----- Original Message -----
From: Fink Holloway
Sent: Friday, April 25, 2008
I received some good news on Wednesday. Dr. Ross, my radiation oncologist, was able to give me a report of the MRI I had on Friday. The pain is NOT caused by bone cancer! Dr. Beck was the one who ordered the MRI and since he was out of town all week, I thought I would have to wait until my appointment next Tuesday to get the news.
When I realized that someone at NARTI could call and get the report for Dr. Ross, I was glad the wait would be over, but I also felt little scared. I was by myself the first time I got the news "It looks like cancer", and I was by myself that day too. I planned to have my husband with me when I went to see Dr. Beck just incase this report had the word "metastasized". Actually the report did have that word, but the words: NO EVIDENCE were in front of it. As it turned out it was a big relief to get the news early.
My verse for today is, "In everything give thanks for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you." I Thessalonians 5:16 If the report had shown that I had bone cancer, it still would be a day to give thanks to God. The condition of my body or my circumstances do not change the love of God or his greatness in any way. So whether we get the good news we want or not, God is still worthy of our praise. But I am quick to admit: it is much easier to give thanks with joy when you have just gotten good news.
Thanks for all your prayers. I only have 11 radiation treatments to go.
Fink
Friday, April 25, 2008
Monday, April 21, 2008
Sunday, April 20, 2008
Completed 15 Radiation Treatments
The last time I wrote, the computers at Northwest Arkansas Radiation Therapy Institute (NARTI) were down so everyone had their treatment delayed two days. We are back on schedule now: five days a week. I have completed 15 radiation treatments and I have 15 more to go. For the most part, I am doing very well. I have met several new friends because of my radiation treatments and I am grateful for that. I am able to work about 30 hours a week, and attend church. The skin in the treatment area has started turning red but it is not very painful at this time. I use a Vitamin E cream on it twice a day.
Many of you have heard me express concerns about some other pains I have that probably do not have anything to do with the cancer. My left hip started hurting last November, and now my right arm has a distinct ache too. This may be arthritis or bursitis or something like that. I had excellent health before my cancer diagnosis and could work or exercise and sleep without pain. Now I take something for pain three or four times a day and it is fairly common for me to wake up in the night aching.
I have spoken with my physicians about this several times and even had a hip x-ray last year. The x-ray did not pin point the problem. At that time Dr. Beck thought the pain was probably bursitis and mentioned that one treatment for that is a steroid shot. Since I had thrush I could not have steroids because that would make the thrush worse. Another common treatment for bursitis is anti-inflammatory medicines. I could not use those two weeks before or after my surgery because they tend to thin the blood.
A few weeks after surgery I started taking ibuprofen (an anti-imflammatory med) to see if that would make my hip better. I’ve gone through a whole bottle, but I still ache. So I decided to speak to Dr. Beck about that steroid shot on Friday, April 18. He decided to schedule an MRI on my hip so we will know for sure what we are treating and they were able to do it that day.
The position I was in for the MRI made my hip hurt really bad. Normally when I am hurting it helps to change positions. They don’t want you to move at all during the MRI and that was one of the longest hours of my life! I am not sure when I will know the results. When I left the MRI area, I was given an appointment card to see Dr. Beck on Tuesday the 29. He is out of town this week.
Whether the pain is caused by A, B, or C (Arthritis, Bursitis, or Cancer) or something else-- I appreciate your prayers. I’ll let you know when I find out.
One thing I am learning from this is the ability to empathize with people live with illnesses and chronic pain. Many people who are healthy try to sympathize with people who are suffering. I have prayed and offered words of comfort to others with cancer or illnesses all my life. But when I took the hand of a friend who was waiting at NARTI and prayed for her last week, it was different. I wear the hospital robe and face daily treatment too.
So if you are going through a hard time remember 2 Corinthians 1:4-7. That passage does not promise: “You won’t have any troubles.” It says God comforts us in our all troubles so we can pass it on.
Many of you have heard me express concerns about some other pains I have that probably do not have anything to do with the cancer. My left hip started hurting last November, and now my right arm has a distinct ache too. This may be arthritis or bursitis or something like that. I had excellent health before my cancer diagnosis and could work or exercise and sleep without pain. Now I take something for pain three or four times a day and it is fairly common for me to wake up in the night aching.
I have spoken with my physicians about this several times and even had a hip x-ray last year. The x-ray did not pin point the problem. At that time Dr. Beck thought the pain was probably bursitis and mentioned that one treatment for that is a steroid shot. Since I had thrush I could not have steroids because that would make the thrush worse. Another common treatment for bursitis is anti-inflammatory medicines. I could not use those two weeks before or after my surgery because they tend to thin the blood.
A few weeks after surgery I started taking ibuprofen (an anti-imflammatory med) to see if that would make my hip better. I’ve gone through a whole bottle, but I still ache. So I decided to speak to Dr. Beck about that steroid shot on Friday, April 18. He decided to schedule an MRI on my hip so we will know for sure what we are treating and they were able to do it that day.
The position I was in for the MRI made my hip hurt really bad. Normally when I am hurting it helps to change positions. They don’t want you to move at all during the MRI and that was one of the longest hours of my life! I am not sure when I will know the results. When I left the MRI area, I was given an appointment card to see Dr. Beck on Tuesday the 29. He is out of town this week.
Whether the pain is caused by A, B, or C (Arthritis, Bursitis, or Cancer) or something else-- I appreciate your prayers. I’ll let you know when I find out.
One thing I am learning from this is the ability to empathize with people live with illnesses and chronic pain. Many people who are healthy try to sympathize with people who are suffering. I have prayed and offered words of comfort to others with cancer or illnesses all my life. But when I took the hand of a friend who was waiting at NARTI and prayed for her last week, it was different. I wear the hospital robe and face daily treatment too.
So if you are going through a hard time remember 2 Corinthians 1:4-7. That passage does not promise: “You won’t have any troubles.” It says God comforts us in our all troubles so we can pass it on.
2 Corinthians 1:4-7
Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received from God. For just as the sufferings of Christ flow over into our lives, so also through Christ our comfort overflows. If we are distressed, it is for your comfort and salvation; if we are comforted, it is for your comfort, which produces in you patient endurance of the same sufferings we suffer. And our hope for you is firm, because we know that just as you share in our sufferings, so also you share in our comfort.
Did you notice the phrase: “Patient Endurance”? I did. Those words challenged me. To be honest, I would rather have instant gratification. But some seasons require patient endurance.
I am glad that patience is a Fruit of the Spirit. Or you could say “Patience is from the Holy Spirit”. It is not something I have to manufacture myself. I am not naturally a very patient person, but the Holy Spirit can produce patience.
If I will consider myself to be an actor in a play that is written by God, and if I allow the Holy Spirit be the producer/director; if I will read the script He provides, then my words are going to sound patient even though I am not naturally that way. If I will listen, I’ll hear God’s voice calling out to me “Cut!” when I start acting like the person who wants my way right now.
The more I take my lines and my personality from His script (the Bible), the more I am going to sound like him. I want my words and my attitude to honor the Lord. I want to “act” like the person he had in his mind when he wrote my part. Pray that I will let the director direct my life. And pray that I will let the producer produce his fruit and his character in me. Pray that I will patiently endure. God is patient. I want to be patient too.
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