Friends Stay Away!

  

  I had my radioactive iodine capsule today, and came home with a list of precautions for staying away from everyone for a week.  I feel like the lepers in the Bible who had to call out, "Unclean! Unclean!"  when they were near other people.  I am wondering if I should find a flag that says, "Stay Away." 

  The thyroid cancer that I had in 1999 reappeared in a lymph node in my chest, discovered when I had my yearly blood test. "Weirdest thing I ever saw," my doctor said.  Both my doctors have said this is an extremely strange location for thyroid cancer to show up, but both are very optimistic that the radioactive iodine will take care of it.  ( Thyroid tissue soaks up iodine, so they made the iodine radioactive so it will zap the cancer). 

 

  They bring the capsule to me in this big lead container, wheeled in on a metal cart.  There's a little pill bottle inside, and the nurse hands it to me and says to swallow it without touching it. As soon as I chug it down, the nurse quickly gets out of there and tells me to leave and go straight home -- no stopping at Walmart on the way.  In fact, no public places for 7 days.  No one can share my bed or bathroom for 7 days either, so Sam will have to find someplace else to sleep. I have to stay 6 feet away from everyone, cover the phone with a cloth when I talk, wash my clothes twice, and suck on sour candy every waking hour to clear the salivary glands. Ok, more than you want to know, and what does this have to do with hearing from God?

  Well, blessings show up, just like always! When I got in the car to drive the hour and a half trip to Winston Salem, the cd in the car started playing this song about being in the presence of an awesome God. I started thinking about all the people who had sent messages that they were praying for me, and  I was a little overwhelmed with gratitude and praise for the Great Physician.  So I sang along with the cd all they way-- it included the song I wrote about last time, "He's been with me through every trial..." I sort of had a little revival there in the car.

   If you live around here, you know that this has been the rainiest month in history, and thunderstorms were predicted for today, too.  I didn't pray for a dry drive because all my prayers today were about my medical issues.  But I sure was hoping that it wouldn't rain again -- I hate driving in a downpour.

So look at what I saw!  

Blue skies, smilin' at me...

God is so good!

   Anyway, I stopped at the mailbox on my way in, and I found a package for me.  It was from one of my oldest friends -- maid of honor at my wedding and fellow thyroid cancer survivor. She doesn't do Facebook, and I hadn't communicated with her since last year's Christmas card, so she does not know about my recurrence. But in the package was a book, written by Dr. Greenbrier Almond.  He was a medical student when we met him in 1971, and he was the one who invited us to go on the mission trip that summer -- where I met my future husband. She just saw the book and thought I would enjoy it. So it arrived today, just on the very day that I would appreciate it most -- a reminder that there are no coincidences. Our Heavenly Father knows the plans for he has for me and once again I have heard from Heaven. The God of hope fills me with joy and peace.

  I stand amazed in the presence -- and presents!