Mum does not have lung cancer. I heard that a few minutes ago from my sister, who is at the hospital with her today. The consultant visited her in the recovery suite after this morning’s surgery to say that the lesion he removed was not cancerous. This is an astonishing piece of news, given that he had written to the GP and another consultant, saying he was fairly sure that not only was it lung cancer, but a specific type in particular.
As yet, we do not know exactly what the diagnosis is. For that, we await the next ward round, either this evening or tomorrow morning. Next suspect on the list was TB, followed by a list of obscure conditions.
My sister and I had so prepared ourselves for bad news, that Wednesday’s results (no secondaries) and today’s are astounding. Much as I believe in the healing ministry, I have hardly dared pray for healing. Terrible confession, I know, but true. There is no way I wish my dear mother dead, but knowing she is seventy-eight, I had begun to prepare myself some time ago for the thought that one day bad news will come and it will be the beginning of the end, and I would then have to wait for the outworking of our Christian hope to see again. My faith has risen since Wednesday’s news, but this is amazing.
The feeling of relief is almost indescribable, except to say that in my case it is so strong it has left me feeling weak and dizzy. Somehow, in the next few minutes I have to cook dinner for the children and then go out to give a Boys’ Brigade devotional. I’m not sure my mind will quite be on the job – in the nicest possible way!
Thank you to everyone who has prayed. Of course, the family wouldn’t turn down more prayers …
Big Circumstance 
oh Dave..that is amazing news….you must be so relieved….i will ring my mum now and tell her…she said she saw you the other day and wanted you to know that she too would be praying for your mum and you and family …..i’m so pleased to hear your news
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Thanks, Paula, it’s amazing. Yes, I bumped into your Mum and a friend of hers on a Circle Line platform at Liverpool Street on Wednesday, when I was going up to find out what could have been the dreadful news, had my Mum had secondaries.
I’m typing this at 11 pm Friday and so far still haven’t heard what the actual verdict on the lesion is, but I’m relieved enough to be quite content to wait until tomorrow to hear. My sister and her eldest boy are visiting tomorrow, so I’m sure they’ll ring with the news.
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That is such good news and, of course, our prayers will continue until your Mum is well on the way to recovery.
The Minister here has had his cancer removed and we hope to have him back with us fairly soon.
Your mention of your Mum’s age prompts me to ask your prayers with a more trivial request, if I may. At 87, I would so like to see my daughter (who lives and works in Vietnam) while i can still appreciate having her here. Years of emails are not the same (though they are wonderful) but I can still hear my husband at his end saying, ‘I thought Sheila would have come.’ (She arrived too late to see him alive, and i’ve never told her those last words of his, so as not to upset her more than she was.
Praying for you all, especially today, for further relief from your anxiety.
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Olive,
Thank you for your kind words. I don’t think your request is a trivial one for a moment. It certainly puts into perspective the frustrations I have at being a mere hundred miles from my parents, and the battles with the M25 to see them. You will certainly be in my prayers.
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Many thanks, Dave.
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