February 14 - Blog Update from Greg

Friends,

Grace & Peace to You!

Many of you have heard by now that I find myself facing a new battle in life - this time with the enemy called cancer.

Every year, I have a chest x-ray as a follow-up to the kidney cancer that was found in my left kidney eleven years ago. At that time (in 2000), my left kidney was removed. The cancer was encapsulated within the kidney, so I had no chemotherapy or radiation following the surgery. I’ve been “cancer-free” for eleven years.

This year, some suspicious spots were noted on the x-ray, which lead to a CT scan, and than a PET scan. The PET scan showed eleven spots on my lungs and also a mass in the left kidney bed where my kidney had been taken out.

Two weeks ago, I had a biopsy of one of the spots on my lungs. The biopsy showed cancer cells. It is the opinion of the doctors that I have a recurrence of kidney cancer, both in the left kidney bed and the lungs. There is also some kind of abnormality on my right thigh, which could be cancer or just something left over from an injury or bruise.

Last week, Jeane and I met with a pulmonary specialist and also an oncologist. More bad news. This type of cancer is not successfully treated with (i.e., does not respond well to...) chemotherapy. Besides, my one already-less-than-perfect kidney would surely incur more damage with chemo.  Radiation is not a good choice either. We asked about removing the larger tumor(s), but got a negative response on that option too. This type of cancer is spread via the bloodstream and, as the oncologist so aptly put it, “The horse is already out of the barn.” (Well, at least we all understood what she meant.)

There is a drug, which is rather new on the market, that may arrest or recede the growth of these kinds of tumors. We are going to Banner MD Anderson Cancer Center in Phoenix to meet with an oncologist, who has done a lot of study on this drug, and will get his opinion.

We are also consulting with a nutritionist, who uses food and lifestyle to build up my immune system. I now have green drinks for breakfast instead of eggs or pancakes - yum. (Please send your chocolate chip cookie donations to me in a plain brown wrapper. :-) Shhhhhh

But as with everything in life, we all know this story has Kingdom perspective. My faith-posture is one of listening for the voice of my Heavenly Father. One of the first “whispers from God” that came to me as I prayed about this challenge was Mark 12: 17 - “Render unto Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and unto God the things that are God’s.” 

The world may tell me bad news, but it is through God’s eyes that I want to see and hear this.

One of the first things that Jeane and I did was to attend a Journey to Healing Retreat hosted by Christian Healing Ministries out of Jacksonville, Florida. Francis and Judith MacNutt lead this ministry. We have also had such overwhelming support for our family, friends and Life Discovery community through words of encouragement and prayers for healing. We are filled with faith and hope and life.

Our good friend, Ethie, has kindly offered to create and host a blog for us. I would love to sit down with each of you over coffee and tell you about my journey so far (you know how I love to talk!), but unfortunately, that is not possible. In this situation, time with God is where my focus needs to be. I also have to fit a lot of doctors’ appointments into my already busy schedule at the hospital and also ministering with Life Discovery. So, Ethie will keep you updated as far as news and prayer requests, and I will add my two-cents worth as I can. Our blog is prayerupdatesforgregolson.blogspot.com

I close with this verse from John 10:10. It has come to be my battle-cry, as we go into battle against the powers of darkness that have come to steal health and life from me: “The enemy comes only to kill and steal and destroy, but I came that you may have life, and have it abundantly.”

So write your story, “His-Story," Oh Lord, with my life!

Greg