November update

Time continues to fly by.  I've been relatively busy at work with a couple day trips each week so it feels like I'm spending less time with the kids on their school.  The last week or two I've noticed my balance getting worse.  When I'm in a crowd, I feel less stable and like I'm going to bump into someone.  Walking takes more effort and I feel myself thinking about it.  We're not really sure what to attribute this to.  It could be tumor growth around my brain, or it could just be a long term effect of the whole brain radiation.  I haven't been in much pain, and even have pretty much stopped taking ibuprofen or tylenol, so I'm thankful for that.  I've been fighting congestion/sore throat/etc. so I have felt wiped out the last few days and spent more time taking naps or resting on the couch.

As for prayer requests, just pray that my sense of balance can improve.  It has slowed me down enough that honestly it's easy to be discouraged at times.

I just finished making a list of all the teachings of Jesus, and #1 by a factor of 2:1 is "fear not"  The thing Jesus taught the most was not to worry about the future.  He must have said this so many times because he knew that would be my nature.

Thanks for all your prayers and support,
Derek & Leann

What I'm Learning From Cancer #8

1.       Communion with God - Trials and hardship give us more desire to read the word & communicate with God. At times of ease we can lose that desire pretty easily.  I don’t know that I necessarily read the word a lot more, but I spent many hours lying in my hospital bed and on nights when I couldn’t sleep just talking with God.  Praying for others.  Praying about how I should live in the future.  If you feel like you are just floating or drifting through life, I encourage you to pray for enough hardship that you will be drawn closer to God.  You don't have to pray for cancer like mine, but pray that God will give you something tough enough to draw you close, but something that is still bearable (and He has promised that it will be).  I am reminded daily of my weakness.  Hardly an hour goes by where I don't think of the cancer.  It's not all bad to have that reminder of how weak we truly are and how much we need God.