Most people make plans to travel south in the winter months, but this week David and I will be travelling north and spending some time in the Windy City.
For the past year and a half, we’ve needed to make the trek to Chicago every six months.
And as wonderful as that city is, we won’t be sightseeing or doing the regular touristy things like going to the top of a very tall building, visiting Navy Pier or going on a dinner boat cruise. Instead, we are spending our time in the bowels of the basement of the Loyola Medical Center.
It’s time for David to get scanned and to meet with our oncologist again.
When David was first diagnosed with cancer, and we were told we needed to be seen every six months for a check- up, I was frantic. I couldn’t imagine letting go of the worry and fear of wondering if the cancer cells were growing internally for a few minutes, let alone a six month period. But I have to say, I’ve done better at this than I ever would have imagined I would. And that, my friends, is a God Thing!
For those of you that know me very well, I’m a trained worrier. It’s something I struggle with daily. I think it stems from that phone call I got 16 years ago telling me David had been in an explosion. Over the years, I’ve struggled with letting go, of fully trusting that God’s in control. I’ve wanted to place each of my family members in a protective bubble so that they wouldn’t get hurt. I’ve had moments of shear panic when one of them exceeded the time I thought they should return home and I couldn’t get in 
touch with them, fearing that something tragic had happened. It’s something I’ve had to work on almost every day for the past sixteen years. So when we were faced with cancer I didn’t know how I would learn to live each day without the worry consuming me. I prayed that God would help me with it and He has! I do pretty well for 5 and half months out of the six month period. You see, about a week before our scheduled appointments, I start letting doubt and fear creep back into my thoughts. I worry about the open wound David has on his leg that just won’t heal. Could cancer be lurking there again? I try to give it over to God, but the fearful thoughts have a tendency to sneak in at the craziest of times. For about a week after his appointments, I worry until we get the final results of all the labs. Then I can breathe comfortably again for another 5 and a half months. It’s amazing how God can just put the fear out of my mind, if I allow Him to. Now I just need to trust more in the weeks surrounding those appointments. I need to lean on my understanding of his Word- that He has it covered; that he’s in control; that he will take care of it all.
Please pray for us this week, as David undergoes tests, bloodwork and scans for his six month check-up. Pray for the doctors and staff at Loyola to be filled with wisdom and knowledge. Pray for our safe travels and for the crazy Midwest winter weather. Pray for me to let go of the worry that tries to creep into my head every six months.
Thank you so much for your prayers. How can we pray for you?
You got the Prayers.?
Betsy,
We really appreciate your prayers! Thank you!
11:45 PM. I just read the last page of your wonderful book. Thank you so much. I decided to turn on the computer before going to bed and saw your blog. I will pray for you now.( And thank you for writing your book and ministering to me and countless others. Your testimony fed my soul. Thank you Carly and Dave.)
Jan.
Thank you so much for your kind words and your prayers. So good to hear from you!