Ruth Heide

Many prayers were answered for me on Friday when I received a call from the Colorado Springs doctor’s office. The lady who called works for the doctor who performed the ECRP procedure, which apparently included biopsies as well as putting a stent in the bile duct responsible for my lovely yellow color.

The biopsies were negative for cancer, the lady said.

I will be receiving a letter stating that, but the lady knew I wanted to know as soon as possible, so she called and read the letter the doctor’s office would be sending out. “Benign” is a wonderful word to hear when you’re not sure what is facing you.

Being very non-medical, I am not sure but I think biopsies were taken of the stomach lining and bile duct, both benign. “Everything came back good,” the sweet lady said. “No cancer was found anywhere.”

Apparently there didn’t even seem to be a mass on the pancreas to worry about either. It may have appeared to be a mass because everything’s so close together in that area and the bile duct was swollen at the time. Maybe it just went away. I’m not sure but I’m just glad the immediate medical problem is taken care of, my skin has returned to its normal color and I have no cancer diagnosis.

I only have to go back in six weeks to get the stent removed.

I’m still having trouble with my system being happy after I eat, but I’m sure that will straighten itself out too. Of course less stress would help that, I think, but spending the rest of my life sitting with a limeade and a four-legged friend on the beach is not an option, at least not for a while.

So I’m sticking to bland foods and sitting on the couch with a four-legged instead.

So many people were praying for me, and I am sure those prayers had power in resulting in this positive outcome. I appreciate all of the prayers and good thoughts for me. I am so grateful for all of the kindness in the medical community and community at large, and in my family and church family. Don and Sue from church brought over some celebration flowers on Friday afternoon, which were just beautiful and meant so much. I had called them, since I knew they were praying too.

The first person I called, though, was my mother, who had sent out many prayers of her own and enlisted the prayers of others all week. She is my biggest supporter and best friend. I then called each of my sisters, who have always also been my best friends through everything.

God must still have some work for me to do, and I am hoping I don’t disappoint Him.

I think He was also trying to remind me again that I am loved — and every day is a gift.