Good News, Bad News, Who Knows?
October 22, 2014 3 Comments
Back in the infusion center
I had two recent scans. My brain scan was clean of cancer. Good. My chest and abdomen scan showed one tumor shrinking, one tumor getting larger and a new cancer area in my lung. Bad. This is a perfect example of how complicated it is to understand and treat cancer. The treatment was effective for one of my tumors but not the other. Since there is a new growth area in my lung and tumor growth, I started a new chemo. The new chemo regimen is taking 7 chemo pills each day for two weeks and off one week and a chemo infusion every three weeks. I’ll follow this routine until my next scan in mid-December. Along with my chemo pills, I take pills prescribed by my integrative holistic medical doctor. In all, I take 37 pills a day and inject myself daily alternating with mistletoe and bovine marrow. I recently included acupuncture into my treatment regimen.
I heard a story recently that represents my ups and downs with cancer and helps my perspective. I like the story because I don’t know what’s in store for me. One thing I do know is I will continue to experience highs and lows. This past Saturday was a high day. I went to a fall festival at my daughter’s school. It was a beautiful fall day, sunny, cool with a little breeze. While watching my daughter and her friend ride on the carnival swing ride, I saw Katie kick off her socks and shoes. I thought to myself, what is she doing? She then spread her arms wide and stretched her bare feet straight out in front of her and pretended to fly as the swing went in circles. I stayed in that moment watching her fly and was glad I didn’t miss it by looking at something meaningless on my phone. I watched her happy innocence in admiration and longed for the days when I was carefree. My life may not be carefree, but at the moment I was flying carefree.
Good Luck Bad Luck!
There is a Chinese story of a farmer who used an old horse to till his fields. One day, the horse escaped into the hills and when the farmer’s neighbors sympathized with the old man over his bad luck, the farmer replied, “Bad luck? Good luck? Who knows?” A week later, the horse returned with a herd of horses from the hills and this time the neighbors congratulated the farmer on his good luck. His reply was, “Good luck? Bad luck? Who knows?”
Then, when the farmer’s son was attempting to tame one of the wild horses, he fell off its back and broke his leg. Everyone thought this very bad luck. Not the farmer, whose only reaction was, “Bad luck? Good luck? Who knows?”
Some weeks later, the army marched into the village and conscripted every able-bodied youth they found there. When they saw the farmer’s son with his broken leg, they let him off. Now was that good luck or bad luck?
Who knows?
Everything that seems on the surface to be an evil may be a good in disguise. And everything that seems good on the surface may really be an evil. So we are wise when we leave it to God to decide what is good fortune and what misfortune, and thank him that all things turn out for good with those who love him.
Author Unknown
backstagefour 