I thought I would take you into my world of chemo therapy and let you know what happens to me in a chemo week such as last week. It begins on Sunday with three days of oral steroids. On Monday the first chemo infusion takes about six and a half hours and when completed you weigh about ten pounds more than when you started. At the end of the first day they attach a pump with chemo which you wear through Friday. The second day is from three and a half to four hours of additional chemo. On Friday the pump is removed and they attach a device to your arm or stomach which will give you an injection some 26 hours later of a drug that increases your white blood cell production. So the whole process does not end until Saturday bedtime or six days.
As the week progresses the amount of chemo in your body increases so it is a little like climbing a mountain with every day being more susceptible to side effects and the side effects increasing in difficulty. The “hard” days in a normal cycle for me are the weekend following chemo infusion through the following Wednesday. The routine is the same but the reaction to the chemo can be vastly different and has been for me since we began this journey with our first chemo in February. Right now we are on a 21 day cycle which means about half the days are “good” days for which I am most thankful – and even the “bad” or “hard” days – with the exception of the two months when I had that inflection – have been nothing compared to what I see others suffer. Your prayers have been heard and answered and I can do nothing but praise God and say thanks to all of you who are walking through this with us.
Where I am being treated they have a chemo infusion room which consists of chairs which recline and have trays on the sides. You pick an open chair and wait for the chemo nurse. They confirm your blood tests show you can tolerate the chemo – and then they begin the process of installing the means of infusion either through a port or in a vessel (praise God for ports). I have really tried to make friends and encourage the chemo nurses who care for me. They have such a hard job and sometimes the patients are so angry and frustrated that they take it out on them. I spend a lot of time praying for those in the other chairs for some are really suffering. On Monday one was sent directly to the ER after they saw the results of her blood tests. I had intended to call out across the room that I was praying for her but I am ashamed to say I did not – although I did pray for her. Another came in with an angry face – no patience – unhappy about everything. There were two principal chemo nurses – a young Indian woman who has been caring for me for some time and a young man who was there from another facility temporarily. This man unloaded on both of them – cussed the young man out and made a real scene. They had done nothing wrong. I prayed for him and them, but did not intervene although had I had my strength and health from before this adventure – and not been attached to chemo bags –I probably would have. Thankfully that day with the young woman and the following day with the young man I had an opportunity to speak and encourage both of them and to let them know they did nothing wrong. I don’t understand striking out at people who are trying to help you.
Medically the cancer doctor is scheduling a CT Scan for sometime this week which he will review and compare with one done in April – and then along with the tumor markers in the blood tests he will evaluate where we are and what change if any needs to be made in the treatment regiment. Our appointment with him is scheduled for September 30th. I would ask that you pray the CT Scan reveal whatever God wants it to reveal and that our focus remain on Him. He is the healer and what the doctor may see or presume is not the final word whatever it may be (positive or negative). My desire is to focus is on what is next and how can we be enabled to fulfill the call we believe God still has on our life. I know that this detour has the purpose of glorifying God so we want to be careful to seek to do that for only He is worthy.
Spiritually the word of the week is thankful. I know I have written somewhat on this subject before but God has really opened my eyes this week. Early last week God said that this cancer is a privilege to open doors in order that the Gospel may be shared and new discipleship opportunities open to a greater audience – and that the Lord is to be glorified in how He carries me through this – and how He uses me in these circumstances to accomplish His purposes in me and through me.
A privilege – something I should be thankful for – certainly not what I expected or have felt emotionally – but then it is true regardless of what I may feel. Paul said what needed to be said on the subject – “give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you” (1 Thessalonians 5:18). Note: “In” – not “for” the circumstances. God does not expect us to rejoice that we have cancer and may suffer or die. That would be foolish. But He does expect us to be thankful despite the fact that we have cancer – for God can use any circumstances to advance His Kingdom purposes – and He certainly has in my life these past months.
To be thankful in difficult circumstances we must turn our attention away from us – from our emotions and fears – and from probabilities based on history or experience – and turn our attention to what God is doing in us and through us. God will never waste an opportunity to grow us or use us if we are available. That certainly has been true in my life and I tell people truthfully that I would have not chosen to miss what God has been at work teaching and doing these past months although I certainly would not have chosen cancer as the vehicle through which He would work.
I am thankful – for God has raised up an army of people who pray for me and has opened doors for me to share and disciple which would never have been open had I not had this cancer. I look forward to the day when He will enable me to travel and join with the Time to Revive team, but in the mean time He has opened the way for me to continue to be a part of the team long distance and has given me the physical time I need to complete discipleship projects and materials for the ministry that I would not have had if I had been traveling these months. God has done so much here in Phoenix with our small group and others that would not have happened if we had been out of town. It looks like I have a publisher for the book and so much more that God has done. He never wastes time or opportunity despite the circumstances.
Thank you for your prayers and partnership on the journey. You are precious to us.
About David Maddox – After a legal career in both Texas and Arizona that spanned over 40 years as a civil litigator, God called David to leave his law practice and work full time as Discipleship Director for Time to Revive. That call is really the fruit of decades of prayer for revival and teaching God’s Word, writing discipleship materials and seeking to make disciples. David married Janet Whitehead in 1976 and they minister together from their Phoenix home. God has blessed them with four children and thus far seven grandchildren.
