Here I am, just past the 6 year mark in my cancer journey. This a journey that started with 6 initial treatments for non Hodgkin's B cell follicular lymphoma followed by a 2year maintenance program consisting of chemo every 3 months. That ended in February 2014 and since then I was monitored every 3 months before graduating to every 4 months for a year or so. Things appeared to be going very well and then during my scan check in the summer of 2017 I was informed that some of my lymph nodes were measuring on the high side of normal (2cm). This meant some cancer growth and of course brought up the what now question. What lays ahead? I had been told at the start of the journey that several chemo treatments may be involved over a period of time to manage the cancer, but still one is never quite prepared for bad or in this case reoccurring bad news. I was in the midst of becoming a partner at work, which my wife and I both really felt was God leading. So why then, why would it be creeping back into my life then? That is an answer I don't have, but what I do know is that ever present health challenges in my wife's life and in mine have had a way of increasing are dependence on God that is not easily possible without some kind of challenge. God has increased our faith during these tough seasons and has provided in ways only he can. The apostle Paul prayed that his thorn in the flesh would be taken from him, but it never was and I am sure that his faith was increased as he had to depend on God to meet his needs. My wife and I push forward, both with very uncertain health futures, but with a very certain future in eternity. This is a future guaranteed by the blood of Jesus and our acceptance of his free gift of salvation.
More recently I was checked again and while there have been signs of lymph node growth, they were thankfully very minimal. Its always interesting who is placed in our lives. We are ever grateful for Dr T and her cautious approach. She is kind and thorough in her follow-up and detail of what could lay ahead. Aside from a complete healing, treatments such as chemo and a stem cell transplant could lay ahead.
God is sustaining us, maybe not always as we prayed, but he always is and we are very thankful for the people he has used along the way.
Our lives are His to work out His will for His honour and glory.
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