Almost Year Two
Me and Dr Cohen - Two year check up
Not only am I almost at my 2nd year anniversary of getting a new immune system to halt MS but I am realizing once again how great our God is. And even if this would not have been successful I hope that I would still understand that God is good and he has a plan bigger than mine.
While I was in Cleveland this week my mom and I was sitting around at the hotel and Good Morning America was on. They were interviewing a lady that was a breast cancer survivor. She talked about all of the support she received while going through surgery, radiation and Chemo. Then she talked about something that she did not plan for. After getting the “all clear” and getting the news from her doctor that she was officially free from cancer, she was happy. Her friends and family were happy but then all of that support that she had to transition into Cancer Fight Mode disappeared. Once everyone found out that her Cancer was gone, she had to figure out her new life without that support. She went on to encourage anyone that is diagnosed with cancer to have a survivorship plan. This is a plan to map out how you will transition back to a new normal. If you want to see this story, I encourage you to click on this link Cancer Survivorship-GMA .
Although the things you deal with when diagnosed with cancer are on a different level than what you deal with when diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis, this story still hit home. When I was diagnosed with MS and started to talk about it more openly, I had a lot of support from family, friends, and my community. They decided to do whatever was necessary to make sure that I had every opportunity to heal from the disease. I can never repay them for all that they have done. As I learned more, I discovered that it was possible to halt MS and live a somewhat normal life and maybe, just maybe, my body would heal itself. When I had to step down from youth ministry, I started to miss a lot of things. My body is broken and it doesn’t always move they way it did before my diagnosis. I can’t run with kids, I can’t play physical games, I don’t react quickly when trying to be active, I don’t have the endurance that I used to have, and some days it is still hard to move effortlessly. These are things you still have to deal with after halting MS because of damage that was already done.
I have always had a group of supporters but, I can totally relate with the lady in the interview. It really hit me on my 1st anniversary of halting MS. I wanted to have a big celebration at Chick-Fil-a and there were a lot of people that indicated that they would attend. Unfortunately, not one person outside of my relatives showed up, except for the magician. It was on that day that I will admit, the devil went to work. I became quiet and honestly, very hurt. After 20 years of ministry and seeing all of the support I had in the past, I was also in shock. At one point, I remember telling God that I was done and that I was ready to “throw in the towel”. After much prayer and some therapy, I didn’t “throw in the towel”. I am also grateful for God leading me to get involved with HSCT Warriors . This organization has opportunities for patients (new and old) and their caregivers to meet on line and talk about the things they are dealing with before, during, and after treatment to halt MS. It is a safe place where you can talk about anything and in the end you realize that you are not alone in your journey.
Now approaching year two, I am not going to do a big celebration. I am just going to be thankful for what God has done and enjoy life without disease activity. I am going to spend time with people that understand or want to understand my journey. I want to celebrate others because everyone has those life events that are worth celebrating and being thankful. I want to continue to minister to those that God puts in my path. Although this is just a small part of my survivorship plan, I am continuing to pray to see where God is leading.
Friends, I leave you with this… If you know someone that is going through a life changing event, support them the best way you can. When is seems like an interruption, be there for them. When God wins, celebrate with them. When that time comes around again, remember with them. And remember, “God never waste a battle”.
I give you thanks, O Lord, with my whole heart;
before the gods I sing your praise;
2I bow down toward your holy temple
and give thanks to your name for your steadfast love and your faithfulness,
for you have exalted above all things
your name and your word. -Psalm 138:1-2
O Lord, you are my God;
I will exalt you; I will praise your name,
for you have done wonderful things,
plans formed of old, faithful and sure. -Isaiah 25:1
In Him,
Rooftopprayer Warrior
