Thank God for everything good in my life and especially the past eight months during this battle with cancer. As I look back over these months there are maybe a thousand different stories - some very short, that have meant much to me and from which I have learned so much about myself and life in general. In the next few weeks as I sit around doing nothing,I will share some of these stories with you. I have said many times that I have been so abundantly blessed in so many ways that I almost feel the disease of cancer was in itself a blessing to me as it became a tool to wake me up to so many things I was ignoring or neglecting. One of the most recent blessings came yestereay when I had my final review with the doctors at MD Anderson. First, my operation was a great success and all cancer has been remvoed from my body at this time. Second, all of the signs and indicators for a very successful recovery are present. And, most important, I learned for the first time ever that MD Anderson only accepts 7% of all applicants for this surgery and I was lucky enough to be one of the few that was accepted.
I have learned that every day is a new day with new surprises, and while some of these surprises may seem to be disappointments on the surface, they are often new opportunities and joys which have just been disguised as disappointments. If we face these events in a positive manner and accept them we soon find they were not designed to be disappointments but blessings.
Yesterday was the final day at MD Anderson. We have checked out and are now in the hotel for the balance of the week. We go back on Friday for a final examination and then back to Albuqueruqe on Saturday or Sunday. I won't be doing much as their recovery program calls for one week of recovery for every day in the hospital, which in my case will mean around 15 to 16 weeks of recovery. I will be pretty well limited during this time as I am on a strict diet and no heavy activity (no lifting of anything more than five pounds). For once I am seriously listening to the instructions as I do not want to go through what I have just been through again. In any event, I will be getting more blog entries out within the next few days to bring you up to date.
Thanks to all of you who blessed me with your thoughts and prayers. My apologies for not responding to those of you who wrote or called. I was pretty much out of it for the past couple of weeks.
I AM A SURVIVOR!!!!!
AL
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6 comments:
Wow, that has to be one of the best feelings ever. You fought and you won! I am absolutely in awe of how you have handled the whole situation. You are indeed an OUTSTANDING individual. The next few months will hopefully bring some much deserved rest and peace of mind. Please let us know if we can do anything to help out when you get back to Albuquerque.
Your friends,
Brandon and Gretchen
God Bless You....God Bless your Doctor's, God Bless the hospital and the staff and while we are add it "God Bless God", because without her all of this would not have been possible,
We Love You Al!
Nick and Val
Hey Al...we all believed this would be the outcome. Your ears must have been burning because we were talking about you at Carmax today. I said I would try to email you to see how things were going and I turn on my computer and there you are!!! Wonderful to hear from you and the great news to go with it!
Love, Becky Sue
Congradulations Al,
We have been praying for you all along and seems like our prayers have been answered.
We knew it would be okay, you are a great guy and you deserve this wonderful outcome. Take care of yourself, get your strength back and enjoy life.
Dick & Karen Brown
Al,
This day was a long time coming, but we never doubted the outcome based on your attitude, your treatment and The Good Lord taking a likin' to ya based on your funny and informative blogs, which He read on break.
Gonna be the best Thanksgiving you've ever had, I'll bet. We're all happy for you and your family,
Les, Donna Betsy and Tom
From an anonymous prayer partner in FLG:
Hallelujah! Thank you, God, for answering all of our prayers for Al. Thank you for turning this trial into something positive in Al's life!
Congratulations, Al! May you continue to heal: spirit, soul, and body. May you continue to be richly blessed as you return to ABQ and continue along the journey toward wholeness. May these next few weeks be a real opportunity to simply be still and know that God is God, and perhaps hear that still small voice leading you into the next era of your life.
Continue to be blessed, Al,
your anonymous FLG prayer partner.
PS Thanks for sharing the great news with all of us. :o)
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