The Unexpected

Somehow the unexpected is never the news you want to hear and that was the case for us today. We learned a lot, more than we have understood about this cancer until now. We learned that the biopsy caused our doctor to really scrutinize the MRI, and knowing where the biopsy was taken, she was able to find the cancer on the scan, small, but located on the infra-orbital nerve. It's not a good thing when cancer cells land on nerves; they are like super-highways for those nasty little cells. We learned that this surgery is more difficult than the last one because of the transfer of a live graft from T's arm (or thigh or back or side) and the delicacy of that process, hooking up all those little blood vessels and such. We learned that he will have an unexpected hospital stay of several days (last time was over-night) because of that skin/tissue graft. We learned that there are a list of possibilities, none of which we want to happen, but we have to be prepared. Lastly, we learned we can't go home as soon as we thought, which is a bummer. We will have to extend our stay by several days. 


All that said, we know we are dealing with the most experienced physicians in the world when it comes to this kind of thing. A few might need to work on their people-skills, but right now we are more interested in their brilliance than their personalities. 

We spent some time with dear friends, Sam and Carmen, tonight and were able to laugh and enjoy a lovely meal together. We know that wherever we go, God's people are there to stand, shoulder-to-shoulder, through the trials. It's always fun to have God's people beside you in the good times, but the cherished times are when the difficulties, doubts, and uncertainties of being a part of the human race rise to the surface and these warriors show up to be a part of the battle. 

We are learning new levels of trust, with each other and with God. As T expressed his concern and prayed for our students today, we are vitally aware that there are people in place who will stand in the gap and do what needs to be done until we can return. We are praying that our students will rise up in this situation, that they will pray and commit themselves to being the people God has designed them to be. Just by doing this, they will make everyone's life at school a joy.


We have had another glimpse into the fragility of our earthly bodies and are glad to realize that we get new ones some day that will never decay or experience disease. We know God is not surprised by anything we heard today, even if we were, but He is ready to walk with us through each part and be our Healer. So we trust in Him.