Sunday, May 13, 2012

Thankful Thoughts...



What moved me this week?

I always thought my husband was one in a million, but apparently I underestimated the man. The medical establishment has put me to shame and deemed him even more extraordinary than I had imagined. 

Several months ago he was diagnosed with a rare and potentially fatal blood disease. Those first few weeks after the original diagnosis were devastating and scary. We didn't have much information until the first round of tests were conducted. With each passing week and each test result our hopes climbed higher and higher. Last Tuesday we met with my husband's oncologist / hematologist and were given the news that his was an extremely rare case. He's one of only 40 people that have been diagnosed with this rare benign (not malignant or serious) disease. Instead of being one in a million, he's one in a gabillion and a half plus two. In this case, having this rare form of this disease is a good thing because it isn't serious. There will be annual tests performed, but those tests will be more for the doctor to collect data than for the health of my husband.

Which brings me to the question, what moved me this week? The answer is simple: The faith and prayers of family, friends and strangers. These last few months we asked family members and close personal friends to keep us in their prayers. Others, who didn't know of my husband's condition but sensed a need, also offered prayers. I received emails from blog readers who wrote saying, "I had a feeling today that you needed a prayer. I just wanted you to know that I'm praying for you and your family." Those simple acts of faith and prayer from family, friends and others moved us. We felt the strength and support that prayer offers believers. I'm sure many of you have had similar affirmations of the power of prayer. For this blessing and others we are grateful.

Happy Mother's Day!