Having cancer in Costa Rica

By now, some of you may have heard that I have been diagnosed with uterine cancer. We have been waiting the last two and a half weeks for the biopsy results and those were given to us yesterday. There are three stages to this cancer; I, II and III. I have been diagnosed with Stage I. We are thankful for this diagnosis because God could have allowed for it to be a Stage II or Stage III! This cancer is not a familial cancer, in other words, Danielle and Heather are not genetically predisposed to this same kind of cancer because I have it. Another reason to Praise God! In meeting with the physician yesterday, the rule of thumb as far as treatment of this cancer is surgery, that being a total hysterectomy. It is his recommendation that it be done sooner rather than later because of the confirmation of cancer. I cannot have this procedure done laparoscopically as was originally discussed with me because of the positive cancer biopsy results. More biopsies will be taken and if need be, pelvic lymph node biopsies will be done as well to see if it is any other place in my body, and this cannot be done laparoscopically. After much prayer and consideration into our options, Ken & I have decided that I will have the surgery here in Costa Rica. Remember, that I had my original biopsy two and a half weeks ago and our physician has been very frank with us from the beginning about further treatment. We know of other missionaries who have had surgery in the hospital that we will be going too and it is a very highly spoken of hospital here in the capital city. So, why am I up at 4:45 a.m. otherwise? Because I am lame...my stomach is growling and I am very hungry, but I have my preadmission testing tomorrow (well now, it's today already) and am fasting! Surgery is tentatively being scheduled for next Saturday, December 20th.

I know that this comes as a "shock" to some of you. I have often wondered to myself, "what does it feel like to be told you have cancer"? Of course, no one wants to ask that question! I can answer it for you though. From the human point of view, it is a shock. It is at first, scary. You sit in an office and feel like you are listening, but nodding your head like a puppet. It feels lonely because right now for this time in my life I am far removed from my earthly family and my church family.

How does it feel from the angle of being a Christian? I know that God is in control of this situation. He has allowed this because there is a purpose in it. Recognizing that, my desire is to bring honor and glory to Him through it. He is and remains an awesome God!