My First Oil Change and Today's MVP...
Well, I survived my first oil change... my nickname for my chemo treatments. Sounds better to me. Now I know a bit how my car feels I think. However, there are some significant differences with the procedures. My car can get an oil change for $26.95. Mine is $2695... :) My car gets done in 15 minutes. I'm there for 4-6 hours. Well, at least I get to watch Netflix!! Take that!
Seriously, I was nervous going into the process today. But, it went well. It helps that they pumped me full of 3 types of nausea meds, but I'm still grateful for the results. I was able to eat twice while I was in the not-so-express lube job, and that's a good thing. I do feel a little weird, but mostly tired. Next step for the treatment: getting my Borg implant... I mean my "port." I've been getting these random, repeated thoughts about biological and technological distinctiveness getting added to a collective or something. Maybe that's the chemo brain... who knows.
Once I have the port, the goofy doc (he used non-standard medical jargon after all: "butt" and "poop") says he'll bring me back for a total of 4-6 treatments every 3 weeks with bloodwork to identify negative side effects and scans every other treatment to monitor the effect on the colon and liver growths. If all goes well, he wants to get me into Immunotherapy... which I understand is a good option for my particular case, and should give us better chances. Please keep up the prayers!
However, I wouldn't be faithful to documenting God's grace if I didn't identify today's MVP.
I like to tell people when I first met her I was compelled to get to know her for how cute she was... and cute she is. When we had our first "date" at that Village Inn on December 27th, 1994, I was in disbelief at the uniquely angelic beauty sitting on the other side of the table. Never seen anything so beautiful in my life. However, as I talked to her, there was a greater beauty that was truly drawing me to her. I was sitting across the table from a young lady who had not only had her life changed by Jesus Christ, His very blood seemed to be coursing powerfully through her veins. My search was over that night.
Today was much the same. At 42, she easily could be taken for a woman in her early 30s, truly lovely in so many ways. 8 children and 21 years of hard work building her house (as Proverbs would say), she has lost none of her majesty. Wearing Goodwill clothes because refuses to splurge on herself for the benefit of the family, she outshines the ladies shopping 5th Avenue, and I still find myself just staring at her with the same disbelief of 23 years ago. But, that wasn't the beauty the overwhelmed me in tears today on several occasions. It's that same sanctifying blood radiating in her veins as she goes and gets me edible food, puts the blanket on me, checks me every time I got silent, walks me to the bathroom with my drugs on the hat rack and who prays with me against my fears, holds my hand as I tear up when the chemo starts, reads me the loving notes from you awesome people, and she just stays with me talking, gracing, and loving me for a 10-hour visit. It was Christ I saw today.
After 21 years, I now believe that's what Christ intends: for us to love Him fully and then seek a loving complementarian relationship with a wife that radiates what we love most: Him in that person. That's marital glue if there ever was one.
Sara, my darling wife... you are today's MVP.
"Her children arise and call her blessed; her husband also, and he praises her: 'Many women do noble things, but you surpass them all.' Charm is deceptive, and beauty is fleeting; but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised. Give her the reward she has earned, and let her works bring her praise at the city gate."