#4 Miles of the Journey Through the Rapids of Cancer

 Adjusting from the role of work hard, play hard, to the more sedate role of cancer patient has been a chore. But I am doing it.  I put God in charge of all this, and my role is just to adjust to His will for my life; Obey.  

I do walk most mornings, over an hour sometimes, but I take time to stop and pray every 20 minutes or so, at a spot where I  have prayed for so many other people over the years.  The October mornings are perfect for this out in the quiet woods.  

I pray more, I rest more.  I have more faith.  I am closer to God, and I can face death without remorse if it comes.  I am ready.  I have been ready to go home.   My only regret would be the heartache I would leave my family.  But I have given them to God as well and He will be with them if death comes.  I am blessed. Amen.

#3 Miles of the Journey Through the Rapids of Cancer

 A week done of therapy.  So far so good. No noticeable side effects.  It is a change in direction in my miles of the journey.  This weekend is to be the half ironman I came close to entering and, in fact, booked reservations for.  Knowing what I know now, or perhaps because of what I have experienced, it doesn't seem as  interesting anymore. I can't quite describe the non-caring for something I was so passionate about. 

A month of downtime and seeing all the other sick and ill people, the many struggles, many worse than mine, the loved ones giving chunks of their lives in care for loved ones.  There are some amazing, suffering, giving, loving people, doing heroic things with no crowd, no "you're an ironman," just doing the right thing quietly without applause.  

There are so many stories out there, in the clinics and hopitals, many more, more terrible, more varied, than you will hear from participants on the race course.  This is not taking anything away for the effort and sacrifice of ironman participants at all, but there is that other ironman world of the sick and infirm and dedicated and committed people taking care of them.   Thank you God for these fine souls.