I HAVE.... SO MUCH TO BE THANKFUL FOR

I truly have so much to be thankful for...

During May this year, I was diagnosed with a malignant tumor in my bladder. Shocking news.

I was operated on the next day and the tumor was removed. There were no malignant cells found in the lining of the bladder at the time.

Three months later, in August, malignant cells were in fact found in the lining of the bladder, but not in the muscle of the bladder, and the Urologist recommended, and we proceeded, with six chemo therapy sessions, direct into the bladder.

This relatively new treatment procedure in fact entails tuberculosis bacteria being injected directly into the bladder through a catheter. It is a very quick, painless procedure and is not accompanied by the usual nausea and vomiting as with other forms of chemotherapy. It also does not result in the usually expected loss of hair. It does however cause a heightened termperature as the body immune system fights and kills the TB bacteria and, hopefully, also the cancer cells. The body also reacts in unprescribed ways, resulting in short bouts of pain in any of a number of places. The palms of my hands and soles of my feet itched and I felt very tired from time to time.

As I am living alone, my sister Carol very graciously agreed to come and spend the six weeks during the chemo therapy treatment with me, leaving her husband to fend for himself. I truly appreciate this gracious loving gesture on her part and we had lots of  fun while she was here. It reminded us how much we had in common, how well we used to get along when we were young and sharing a flat and it was a wonderful time of laughter notwithstanding the circumstances.

I asked her to let me take her to visit her old Cape Town friends over weekends and told her to feel free to  contact and invite any of her old friends to visit. She phoned an acquaintance we both knew 50 years ago and invited him to come and have coffee with us; he accepted, came over and I now am engaged to be married to him on 8 December, God willing!

WOW!!! That certainly was not what I expected when I was diagnosed and registered as a cancer statistic of South Africa! I have been on my own for 23 years and two weeks before we re-met, I still proclaimed that I would never remarry! A couple of people have since reminded me of that statement!

Well, all I can say is that we both know that God engineered this meeting and that we have His blessing! He also had been diagnosed with and treated for cancer about six months ago, in fact in April this year, and I am very thankful to say that his test results yesterday came back clean and normal! All praise to God for His loving mercy and kindness.

We do not know what the future holds - but neither does anybody else - we just know that our lives are in God's hands and that we are secure in Him. Praise Him with us!

                       " And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God,
                        to those who are the called according to His purpose." Rom. 8:28

                        "give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God's will for you in Christ."
                        1 Thess 5: 18

Thank You, Lord, that our lives are safe and secure in Your mighty hands and that You know the end from the beginning.