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

July 1: Ferris Wheel, Quick Post, Prayer Update

"The most fun there is," retorted Fern, "is when the Ferris wheel stops and Henry and I are in the top car and Henry makes the car swing and we can see everything for miles and miles and miles."

Fern is a normal little girl, growing up, becoming a young lady.  Henry is now more interesting than Wilbur, and the biggest thrill of her life is the Ferris wheel.


This post is going to be quick.  My daughter is waiting to get her hands on my laptop.  My daughter is a normal little girl, growing up, becoming a moody teenager.  She knows how to throw a major meltdown if she doesn't get her way.

Tonight, I would like to give you an update on "Tara," the young woman I told you about last week.  I told you that she was having tests to determine if she had cancer.  Well, the tests came back positive.  Tara has thyroid cancer, and she is about to start her treatments, just before she's about to start her senior year of high school.

Please pray for Tara.  Pray for health and happiness.  She should be worrying about college admissions, not chemotherapy and surgeries.

Saint Marty is humbled by Tara, and she deserves all the hope and blessing in this world.

Amen, Padre.