe the relationships, spiritual connections, and love we share will never end. Love is eternal. Time spent on a life of love is never wasted!
In the end, these things remain: Faith, Hope, and Love. The greatest of these is love❤️
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