Day 26 – Tuesday (9/18/18)

Health update:  My wife today reminded me that I was supposed to have a post-op visit 10 days after the biopsy.  I was not sure if that was to discuss results (which we know are running behind) or if that was to just check incision, etc.  I called the doc, and they said that usually it is for both, but obviously my results are still pending.  They said the latest they would go for the post-op portion was 14 days.  They set me up with a Friday appointment, and said maybe if we are lucky, we could have results by then.  Even if the results are still pending Friday, I still have to go to the doc for the basic post-op checkup.  I know everything is in God’s timing, but it would sure be nice if God’s timing had the results in before the visit.  Other than that, still trucking.  Still waiting.

Thought of the day:

Today’s thought is going to stray from the pattern of recent days.  Rather than doing my version of a devotional, I want to reflect on some recent events.  If you will remember back to the post on Day 17 (use the “Jump to day” button if you need a refresher), I discussed the “fable” of the man who passed up 3 opportunities where people were trying to save him during a flood.  He passed them up saying God would save him instead… and then he died.  Turns out, those three opportunities was HOW God was trying to save him.  With this thought process in my head this morning, I reflected back on several emails I have received over the past weeks where people are sending me homeopathic remedies to “cure” cancer.  Eat this, take this, avoid this… it worked for a friend of a friend, it will work for you too!  My mindset as I read those is that there is no actual data / scientific method used.  Then I got a text from a friend who simply offered me a book called “The China Study” by T. Colin Campbell and Thomas M. Campbell II.  I let the book sit on my desk for a couple of days.  Then, (back to my pondering this morning), I thought to myself… “Could this be God offering me a solution, and I’m too stubborn to take it because I’m waiting on God?”  It is amazing how God can harden your heart or soften your heart toward things.  While my heart was clearly hardened to some of the homeopathic remedies, my heart was softened this morning to the point I decided there was no harm in cracking the cover.  I read a section during my lunch break, and I’ll be honest… I was truly amazed.  The author is a mixture between a scientist, an engineer, a doctor, etc, etc (this is not self proclaimed by him, this is my interpretation).  His thought process through the series of experiments he ran over 40 some years was spot on with how I think.  As I was reading and saying “nah, that is coincidence”, he would break out the next study that would prove the first.  He actually spent a whole chapter explaining (from a sub-atomic level) how cancer is even “created” within a human.

To summarize, I offer this quote out of the introduction to his book.  This got my attention enough to keep reading.  “So imagine our shock when animal protein, but not vegetable protein, was the culprit in turning on cancer in our studies.  The most significant carcinogen, the substance that almost invariably led to cancer at 20 percent of the rats’ diet, was casein, or milk protein.  Plant proteins, such as those from wheat and soy, had no effect on cancer development, even at high levels.  In fact, in 1983, my Cornell University research group showed that we could switch early cancer growth on and off in rats simply by changing the amount of protein they consumed.  Equally amazing, when cancer was switched off for a relatively long time by feeding a low-protein diet, it could be turned on again by switching to a high-protein diet.  The effect was striking.  When turned on, cancer growth was vigorous and robust.  When turned off, it was totally shut down.  Major changes in cancer development, both positive and negative, were triggered by only modest changes in protein intake.”   The book goes on to explain WHY this was observed, from a sub-atomic level.

Now, I have read some 50 pages out of 400.  I still have a lot of questions, but there are another 350 pages I suspect will answer them.  Do not get me wrong.  The “meat and potatoes” of this book (no pun intended, haha), does NOT indicate that I can get rid of my cancer by diet changes alone (it is too late in my case).  I will need chemo.  But, what it does indicate is that diet changes can drastically help prevent reoccurrences after the chemo does its job.  However, for someone who does not already have cancer, diet changes could help prevent it from starting.  Again, I have gotten numerous “tips and tricks” offered, but God set my heart on this one, and reinforced it by grabbing my attention enough for me to keep reading (due to the massive amounts of data, and scientific methodology used).  For those who don’t know me, I haven’t read a book cover to cover (excluding books of the Bible) in over 20 years… I highly dislike reading… but I have a hunch I’ll finish this one.

One thing that God has reinforced in me as I was reading is just how intricate and complicated our bodies actually are.  When you get down to the cellular level, it is absolutely amazing how God formed us.  There is 1000% ZERO chance, that there was a “boom”, and we just began to be.  Nope, we are 1000% CREATED beings, made in the image of God, for His glory… and what an awesome creator He is.

Dear heavenly Father, thank You for creating me.  Thank You for weaving together such an amazing intricate body.  I pray that as I study more on the cancer topic, that You would show me what You want me to know, and help me avoid that which is false or irrelevant to my situation.  I pray for my appointment on Friday.  While it seems really convenient to have the results locked in for that visit, You may have a different plan.  I accept whatever Your perfect will is Lord, because I know that your timing is perfect.  Thank You for helping us to have a good week so far, and I pray for the rest of the week to goes as well as the start.  Amen.