"Bumpy Road Ahead But Signs of Hope Not to be Ignored"

This past week we visited the oncologist  for an overview of the outcome of the surgery.  He told us that the surgeons had removed the organs affected but after receiving the pathology report there still remains cancer cells in different spots in the abdomen.
 We now have a meeting scheduled with a radiologist and if after reviewing Daniels reports and speaking with us she determines that Daniel  is a candidate for radiation therapy he will have daily sessions of radiation for 6 weeks (no weekends), followed by chemotherapy. That news was a bummer.
However, during this "adventure" there have been signs of hope I cling to.  The first was when the Doctor at UMC who performed the sonogram  told me that Daniel had advanced stomach cancer.  I was in shock  and very upset.  He looked at me and said "There is always hope".   I will never forget that moment or what he said.  The next  was when I had to go to  a different parish for Mass on Sunday morning and there was a priest celebrating the Mass that I had never seen there before.  His sermon was on how in this day and age fewer people believe in miracles  but miracles still happen even with cancer, we just don't hear about them.  I felt as if  he were speaking directly to me.
The next time was when Daniel and I were sitting in an examining room waiting for a follow up visit with the surgeon. While  I waited I was just looking around the room and there right on the wall across from where we were sitting was a sign with the word HOPE all in caps and with a message written underneath but I couldn't read it from where I was sitting.  However, the word HOPE stood out.
This past week I went to a Board meeting,  only two Board members were present when I arrived , Gary and Les.  They asked how Daniel was doing and I told them okay but that we were not looking forward to the rounds of radiation.  Les told me his church members are still praying for Daniel's recovery. Gary then said to remember not everyone responds to treatments  the same way, and Daniel did fine with the chemo. They don't know how much I needed to hear those words right at that moment.  It gave me hope. Thank you Les and Gary. You were God's messengers that night.
 I can't begin  express to all of how much your prayers and kindness during this time have meant to us.  You may not realize that maybe at the moment when you express your caring or concern to someone, the person hearing  those words  may need to hear them right at that moment.  I did and it gave me hope to believe in the miracle we are praying for.


That is it for now, please keep praying.