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Story by Jerry O’Dell.
Woke up suddenly… Wide awake… it is after 1:30 am. April 28th 2022.
I normally don’t wake up like this… I usually sleep soundly until 5-5:30. As I lay there the thought hit my mind that it was one year ago yesterday that the love of my life of 48 years had her surgery for Gastric Stomach Cancer. I also recalled the voice of her surgeon stating… “I could lose her on the table.” Life altering statement… definitely life changing event.
But even at that time the peace of God really did “pass all understanding” as it rested upon us.
Our convoy left Camdenton approximately 4 am. because our check in time was 6 am. Our family and David Moore (also family) had determined to be with us to pray and wait to see what God would do. The first God-thing was concerning the 1 visitor per patient Covid rule at that time. I explained to the check in staff at the door that the people who would be milling around in the parking garage was family waiting and praying for their mother and grandmother during her surgery. They turned and looked at the security guard with them who said: “If they will stay in the main lobby tell them to come on in!”
The second God-thing was her surgeon (also a fellow Christ follower) who determined to build her a whole new stomach out of a section of small intestine! (Of course, we did not know that till he met with me and told me after the surgery was done.) For the next 7+ hours I would run from the surgical floor to the lobby to give reports on surgical progress and be encouraged by my family! The surgery was successful, and we are still on the “full recovery” journey which they have said would be about a year. We now travel back to Ellis Fischel Cancer Center every 3 months for scans, blood draws and consults with her oncologist. Through it all our God has been with us every step of the way… don’t know how we could have handled it without Him! HE is so faithful!! I must tell you we have been so pleased and blessed by the staff, the nurses and the Doctors at Ellis Fischel Hospital! They have been incredible. I figure this is enough rambling… but it has done this old guy good just to recall and testify to the “goodness of God” to me and our family. Going to climb back in bed now and hopefully sleep the rest of the night as a very blessed indeed man!
A year to remember…
The 23rd Psalm, verses 1 thru 4.
The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.
He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters.
He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name’s sake.
Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.
James 5:16.
“…and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much.
Isaiah 40:31.
But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.
To read the one year update following Michele’s surgery click here
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