I have realized that, though I’d like to write and post often, I have quite a lot of things to tend to so I haven’t been able to. I’m thinking that if I write less I can post more often. We’ll see how that works out.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Day One

Driving to the hospital that morning, I was calm and confident because I knew that the Lord had arranged this engagement. I was directed to a reception waiting room where I shed my normal clothes for a hospital gown of what seemed to be made of paper and it had a hookup for a heater hose on the wall, in case I felt cold. Martha, my wife, our son, Brian, and daughters, Deb & Lisa, along with Deb’s oldest girl, Andrea (14) were accompanying me while waiting to be ushered to the operating room for the surgical procedure.

Placed on a rolling bed, I was wheeled to another waiting area where there were several other persons separated by curtains waiting their turn too. The temptation to feel some trepidation came to mind –how is this going to work out? –What if such and such occurs? I’d never been through this before so I didn’t know what to expect but all these fears were overpowered by that special peace I had inside from God, that perfect peace He gives when you trust Him, that persuasion of simply knowing and believing all is going to work out fine.

A nurse came with some paperwork asking me about allergies etc. and if the medical procedure indicated was correct. It’s standard procedure to ask repeatedly the same questions to make sure they are getting it right and so it was. An IV was placed in my arm and afterward an anesthesiologist showed up to inquire about allergies and explain the type of anesthesia and method; first administered through the IV, then through a gas mask, which is monitored along the way. Dr. Fleming arrived at my bedside and after a few words with the anesthesiologist, a nurse, my wife, and me; all was ready.

My next conscious thoughts were of waking in a hospital room with absolutely no recollection of what I’d just been through. I was feeling pretty good even after having had major surgery. Probably the anesthesia was still having an effect. I was hooked up to an IV but could stand up beside my bed without assistance. This was turning out better than I had anticipated.

Having just waited about three hours, my family came to see me. They told me about what Dr. Fleming explained to them post op, that all had gone well. He removed the cancerous mass a little larger than a baseball and found that all my other organs were pristine, no evidence of cancer spread. Thank God!

We spent the rest of the afternoon getting some pictures and enjoying each other together and recounting events of the day and other experiences. Martha was staying overnight with me but that meant interrupted or little sleep for both of us because every four hours a nurse would come to check my vitals. Summing up the day, we were all pleased with the outcome and looking forward to a smooth recovery.

Martha and I enjoying a picture book of our grandchildren

For the past week I’ve been quite busy, first of all, working on the shows for Tommy’s Window; making final corrections on the weekly PowerPoint and Flash shows in English and Spanish and uploading them to our website, preparing the weekly email and testing the download links, then sending it out. After sending, I post the PowerPoint and Flash shows on our website along with a link to download the text for the show. In addition, I posted a few more PowerPoint shows in Chinese and French. There is a good amount of work involved and it’s all got to be checked to make sure all the postings are showing and the links working properly.

From there, I was taking care of paying the incurred medical and monthly bills including other pertinent business. I also had a check up with Dr. Fleming who says I’m healing well. He said it would take me about three more months before I begin to gain back the twenty-five pounds I’ve lost. My body is concentrating energy on the healing process and my metabolism is running high, which is normal. I’ll just have to be patient as, at times; I get restless and want to do a lot of things.

Thanks to all of you who are praying for my health and our Tommy’s Window outreach. I will continue to share my thoughts and experience with you here, as I am able.

Our three; Lisa, Brian, & Deb, visiting me

Knowing that God has my best interests at heart is so very encouraging! It lifts the spirit and brings on faith –that confidence that God is on my side and working things out for my good! You can know this for you, too because the following Bible verses bear out this truth!

Just take a moment to contemplate what these verses speak to your heart:

“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” Jeremiah 29:11

“If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him!” Matthew 7:11

“If God be for us, who can be against us? He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things?” Romans 8:31b-32

We committed what could have been a very stressful situation to the Lord’s care, guidance, and supply. Knowing that God is on my side and that He is working things out for my good is definitely our source of courage in this health challenge and is what gave a sustaining force as we navigated the medical system.

Through prayer together, we we’re led to follow the open door for treatment that was, by God’s design, working out with Dr. Fleming. He had already scheduled surgery for December 15, because he had stated that the sooner the better, but the problem was that I had no insurance and there was no way to get a discounted price from the hospital where the surgery was to take place. For a person doing self-pay, as was my case, the quoted price for use of the facility was $96,000, plus whatever other costs, and a required prepay of $16,000 up front. We couldn’t do that.

With these deadlines approaching; the scheduled surgery and the need for a way to pay, we were seeking out all the possible means. Someone informed us of the PCIP program (Pre-existing Condition Insurance Plan) and our son, Brian, took the initiative to investigate the program and got me signed up for it.

As the date approached for the surgery, it was being worked out to confirm coverage for December under the PCIP but it wasn’t certain. It might only work out for January. I’m sure the Lord had His angelic forces working for us to get the PCIP for me and it was soon confirmed. It just had to be activated, which was supposed to occur on December 15, the day of the operation. The hospital needed confirmation at least one day ahead so it worked out to reschedule for December 22.

We praise and thank the Lord that this insurance plan came through for us because it pays for the major portion of the hospital and other costs. The best of all is that the surgery was successful resulting in the removal of a cancerous mass larger than a baseball and all my other organs are clean, no spreading of the disease!

We do have extra monthly expenses now with having to pay a monthly premium for the PCIP plan, plus included extra costs for nutritional foods and special needs for my recovery and health. We do have limited income, so, please pray with us for the Lord’s supply to cover our monthly expenditures and be able to dedicate the time and effort needed to keep the Tommy’s Window outreach going. We fully depend on the Lord to touch people’s hearts to give contributions to keep us going in our volunteer missionary work.

God will bless you for any gift that you send and if you would become a supporter and send a monthly contribution that would tremendously help us with the Tommy’s Window outreach. God uses people to help people. In this way, He can bless those who give and those gifts that are given promote His work of helping people.

+ + + + + + +
Soon I’ll share with you my experience of going through the operation and my seven days in the hospital.
+ + + + + + +

The day after with my lovely wife, Martha

You know, we all encounter problems and challenges in life. God didn’t promise us a life without trouble but He does promise to be with us in the trouble and pull us through it all.

Reading through the Bible we see that our God is a God of miracles and not limited by any material or human circumstance. The real heart of the matter though is not whether we believe God can do miracles but whether we believe He will do the miracle for us personally.

It seems, a major factor in how we react to problems and difficulties that confront us in our lives, depends on how true we believe the Lord’s promises of His presence and help are to us personally and specifically.

As I pondered this in prayer desperately seeking God about having the faith for His healing in my life, it was revealed to me that, in a subconscious way, there was a hint of fear and doubt that things would not turn out as I hoped and that fear and doubt were undermining my faith in His promises for me specifically and personally.

This was one of those strongholds that the enemy had managed to build. In 2 Corinthians 10:4-5 we have the instruction to cast down, demolish any stronghold that would try to bring itself against the knowledge of God and we do this with God’s truth; studying it, knowing it, and ingraining it into the very fiber of our being.

I prayed together with my wife, Martha, for the Lord to rid me of this undermining doubt and fear plus I did an in depth study of the Scriptures about healing and God’s will, including a couple of books proclaiming it is God’s will to heal.

Here’s a brief summary of the truth I find: Isaiah 53 clearly shows that Jesus gave His life for our salvation and His body was bruised and wounded for our healing. He has already paid for our salvation and our healing. Psalm 103 says, “Forget not all His benefits. Who forgives all our iniquities and heals all our diseases.” Salvation is a benefit as well healing is a benefit paid for through God’s lovingkindness. All throughout the Gospels Jesus healed all brought to Him. When one leper asked Him, “Lord, if you will, you can make me clean (heal me).” Jesus replied, “I will” (meaning it is God’s will and Jesus is ready and willing) and He then promptly healed him. All this definitely shows He is willing and wanting and, to emphasize it even more, Jesus declared throughout the Gospels that He came not to do His own will but the will of the Father. What more clear evidence is there than that to know it is God’s will to heal! And since God is no respecter of persons, healing is for anyone and everyone just as salvation is for all, meaning it is for you and for me, personally and specifically.

I really like what someone wrote in an email to me; it said, “What the doctors say may be ‘fact’ but the truth is “by His stripes we are healed.” It is imperative that you know and believe that it is God’s will for you to be healed and you can know this by studying and believing God’s Word in the Bible.

So, when I was faced with this disease, instead of adopting a worried outlook thinking this affliction is a huge problem and feeling sorry for myself, I, and my wife, Martha, decided to take it as a challenge –to see what our God will do. We serve a living; loving, and great God Who is more than capable of bringing us out of any trouble and healing any sickness or disease.

One Sunday afternoon in November, we had a few close missionary friends over to pray a healing prayer, anointing me with oil and claiming the Lord’s healing power according to His promises in the Bible. “Is any sick among you? let him call for the elders of the church; and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord: And the prayer of faith shall save the sick, and the Lord shall raise him up.” James 5:14-15 “Again, I tell you that if two of you on earth agree about anything you ask for, it will be done for you by my Father in heaven.” Matthew 18:19  “Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours.” Mark 11:24

So now anytime I’m reminded of the disease, I can state that I have claimed and received God’s healing in Jesus for me. I know that because we prayed and claimed healing that day and I can count it as the truth and done, according to God’s Word.

+ + + + + + +

I’ll be sharing more, as I’m able. I’ll probably be able to post something every other day, if not every day, depending on what activities are happening.
+ + + + + + +

Brian at the keyboard - writing to you

Looking back and thinking about the afternoon of Nov 10, four hours after having a CT Scan, the news that I had cancer was a great shock to us –my wife, Martha and me, Brian. I’ve always been fairly active and in pretty good health. So, the first impulse was almost unbelief –how could this be true? I’ve always heard about it afflicting other people but never seriously thought that it would get me.

As this ‘fact’ sank in, we sat there for a while, simply numb and unable to function. After some tears and prayers, our minds began to wander and we considered our options thinking up various scenarios. I thought of going to be with the Lord but that really felt like my ‘time’ would be cut short. I didn’t believe it was my time to go. Martha just thought how she could not live without me being there but that, if inevitable, she would learn to cope with God’s grace. We pondered what avenue to pursue but, in all of this, we concluded that the best we could possibly do is to commit ourselves to look to Jesus for guidance.

All my family members and friends were right there to support us with prayer and whatever else was needed. Upon sending out a prayer request, we received hundreds of responses from many of our dear Tommy’s Window subscribers – we appreciate your prayers and concerned responses along with your tips and counsel.

Right away, our son, Brian, committed himself to help in any way he could. He investigated ways to build the immune system and fight cancer through nutrition and I started just that, a diet to build my immune system and rid my system of toxins. Nutrition is definitely a key in avoiding and fighting cancer.

When our daughter, Lisa, heard about my condition, she spoke with her close friend and ‘judo buddy’, Chuck, who is an oncologist surgeon. Chuck just-so-happened to be very close friends with one of the best oncologists here in Austin, TX, Dr. Fleming, who offered his services upon hearing about me and arranged to see me right away.

I’m grateful for all the love and concern demonstrated towards me through my loved ones around me and those who, without knowing me personally, showed their concern and care for me, which is certainly a token of the great love Jesus has for me.

“Because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions–it is by grace you have been saved. And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus” Ephesians 2:4-6

I’ll have to leave off here for now but will share more of my thoughts and experiences with you – as I am able –God willing, that will be tomorrow.

God Bless.
Brian

If you are just learning of this, here is a basic summary to bring you up to speed.

On November 10, 2011, a large mass on the colon was revealed in a CT scan. A friend of Brian’s daughter, Lisa, referred us to Dr. Fleming, an expert surgical oncologist here in Austin, TX. When we met with him, he expressed his Christian faith and told us he would not charge us for the operation but that the first step needed was a colonoscopy.

Through the Seton hospital group we got a referral to a gastroenterologist to perform this procedure at the hospital in Luling, TX at a discounted rate that we could afford. On Nov. 29, 2011 the colonoscopy and a biopsy confirmed the mass to be a malignant cancer.

Dr Fleming contacted us soon after with a schedule to do the surgery on Dec. 15, 2011 but we, as yet, had no way to pay the hospital costs. We had no insurance and could not qualify for any discounts at the Seton Brackenridge Hospital where the procedure was to be done.

Throughout this whole time, we were investigating the legal and financial processes involved hoping and praying to find a way to pay for it all. We had obtained a 70% discount for low income at Seton Lockhart and Seton Lulling but the same rules didn’t apply for Seton Brackenridge, where the surgery would take place. Finally, it all worked out by a miracle when Brian was approved for PCIP Insurance for Dec 2011.

On Dec. 22, 2011 a successful surgery was done to remove the mass and no evidence of it having spread was found, which is very good news! He is happily recovering in the hospital now and we hope to bring him home soon!

That pretty much brings you up to date and we’ll keep you all posted about the latest developments!

Our kids: Deb, Lisa, & Brian with Deb's kids visiting - Martha took the pic