Greetings, Good Friends,

It has been a couple of years since I have posted anything on this blogspot. Our good friend, Ethie, started this blog for us in 2012 as a way I could share information and personal prayer requests with you during my journey of fighting cancer six years ago. I so appreciated the support you gave and the prayers that healed and sustained me. It was a difficult battle, but God miraculously answered our prayers and the cancer went into regression. 

Well, it seems that I'm back in that cancer fight again and I wanted to give you all an update of my current situation. This is a way that I can reach out to my friends and family both near and far without you having to guess how I am doing or hear rumors about me.

Just a brief review: I have been on dialysis now for over two years. Yes, I know, I put it off for a long time. But eventually my doctor convinced me that it would alleviate the muscle pain I was feeling (it did) and it would give me more energy (it didn't). But it has become a part of the routine of my life and I have come to a point where I can thank God for it, which has not always been the case!

Having said that, I still pray and call that kidney back to life, just as I felt I was supposed to do five years ago. (You've heard it said that God makes haste slowly, but His timing is perfect?) 

My work with Life Discovery Ministries continues. I love this small faith community as we grow together and minister to those who are in loss or grief. This Spring we ran two Healing From Loss workshops at the same time, but on different nights of the week and in two different locations. I still teach on Monday Nights and do a lot of individual counseling. It is my joy and I wouldn't want to be doing anything else.

During the past few years the cancer has remained stable. It did show up in my liver several years ago and I had radiation on it in 2016. The radiation seemed to halt the growth for a while, but it has picked up again and doubled in size over the last year, according to my last scans in May. They also saw more spots appearing in the liver. My doctors are getting worried. 

After thinking and praying about what to do and where to seek treatment I felt led to go back to the integrated cancer clinic in Irvine, CA where I went in 2012. It's now called Cancer Center for Healing. Jeane and I scheduled a consult with the fantastic doctor I worked with six years ago and began the alternative treatments last month. 

Some of the treatments are the same as I did before and some of them are new. I can do some things here in Phoenix, such as Hyperbaric Oxygen (which I've been doing all along) and Pulsed Electromagnetic Field (which my chiropractor started doing just recently). But some of the other treatments need to be done in California because of their special equipment and treatment modalities, so we go back and forth as often as we can.

So that's my world right now. I have no pain due to the cancer, and other than fatigue, I feel good. Dialysis drains me (literally and figuratively!) so on those days I am usually more tired. 

Several of you have been asking me to start up this blog again, so I will make every effort to keep you informed. If you received this blog in your email it is because you were on my list of prayer partners back then. I hope you still are! You can also get to the blog at www.PrayerUpdatesForGregOlson.blogspot.com.

Even though I am seeking alternative ways to fight this cancer, the best treatments are those of prayer. I believed six years ago, and I believe now, that we have the most amazing opportunity to partner with God in creating and making things happen here on earth. I don't understand how all that works and I probably never will, but I believe it. So I ask for your prayers and I thank you for standing with me. 

Blessings always,

Greg

Radiation Update from Greg, August 2015

"With hope against hope, Abraham believed....and so became the father of many nations, just as it had been said to him.         Without weakening in his faith, he faced the fact that his body was as good as dead--since he was about a hundred years old--and that Sarah's womb was also dead.        Yet he did not waver through unbelief regarding the promise of God, but was strengthened in his faith and gave glory to God, being fully persuaded that God had the power to do what he had promised."                                                                                                              From Romans 4:18-21 Greetings Friends, These days I think about Abraham a lot. He was 99 years old when God told him that Sarah would bear a child. At 89, Sarah wasn't a spring chicken either. They both had a chuckle about the whole idea. But as unbelievable as it sounded, the Bible says that Abraham moved forward--believing. I take much joy and courage from that whole encounter. This is just a quick update on the radiation I received in May on the tumors in my sternum and kidney bed. Two months later (in July) we scanned them. The tumors were slightly smaller but they were still there. My radiologist (a great guy--I really like him) said the results could be viewed as good or bad: bad because the tumors are not gone; good because they haven't gotten any bigger, but smaller. My oncologist thinks it is a little too early to determine the whole result of the radiation and that the tumors could still shrink more. Also, a scan cannot tell if a tumor is alive or dead--a scan can only see if it is there. The radiation was not difficult or painful at all, so I have decided to also radiate the tumor in my liver. I went into the hospital this week to have them plant three markers around the liver tumor so they have something to guide them during the radiation. (Your liver "floats" inside of you every time you breath, so it is necessary to put markers around the tumor so they are able to follow it with the radiation as it moves.) Also, because they were already inside the liver we decided to biopsy the mass at the same time. Although we assume it is kidney cancer, it would be good to know for sure. I'm a little sore this week from the needle invasion but getting better every day. Overall I am feeling well and going about my daily activities, grateful for the energy I have and how good I feel; most days I take a nap in the afternoon and I'm ready to go again. Like Abraham I find that I spend my days believing, hope against hope, in what seems impossible to us but possible for God. An interesting thing is said of this story in Hebrews 11:1l. "And by faith, even Sarah, who was past childbearing age, was enabled to bear children because she considered him faithful who had made the promise." Is it true that our faith has a role in how God works in the world even today? And because Sarah "considered him faithful" she was able to bear Abraham's child? Does God look around for people of faith when he wants to show himself to the world?

I thank you for keeping me in your prayers! Blessings to you, Greg

Prayer Update from Greg, May 22, 2015

May 22, 2015 Hello--Me Again! This is just a quick note to let you know I am done with the radiation treatments--five treatments on my sternum and five on my kidney bed. In spite of fatigue and some nausea, I tolerated them pretty well. I will not know the outcome of the radiation until mid-July when I get my next scans. CT scans, which were used to pin-point where the radiation would go, can locate a tumor but they cannot tell if the tumor is dead or alive. For that we have to wait. If the radiation killed the tumors they will be absorbed by the body or broken up and eliminated by the body. If they are still there in July, well, that means they are still alive. Some of you have asked about what kind of radiation I had. It's called by many names, much like facial tissues are called Kleenex even though there are many brands that do the same thing. The radiation itself is called Stereotactic Body Radiation (STBR). It's very exact, and because it hits the target and (hopefully) not anything else, it can deliver a very powerful dose. I feel good about the radiation and so does my radiologist, whom I like very well. So we wait and see....and pray. (I wrote an article about my radiation experience for the Life Discovery Newsletter a couple weeks ago. For those of you who don't receive our ministry Enews, I've reprinted it below.) Taking It By Faith Most of you know I have been having radiation treatments these past couple weeks. It's been quite an experience, to say the least. After the technicians have settled me in on the see-through table top and positioned me in my very own body mold (no kidding!) they leave the room and close the heavy, 12-inch, radiation-proof door. Clunk. I'm alone. It feels kind of like being locked up in a bank vault--except there are no cops & robbers. Then, unannounced, large flat panels rise up from the sides of the table while what looks like flying saucers with mirrors and lights start to twirl this way and that--over, under, sideways and down. The clear, hard table I'm lying on moves and adjusts during the whole process too. My job is to lay perfectly still while the space-age machines whirl and beep and blip and chirp all around me. What are they doing? Yikes. As I lay on the table last Monday, accompanied by R2D2 and C3PO (you Star Wars fans know what I'm talking about), I thought to myself: How do I know something is really going on here? I'm just trusting the doctor when he says that my tumors are being zapped with radiation. Sure, there's a lot of movement and noise, but I can't see the radiation and I can't feel it. In fact, I don't feel a thing. I just have to believe that something is happening inside of me because the doctor said so. In other words, I really have to take it by faith. It occurred to me that it isn't so very different from what happens with God. I have to take his word by faith as well, even when I can't see it or feel it. It's like, when people pray for me they sometimes lay hands on me, or pray loudly, or read Scripture, or sing or dance, but I don't feel it physically at all. And I don't get to see the rays of God's healing power going through me either. Still, I know and believe, by faith, that something is happening inside me and that prayer changes things--because he says so. "Now faith is....the conviction of things not seen."  Hebrews 11:1 It's funny how so many people can believe a radiation machine is doing its job and working, but find it so hard to believe God's power is at work to heal them also. Every day as we sit in our homes we have all sorts of 'invisible' things going on around us: microwaves, signals from cell phone towers, TV and radio waves. They are all working while we don't see them. But turn your TV on and we see the results. It seems to me that if we so readily put our faith in a machine and a doctor--who is just a man, after all-- how much more can we put our faith in the man called Jesus, the Son of the Living God, who tells us in his word that by his stripes we are healed. The doctor is backed by science and technology; God is backed by his word, his long "his-story," the testimony of his people and my experience of his faithfulness in my life. I received a beautiful card the other day. It quoted Jeremiah 32:27 where God says to Jeremiah, "I am the Lord, the God of all mankind. Is anything too hard for me?" We take it by faith, friends. Is anything too hard for him? I believe not. I will report back to you later in July when I get the results of my tests. I thank you again for your prayers on my behalf. Have a blessed Memorial Weekend! Greg

A Call to Prayer May 3, 2015

                                                                                                                        May 3, 2015

"Now to the One Who is able to do beyond measure
far more than we ask or even imagine
according to the power which works in us for our benefit,
to Him be the glory in the church and in Jesus Christ
forever and ever."                     Eph. 3:20-21



Greetings Friends, Family and Partners in Prayer,

I would like to catch you up on some news and ask the saints to be with me in prayer once again.

On my latest go-around of scans last month they discovered a spot on my sternum that has not been there in the previous scans. It is not large, but it is concerning because it seems the cancer has raised its head again and wants to grow.

Given that, we have decided to do a course of radiation to hit that spot and also the kidney bed where the tumor was first removed in 2000--the site of the original kidney cancer.

This is a type of high-powered radiation that is relatively new in the treatment of cancer (used the last 8-10 years or so) and very precise. I will be doing five treatments at MD Anderson over the next two weeks. It is supposed to be able to pinpoint the area they want to hit and surround it without any damage to nearby organs or tissue.

The only side effect would be fatigue. Since fatigue has been the major side effect of my kidney failure, adding more should prove to be interesting.

After two years of the cancer being in regression, this is an unwanted surprise. Jeane and I feel like we are armoring up to go back into battle. But it is an enemy we know, and we know its tactics. We are aware that cancer, like any other evil in this world, is an ever-present threat; but greater is he who is in us. So we keep our eyes on God and move forward--fearing not.

Some scholars say that the Bible tells us to "fear not" or "do not be  afraid" well over 300 times, and I've gained a new appreciation for that phrase. This year, as a Christmas gift, we received a One New Man Bible: Revealing Jewish Roots and Power. I keep thinking about a footnote I read regarding the phrase "Fear Not."

I think we sometimes imagine Jesus meekly folding his hands and quietly telling people, "Do not be afraid now, dear children." Actually, it's quite the opposite. My new Bible says that this Hebrew negative command is very strong and powerful, with no direct English equivalent. It is even stronger than saying to someone, "Don't even think about having fear!!!"

Wow. I love that. And I love that I am in his good hands. It is my prayer during this time that the radiation will hit its mark and kill the cancer cells without hurting anything else. And for strength and energy for Jeane and me.

On another note, my one kidney is still alive at 8% function and I am not on dialysis. I try to keep my body as toxin-free as possible so the kidney doesn't have to work so hard. I do hyperbaric oxygen every week along with acupuncture, massage, juicing, detox baths, supplements, etc. On a human level I am tired of being tired and I miss my work at the hospital; but all things considered I feel so blessed to be able to teach and travel and go about my day without the encumbrance of dialysis treatments.

Thank you, thank you, for your love and support, dear friends, and I will keep you posted.

In his good care,

Greg

Merry Christmas An Update From Greg 2014

December, 2014

An Update From Greg

Greetings, Dear Friends,     

     The Christmas season always reminds me to connect with those I don't get a chance to see every day, or even every month. This year has been a year of change for me--change and waiting for change....

     Just like advent is a time of waiting for the Messiah, these past months have taught Jeane and I a good deal of patience, listening and waiting on God as we walk in his promises.

     When battling a major illness, the journey of healing is often one of learning to discover hope in the midst of hopelessness, one faith-step at a time. (Isn't that what the manger is all about: letting the God story unfold in its time?) We are not always great at the waiting part, but he is faithful and has sustained us with an abundance of joy and peace. Here's our update:

      Jeane and I made the very difficult decision this year for me to go on disability. I really miss my work and my great co-workers at the hospital, but I couldn't continue physically; it was getting harder and harder for me to keep up with my duties there and take care of my own health needs at the same time. So I guess that makes me officially retired--something I never really planned on doing.

     It's been three years since my gloomy cancer diagnosis (in January of 2012) and the test results are still amazing to me. The cancer is in "regression," meaning the large lump on my thigh and those in my lungs are gone. Even so, there are little spots that pop up here and there. I've had two biopsies this year, one of a lump on my shoulder and one of a spot on my thyroid. Both were benign. My oncologist at MD Anderson continues to monitor me quarterly. No problem. I'm just really grateful to be alive!

     My kidney is the bigger issue; it's barely functioning at 8%. My nephrologist, who I see every month, is amazed I am doing so well physically considering my kidney's poor condition. Nevertheless, he is encouraging me to go on dialysis. This I have not yet done.

It's just that there's this little "faith vs. fact" thing going on inside me: I still believe the word that God spoke to me a year and a half ago that I should call my kidney back to life. I know it's irrational in the natural to believe such a thing, but we worship a God "who calls into existence the things that do not exist."

     It has been said that faith does not ignore reality; faith just puts reality in its proper perspective. I'm not trying to be stupid or stubborn, but my faith compels me to turn down dialysis for now and continue to pray for the life of my kidney, however crazy that may sound. I still might have to go on dialysis sometime in the future; we will see. We've also explored the idea of a kidney transplant, but the doors are shut to that option for the time being because of the cancer diagnosis.

     Our life is slower-paced without the pressures of work, but Murphy's Law takes over and, believe it or not, we still feel "busy." I continue to teach on Monday nights and oversee grief recovery workshops. I love to meet one-on-one with people and encourage them in their faith, so I can frequently be found at Starbucks! Most days I feel quite good, although I do get fatigued easily and need to sleep a couple of times during each day. I still go for various naturopathic treatments weekly and spend two hours in the hyperbaric oxygen chamber every week. It's all good.

     In between doctor visits and treatments and labs and MRIs, Jeane and I have a chance to just enjoy each other, the good fellowship of the people we love and the world around us.

      I'm really glad to have had a chance to see and talk with many of you this year, and I sincerely thank you for your continued prayers on my behalf. What would I do? They uplift, encourage and sustain me. And they move heaven.

     God is good and his goodness has come to earth in Jesus.


A Blessed Christmas to you all!

Greg

December 24, 2013 Merry Christmas

December 24, 2013 Merry Christmas Life Discovery Ministries

Dear Friends,  It's hard to believe that Christmas Eve is here....today!  How grateful we are for another year of life. How grateful I am for you: your kindness, support and prayers. In the midst of your last-minute preparations I hope you can take four minutes to watch the video below. We showed a portion of this video at our Christmas dinner on December 2nd. It's worth repeating. May your Christmas be full of joy, love, and what matters most--The Greatest Gift. Love, Greg

How to Have the Best Christmas: The Greatest Gift