Appointments

We made our way to the medical center early this morning for another appointment with reconstructive surgery. This time we went prepared with a list of questions and needed supplies. T has three basic wounds that we care for, and the supplies we had wouldn’t get us through the weekend. Our questions were answered, supplies were ordered, and we were done. After a quick stop at the gift shop to get a thank-you card and deliver it to our favorite Dr. E (who was in surgery), we came back to the hotel for a bit of a rest. I can see T regaining strength day-by-day, but it’s going to take a while to get back to normal. Having the splint on his arm is also a real encumbrance, making everyday tasks more time consuming. But none of that is a big concern for us; we just try to take it as it comes.

It is easier to take things as they come now that we are a week past surgery. Honestly, we had moments of grave concern (even fear on my part) before surgery. Some of the potential outcomes were difficult to accept. Although T was also uneasy about the degree of surgery involved, he didn’t demonstrate the anxiety that I was feeling. Sorting it all out, committing what we couldn’t control, resting in the peace that God gave us took time and our focused attention, but the Lord was faithful and not only brought us through this physically but helped us to deal with our moments of weakness and normal human emotion. We’re not superhuman, just ordinary people doing our best to walk the road laid out before us, grateful to not be walking it alone.

One of the things we have really tried to do is encourage those around us facing similar fears. We’ve had our scheduled appointments with doctors, nurses, and therapists, and we’ve had a few divine appointments with people whose names we don’t even know. I had one of those this evening. It always seems to begin in the elevator. Makes sense, stuck in a little box like that, either we look at the walls and the floor, or someone speaks. Guess who’s the talker? Yeah, I’m guilty on that one.

I met a man from Independence, MO whose wife has been dealing with health issues for over a decade. They had received some really goofy care in KC until they got to KC Research hospital, where an honest doctor told them that he was simply not qualified to help her, nor did he believe anyone in that hospital was capable. With his encouragement, they came to MD Anderson. Now out of the elevator, standing in the hotel lobby, the man shared her story in detail. About 30 minutes later, he asked about my husband. I gave the brief version of our story, mentioning our amazing doctor, a tiny Iranian powerhouse who pursues the minutiae of everything. His head popped up, and he asked her name. When I gave him Dr. E’s name, he told me that she had operated on his wife just that morning. There was my cue! I gave him chapter and verse as to why he could be thankful. We chatted for a few more minutes, spoke of faith and hope, and discovered that we shared many spiritual commonalities. When we parted, he thanked me profusely for taking the time to chat.

These are the moments that make this awful experience worthwhile. I mean, frankly, I hate the fact that my wonderful husband has had to deal with all this stuff. I would never choose this for anyone in my family. But we do believe that we are called to make a difference in the world, and in order to make a difference in the lives of cancer patients, someone has to have cancer. I know, I know, it’s a terribly simplistic idea, but these encounters with discouraged people, seeing their spirits lifted, it helps us to make some sense of it all. In the same way that seeing the intricacies of the human skull reaffirms our faith in a divine creator, sharing with and encouraging needy people confirms our belief that none of this is just a series of random events. There is purpose to our lives.

Regardless of what one believes, we should all try to make life a little better for others, right? According to scripture, both Old and New Testaments, those who follow the Lord are called to share His good news and lighten the load of others. The opportunities are right in front of us; we just have to accept the divine appointments.