Pitt Meadows Day 2007 was minus one clown and they were concerned enough to tell me about it by sending me this huge card that is signed by people from the festival. A gigantic Get Well card brought gigantic encouragement to me. Thank you people of Pitt Meadows. I also have a drawer full of regular sized Get Well cards with heart felt notes from many people to us.
The word courage is in encouragement for good reason. Thank you friends!
As of this week, August 17, I have missed two chemo treatments because of this skin rash. It's been a bad rash. So bad apparently that all the oncologists who looked at my rash (and were more than a few who saw it) said it is the most progressed that they have seen. I'm special, but not special enough to get any treatment. There was no one at the BCCA that was equipped or experienced enough to give me bandages - I wish I had a photograph of my face when they were telling me this because I'm sure that my overall countenance projected my thoughts which were not nice and definately not recordable. God is a gracious and forgiving God, I say this because of the stroke of divine luck that fell on me over the next few hours. This is what happened. I winced and moaned my way out of the cancer clinic and into the van. Yes, this was the only time Jody has been unable to accompany me to an appointment!! I drove to UBC Hospital emergent care. I parked in the Regent College parking lot & walked like a neanderthal junkie to the hospital. This is about 250 meter trek. The anguish and embarassment I suffered was worth the free parking. Once inside the building they fast tracked me into an isolation room ( I guess I was talking too much ) Within minutes I was seen by a doctor and was introduced to nurse Anne. She was my divine luck. Anne has been a nurse since 1979 and was 10 years in the burn unit where she gained experience in cleaning and bandaging burns in sensitive areas. No one else could have the knowledge and skills to give me the treatment that I needed. Thank God for Anne. That was two weeks ago, things have settled down enough to allow me to walk around the block like a modern man.
I am concerned about missing chemo treatment but the oncologist is not. Her reasoning is quite simple. If the chemo drugs are still producing a rash then they must be still working on the cancer cells. Medical reasoning at it's best.
5 comments:
Keep hanging in there Mike. I ditto that (Thank God for Anne). I love those testimonies of God's perfect timing.
We continue to pray for you and your family. We trust Him in the midst of it all.
May I share on your site one of the first times we met the Meeking Family? Glenn and I (Donna) just moved to Vancouver (1992). I found Point Grey Church in the phone book; it was within walking distance of our place. Not knowing what to wear that first Sunday we decided to dress formal. Big mistake. After church Mike came over to meet us and instead of shaking Glenn's hand he grabbed his necktie and pretended to swing on it! I thought to myselft, "Wow, this guy is too funny." I am not sure what Glenn thought but
it broke the ice and I am forever grateful for your gift of making us laugh.
Thanks again. We love you guys.
The Harned Family
Whoops,
myselft = myself
My darn ginfers!
Donna
I remember that. Obviously, I needed some social skills. Hey, it was funny wasn't it ? Actually swinging on a neck tie has been put into the Meeks the Clown Show. So tell Glenn thanks for letting me hang around.
Let's stay in touch,
Mike.
You said: Hey, it was funny wasn't it ?
It was one of the funniest things I ever saw someone do when the met someone new!! Keep up your gift of making us laugh.
We hope the rash is better this week and you are able to get relief from the discomfort.
Bless you and your family.
The Harneds
Hi Mike! hey, I sure miss building sets and whatever for you at West Coast. Never told you, and I'm certain you had better things to do, but often I'd be sitting in a staff meeting and thinking that the one person with the most natural talent for teaching wasn't there because of one piece of paper from the college of teachers. Bringing order and meaning to a series of chaotic rehearsals (only chaotic to the untrained eye of course) is real talent. Like the journey theme you've taken up - a preacher once said in a sermon I heard that we need to be leaning ahead - can't stop - turn around or quit. The Lord wants to see us leaning and he'll take care of the rest. It sort of reminded me of wheeling wheelbarrows of manure up to the end of a long 8 X 10 beam when I was a kid. I had to dump the barrow over the side if I ever stopped because once I lost momentum I was finished and then try to keep my balance or end up toppling into the shallower part of the pile. If I made it to the end and dumped I had to carefully turn around on the beam and trail the barrow behind me back down. The pile was deep at the end (runny deep) and I remembered how focussed my attention was at that point. Glad to hear you're still pushing hard Mike. That swinging on a tie thing reminds me of Kyle pulling his hair up in class to make himself look like a girl! That was funny! How are you managing having to stay out of the sun? That alone must be a trial. Well, hope that rash continues to be dealt with and blessings to you all.
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