Mayo, "Med City", and Moments with God

It was early Friday morning and Joel and I had come down to eat breakfast in the small dining area of the hotel where we were staying in Rochester MN.   Joel was off getting food while I sat at our corner table.  There was one couple to our left and across from us was an older man with his two adult daughters, would be my guess.  The man said quietly, let's pray.  They joined hands and prayed for their loved one who was in the hospital....asking for healing, for Jesus to be with her during surgery, for no viruses to attack her body.  I quietly closed my eyes and silently added my Amen.  The woman on my left got up and went over to their table and said, "Thank you.  You blessed me too."  I chimed in, 'YES!  I am blessed too."  One of the daughters got up, came over and laid hands on me saying, "Bless you." This encounter brought with it peace.  God had provided just what I needed before we headed to my appointments at Mayo Clinic.  He was with us every step of the way.

I also noticed that the couple on our left prayed before they ate just as we did.  Our little corner of a small dining area in a hotel in "Med City" was calling upon God that morning.  Three families knowing where there help comes from.  It made me smile.  Such a divine moment from God.

My two appointments went very well.  The Fellow working with the oncologist I was seeing spent two hours with us, explaining, answering questions, examining, and encouraging me.  He and the oncologist had a plan for me and what would work for my body.  We came out of there feeling peace and relief.  I will be having chemo, a lower dose every 3 weeks for 4 cycles.  They will call my current oncologist because they would like it done here, close to home.  Hopefully it will start ASAP.

We ate lunch in the large cafeteria and then walked through the subway level over two blocks to my next appointment.  We sat in a lounge outside of the clinic I was to go to next.  Joel went inside to check if we were in the right area,  and then came back out to sit with me as we were way early.  Soon we heard a voice say, "I thought I recognized that cowboy hat!"  A woman from our former church in our current town was standing there.  Her husband was getting treated for a recurring cancer and she had been in the waiting room when Joel went in to check.   We visited awhile and then her husband came out so we talked with him too.  He encouraged me to be treated at Mayo and talked about the newer radiation that he was being treated with called proton radiation.  We prayed together before we headed inside and they left for home.  Another God moment.

My appointment with the radiology oncologist was about 1 1/2 hours long.  The Dr. had a student get general info but the doctor spent the entire time with us explaining, asking questions, examining, and answering our questions.  Very thorough again.  Turns out he wants to use the new proton treatments for me also.  He wants to avoid damage to the heart, lungs, thyroid, and upper nerve in chest wall.  This kind of radiation is only done at two places in America.  Mayo Clinic Rochester and in Chicago.  This would mean we would have to spend 5-6 weeks in Rochester during the week.  The American Cancer Society has a lodge where you can sign up to stay.  We will move forward with this treatment after the chemo.  Both the plans given to me at Mayo are different than the plans brought forward in our cancer center here, but we feel at peace about Mayo due their experience and expertise.  Going to Mayo was definitely a blessing.

It is a long journey ahead, but we heard words, heard treatment plans that will give me the best advantage to this being "curable".  Their words.  We felt so blessed to have two great doctors, one a Fellow and the other the radiologist who were excellent, kind, caring, and very knowledgeable.  We  know we cannot rely on these "chariots and horses" for my healing, but we can trust God who is using the medical world and these doctors and treatments to give me what I need to live and to live well.  Thank you all for adding your prayers to our journey.  They carried us through the day!  We are grateful.