Texas Children's Hospital

Walking back from M D Anderson Cancer Center to my hotel at sunset, I passed through one of the happiest spots I have ever found on Earth. It was an outdoor place between sleekly designed buildings. It is well-lighted and carefully landscaped. In some dense trees a couple hundred birds gather at sunset each evening to sing and chirp to each other and to their admiring human audiences. The whole atmosphere is filled with light and happiness and harmony. Tears came to my eyes as I looked up past the tree with the most birds in it, to the lighted sign on the building beyond it, which read "Texas Children's Hospital."

What a splendid place for life and light and harmony and vitality and happiness to meet -- at the Children's Hospital!

And Jesus said, "Allow the little ones to come to Me, and do not hinder them, for of such is the kingdom of heaven."

There is within the medical complex in Houston, Texas, a three-quarter acre spot where you can sample an hors d'oeuvre of heaven. Arrive a little before sunset.

Lymph Node Biopsy

Laparoscopic surgery went smoothly this morning. Ruth and I got home late afternoon. Not even much pain or weakness. Surgeon took half of the enlarged lymph node, which itself was about the size of half a ping-pong ball. I am still frustrated with the uncertainty of having to wait for Pathology to report what it is. But by its appearance, two doctors said they are pretty sure it is my lymphoma recurring. I have a plane ticket to Texas for this Sunday to get a new perspective on how to go after whatever I am fighting.

You know, the cancer experience I have had over the past three years has been so good for me, that I am now better prepared to either die or live than I have ever been before. I am doing more effective counseling than ever before, with increased compassion and insight. I intend to continue doing my professional work. I think Jesus had a word for this excellent level of living I have come into. His word was "Blessed," and He applied it to those who hunger and thirst for righteousness -- which I do, ravenously!

Ten Years and Counting

Ten years ago today I first heard the chilling words, "You have cancer." That prostate cancer remains undetectable. So does the mantle cell lymphoma for which I was treated almost three years ago. I have built up my energy and my resistance to respiratory infections, so that I am in good shape to fight off a recurrence.

I take the view that probably neither of these cancers has been totally eliminated from my body. But, the good medical treatments I have had have reduced the population of cancer cells to a level low enough that healthy habits can keep them under control. The information I study about nutritional supplements, like green tea extract, curcumin and resveratrol, leads me to view them as mild chemotherapies. They function by interfering with signals that cancer cells send to each other, like "Let's get together and recruit some blood vessels to feed us, so we can become a big, invincible tumor."

One central challenge to us from the Bible is to bring good out of evil. I am doing that with my cancer experiences by extending my professional services as a psychologist into cancer coaching by phone. You can let people know about my website www.ACancerCoach.com. Thank you for praying for me. God be with you!