God's Timely Help 上帝及时的帮助

The night before I could not sleep well. During that day, I heard something disturbing. My relatives were having some conversations and inadvertently they mentioned about my condition which I was not aware of. Though I tried to get rid of it from my mind, it came back later in the night. I woke up when the nurse took my blood pressure and temperature around 2am. My mind started to wander, it bothered my sleep. I tossed and turned (though the extent was limited due to the tubes attached to me), and it lasted through dawn.


I tried to read more on healing during the next day and kept on praying. My wife and I watched a VCD on divine healing received by a sister on colon cancer some 10 years back. A sister from the church had left it when they came and prayed for me. Many friends and colleagues has also came to give their morale support. My sister-in-law had brought many gifts, among them a desk-calendar type of daily prayer. This was what I read that evening when I turned to the page for Sep 16:

I decided there and then I should not let these thoughts bothered me. God's truth prevailed over whatever facts. I chose to believe in His absolute truth. Indeed the reading was timely help from God. Thank to Him, I managed to sleep well again that night.

John 14:6

 ⁶Jesus answered, "I am the way and the truth and the life..... "
John 8:32:

   ³²And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.

约翰福音：

14:6

耶 稣 说 ， 我 就 是 道 路 ， 真 理 ， 生 命 。。。。 8:32    你 们 必 晓 得 真 理 ， 真 理 必 叫 你 们 得 以 自 由 。

转变 Transformation

Joh 14:27  我留下平安给你们；我将我的平安赐给你们。我所赐的，不像世人所赐的。你们心里不要忧愁，也不要胆怯。 
Joh 14:27  I am leaving peace with you. I am giving you my own peace. I am not giving it to you as the world gives. So do not let your hearts be troubled, and do not let them be afraid. 

When my wife visited me again in the hospital, she excitedly related her experience the night before. After returning home, she and the children prayed together. As she prayed, she felt the warmth flowing through her, her heart was filled with peace. The night and after, she was able to sleep well again.


During this period of time, she had been suffered much; having to worry about my sickness, plying to and fro home/hospital, rushing many departments in the hospital to ensure all things are taken care of, handling her work(thanks to her boss who had helped much), doing household chores and taking good care of the 3 kids. During my hospitalisation, she tried her best to accompany and attend to me. The Lord took care of her most pressing need, i.e. granting her much needed sleep. Truly, as the psalmist said in Ps 127:2..............for so He giveth His beloved sleep. 


This particular blessing has lifted her faith, and solidified her belief in power of prayers. I was further convinced that the Lord has allowed this episode for a better purpose, for His love fails not. We thank Him for the peace I have enjoyed throughout, and now the same peace He has granted to my wife. 

The Road to Recovery 康复之路

Isaiah 53: 5But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed.

53:5    哪 知 他 为 我 们 的 过 犯 受 害 ， 为 我 们 的 罪 孽 压 伤 。 因 他 受 的 刑 罚 我 们 得 平 安 。 因 他 受 的 鞭 伤 我 们 得 医 治 。
 

My wife arrived at the ward early in the morning. She was apparently tired during this difficult time, having sleepless nights since receiving the news. She bore all the burden of whatever doctors would not tell me directly. I was thankful she tried her best to look positive in front of me.


I was given a device after the op to dispense fixed amount of morphine myself whenever I felt painful, by pushing a button. Another doctor came early in the 2nd morning to ask about my pain level, scale 1-9. I could not remember what I told him. Thank God, most of the time the pain was bearable. Then came the physiotherapist. I was asked to move myself to the chair and sat down. She provided instructions on how to move my body and used other muscles in order not to stress the wounds. The tips proved very useful during the recovery phase. I managed to get to the chair, and sat for couple of hours. She taught breathing techniques and gave me a device to exercise my lungs every hourly. It was not good to have too little activities, she said, I needed to improve my blood circulation through simple exercises.


In the afternoon, I was moved out of High Dependency Ward. The nurses at the ward were very attentive, all the patients were comforted by their kindness and professionalism. I was assigned to another ward, which was much quieter. 


I tried to do some reading on Bible, some other books and newspaper. I was less dependent on the morphine compared to the day before. The pain-assessing doctor came again and asked the pain level. I told him the pain had halved. The nurse came every 2 hourly to monitor blood pressure and temperature. 


Many people prayed for me, many quoted Isa 53:5. I knew I have to receive this promise into my spirit, and claim victory and healing in my Lord Jesus.  I was feeling much better, and could sat on the chair while my children visited in the evening. Then the Lord blessed me with a night of sound sleep.

The Op 手术

Except for two occasions I needed to go to the bathroom due to the effect of the medicine, I had good sleep that night. I woke up around 6am, getting myself ready. Psalm 91 was what I read that morning, I remembered the last verse :

16 With long life will I satisfy him 
       and show him my salvation

The nurses arrived around 6.30am. They told me I am the first case for the day in the operating theater，to remove diseased part of the colon.  I was pushed to the theater after changing to the gown and the long socks which aided blood circulation. Other than the nurses and helper,  the Anesthetist was attending to me. I prayed along the way, and while waiting for the operation. 


The door to the theatre was opened around 7.20am. It was busy at the theater with much activities to get ready for the op. The anesthetist pulled mask of the "laughing gas" over me, I was unconscious before I realized it.

What the doctors did not tell family members was the additional time needed to let the patient got over the anesthesia. Doctors informed my wife that the operation would last for 3 hours, from 8 to 11am. She was naturally anxious having to wait another 2.5hrs outside the op theater. I felt the pain at lower abdomen when I woke up. I saw my wife just outside the theater. 


Immediately I was pushed back to the High Dependency Ward. There were many needles and tubes attached to me. The afternoon past between light sleeps and some short waking hours. Blood pressure and body temperature were monitored hourly. Pastor came to anoint me with oil and prayed for me. My brother came, some family members and friends as well. The doctors has declared the op a success. I was thankful to them and most of all, to the Great Healer above.

It was a 6-bedder ward, 5 beds were occupied. The other patients were more elderly. I prayed that they would soon recover. The nurses came by frequently to monitor each patients, giving injections and answering to the many needs. Nonetheless, I managed to rest fairly well throughout the night despite the hives of activities around me, some snoring from other etc....

Admission 入院

I was admitted to hospital on Sunday, Sep 12. It was quiet Sunday at the admission office of the hospital.

After being assigned a ward, I stayed in the room and did some reading, along with some prayers. The nurse came by, asked a lot of questions and collected blood samples. I was scheduled for a CT scan at 2pm. This required fasting for at least 4 hours. Doctor later came by and asked some further questions. After that, some needles were poked on both hands.

The scan was done around 4pm. It was a machine that you would see in a movie, with the patient lying on the bed, the circular hollow ring with the sophisticated equipment passed through the portion that need to be scanned. Prior to this, some injections were given to allow for better imaging. This was followed by lung x-ray.

My family came and visited later. Kids were busy with their homework assignment which they brought along. Later the nurse arranged for Fortran, which would purge the intestines for the operation the next day. More doctors came by, one on operation, another on physiotherapy, and last one on G.A. I was asked to sign a paper on consent, after the doctor explained all the possible risks. 


After many rounds of clearing the bowel, I could finally rest. Prayed and committed everything to the Lord.

News 消息

The good doctor called my home on Wed night, Sep 9. I had earlier done the annual body check-up at his clinic. He went through and report with me earlier and advised me to go a x-ray check. I did not thought much about the whole issue. After finishing the x-ray, I proceed with original schedule of visiting China the second day.

My wife was anxious after receiving the call from the doctor. When I returned call around 9.15pm, the doctor urged me to get back immediately for an urgent operation. “Confirmed case”, he said. When I received the news, I was calm. I called home, my wife asked, “Why must it be you?” To which I reply, “Don’t ask why, just pray and believe everything will be fine”. I asked my wife to make arrangement for the flight back on next day, just to keep her mind occupied. I called my colleagues to tell them I needed to rush back.


After the calls, I went to the bathroom. Reality started to strike me. I trembled for over 10 seconds, was it fear, I was not sure. I knelt down and prayed. Immediately there was a great sense of peace over me. I was thankful that God that at instant had granted me that unspeakable peace. The night was challenging- in between short sleeps, I woke up. I started to pray, and pray on. The night went on between waking praying hours and some sleeping hours.


My wife and her brother was at the airport to fetch me directly to the hospital. Along the way, I told my teary wife to stay strong, and set example for the kids. Prior to that, her sister had helped to make appointment with Dr E, colon-rectal head of department at the hospital. He was kind enough to see me, despite not attending his clinic on that day. He explained all the x-ray photos, and made some preliminary examination. Immediately he arranged for colonoscopy to be performed. An operation was schedule on the following Monday, Sep 13.

From the beginning, I decided to overcome this crisis with the following rules( May God help me):

1. Do not allow self-pity; do not blame God or others
2. Adopt positive attitude
3. Whenever possible, do things that I could and live normally
4. Cherish family, friends, colleagues
5. Pray, cast my worries to the Lord
6. Above all,  Trust in God for everything and His everlasting lovingkindness  

Philippians 4:6 Do not be anxious about anything. Instead, in every situation, through prayer and petition with thanksgiving, tell your requests to God. 


4:7 And the peace of God that surpasses all understanding will guard your hearts and minds  in Christ Jesus. 


4:8 Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is worthy of respect, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if something is excellent or praiseworthy, think about these things. 


This was reinforced later by Pastor during his Saturday sermon. "Let your mind filtered off things undesirable," he said.
whatever is true (reject lies, half truth, whatever facts that may be presented to you; believe God’s truth overrule all these and He has the ultimate say)
whatever is worthy of respect, 
whatever is just,  (do not be tempted to think of worldly ways which people get away with)
whatever is pure, 
whatever is lovely, (think of positive stuffs)
whatever is commendable,
if something is excellent or praiseworthy, (think of excellence and things worthy to be praised, good deeds, kindness, love ),think about these things.


I need to train my mind, exercise it, direct it to think positively according to the living words of God.


On hindsight, there were many things I could be thankful for:
I decided to perform annual check earlier this year instead of leaving it to Oct;
The tremendous peace that I received from the Lord;
Supportive family and extended families， friends and colleagues
Many kind souls who helped a way of another etc....


Indeed thanks God for his grace!!


(中文打得太慢了，手写对我快捷许多了）

《圣经腓立比书》

4:6		应 当 一 无 挂 虑 ， 只 要 凡 事 借 着 祷 告 ， 祈 求 ， 和 感 谢 ， 将 你 们 所 要 的 告 诉 神 。
4:7		神 所 赐 出 人 意 外 的 平 安 ， 必 在 基 督 耶 稣 里 ， 保 守 你 们 的 心 怀 意 念 。
4:8		弟 兄 们 ， 我 还 有 未 尽 的 话 。 凡 是 真 实 的 ， 可 敬 的 ， 公 义 的 ， 清 洁 的 ， 可 爱 的 ， 有 美 名 的 。 若 有 什 么 德 行 ， 若 有 什 么 称 赞 ， 这 些 事 你 们 都 要 思 念 。