September 28: Young Friend, Terry Godbey, "The Incredible Shrinking Tumor"

I found out in church this morning that a young friend of ours has been diagnosed with thyroid cancer.  She's 17-years-old, a senior in high school, and is heading to the Mayo Clinic for treatment this week (I believe).  She needs prayers, people.  Get to work.

I owe you a Terry Godbey poem.  I missed a second post last Wednesday.  The poem is about Terry's battle with cancer.

Saint Marty dedicates it tonight to his young friend,.

The Incredible Shrinking Tumor

by:  Terry Godbey

My surgeon cheers
my phenomenal response
to the drugs
when she can't find
my tumor on ultrasound.

The gratitude I try to muster
is trapped in bile.  I despise
the medieval pump
of poison, nonstop nausea.
Why not try leeches,
bloodletting?

Chemotherapy is not the enemy,
my son reminds me.

Two weeks later
my oncologist declares
the mass of renegade cells
barely palpable,
apologizes
not for my misery
but for her cold hands,
sends me off
for another megadose
of miracle.

Nothing warms me
in the squalid chemo room
but back home
I light a candle,
slide under a steaming cut lace
of peach-mango bubbles,
soak
till the hot water runs out,

my breasts
floating
on the surface
as if already
preparing to leave.

Healing Prayer