2025 – A Summer and Fall of Surprises – God has a Plan and Purpose for Our Lives – Part XIII

Happy New Year!  On Monday, I had my second infusion, arriving at 10:00 AM and leaving at 4:30 PM. My sodium levels were low, and my pulse rate was high at 120, due to dehydration. Hanging a sodium bag took extra time. I observed how nurses at the infusion center start each patient on their regimen. They check back after the alarms go off, indicating the bag of pre-meds, mainly for nausea, or the chemo, is empty. Alternatively, staff members convene at the nurses’ station, leaving the patient in the company of visitors or by themselves. When they walk by, the nurses generally don’t make eye contact with the patients. In my decades of hospital experience, rounding on patients in a meaningful way made a difference and encouraged healing among patients, who believed they mattered.

My nurse on Monday reminded me that two visitors were acceptable. There were occasions when I had three visitors, but she repeatedly came to ask that I limit the number to two. It wasn’t crowded, and family members had to leave based on the nurse’s focus on visitors.

It occurred to me that nurses should round more on their patients, joined by the oncologists, who are across the building within easy walking distance. Cancer patients go through immense struggles and would benefit from the oncologist checking on them and their experiences. I saw an oncologist spend a lot of time with a patient, who must have been a friend or family member.

On another topic, the apostle Paul spoke to the “thorn in the flesh”, which he asked God to remove from him. For years, I had a thorn in my flesh, which we won’t get into in this message. Once I learned of the advanced stage cancer diagnosis, this thorn quickly went away. The loss of my voice became a new thorn, necessitating a reliance on Stephanie to assist with phone communications and problem resolution. I provided written instructions for specific phone calls, and today I documented the procedure for disassembling our artificial Christmas tree and placing it in the storage box for my son Matthew.  The lack of effective communication with external parties leaves me feeling frustrated and, at times, angry. I need also to remember that Paul wrote a response from God that “my grace is sufficient” in dealing with the thorn. (See 2 Corinthians 12)

On Sunday, I am scheduled to have an MRI brain scan, which the oncologist recommended in response to my worsening voice, to see if the cancer has spread to the brain. I pray not!  Let’s go bowling!

Have a Blessed Week and Happy New Year!!

Joe