The next right thing...



I received the phone call today.

I was lying on the bed snoozing a little,

as I was fatigued from my efforts at the gym this morning. 

A sweet woman, Kathleen Rhodes, helped me through

 yoga stretching exercises and then on for a round of beginners Pilates.

 I’ve never tried either before,

and quickly discovered just how out of shape I really am

....no muscle tone or strength

whatsoever it seems. 

Could it be from months of lying around doing nothing?

‘Dr. Harry Lieberman’ displayed across my phone screen

 and I knew it was the phone call we have been waiting for.

I expected him to tell me that all was well

and that the Mayo Clinic was sure,

beyond a reasonable doubt,

that the remaining cells were certainly dead.

However, it is unclear to them as to whether the

 FEW remaining residual cancer cells

 are or will be active. 

There are two foreseeable options;

1) Irreversible resection surgery resulting in a colostomy bag

(Colostomy - a surefire way of eradicating the problem))

or

2) A dose of radiation beads placed directly on the remaining tumor

 (Brachytherapy - hopefuly killing off the remaining cells)

Dr Lieberman has been in contact with my oncologists,

Dr. Manfredi and Dr. Barnes,

and they all agree;

Dr Lieberman will present my case to a board of doctors

 (experts in their field)

who will look over the culture reports and hopefully come

 to a unanimous recommendation for

 option number two.

Of course having the resection operation, and wearing a colostomy bag

 (shudder)

will do away with the problem...but there are just a few

undetermined cancerous cells left.

I think the radiation beads should work and scare off these guys!

Without me having to........you know......wear a bag.

At either rate..at this point...

I’m feeling a little numb and apprehensive. 

You see the mind is quick to run, and pick up speed going full throttle towards the unknown future and all the terrors it may bring.

Yikes! 

Lord, bring me back to this present moment...

where You help me decide to do the next right thing...

as I pray and seek Your guidance...trusting in You, my Savior,

clinging tightly to Your legs, so that You may carry me.

Please join with me and pray that I choose to do the next right thing.

It will help me get unstuck and  stop feeling sorry for myself.

I HATE to admit that...it’s an emotion that plagues me sometimes

“Every day the choices just keep on comin’ up

And I know it all comes down to fear, oh Lord

And I surrender myself to what the future may bring.

Well...I’m just trying to do the next right thing.”

- T. Graham Brown -

"...take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ."

2Corinthians 10:5