colostomy – Sharon O'Connor

Is You Christmas Tree Up Yet?

by Sharon

Our pastor asked the question last Sunday at church. The sermon topic: Thankfulness. A number of people raised their hands to say, “YES!”. Others groaned.

How could anyone allow Christmas decor in November??

Novembers growing up on Spencer Avenue were dedicated to Thanksgiving. Christmas came cheerfully into focus once December arrived and not a day before. Our home even had its own Thanksgiving Tree made by mom. A tangible reminder that being thankful was its own kind of gift.

When I got married, my husband began decorating for Christmas in November. You see, he had been homeless for a time before God drew him to Christ. Christmases were a time of darkness and despair because of choices he made in his young adult life.

When Jesus Christ changed his eternal destination, the Christmas celebration took on a whole new meaning for my husband. Decorations appeared everywhere the eye could see starting in November.

One November this very week fourteen years ago almost toppled us. I came home from a week-long hospital stay with a colostomy and a cancer diagnosis. Thankfulness was a tear-filled choice. Family helped us decorate. Green wreaths and soft Christmas lights filled the space where I recovered. We caught our breath, steadied our gaze on Christ, and navigated our way, over time, back to hope.

Randy Alcorn shared this on social media recently:

God has built into us a nostalgia for the world that once was, before sin and curse and death and suffering. We are homesick for Eden, for its beauties and pleasures and health and vibrant relationships. “I long for Your salvation, O Yahweh, and your law is my delight. Let my soul live that it may praise You, and let Your judgements help me.” Psalm 119:174-175, LSB

Since the Great Family Storm of 2010, November sort of wraps us up in nostalgia, a remembrance of sorrow, thoughts of things broken and healed, a promise of peace, and a yearning for the Savior who will return and be, surely, the reality of how a happy Christmas makes us feel. Finally at home.

For the record, so far this year, three trees are decorated and brightly declaring Christmas is on the way.

Friend, if you’re homesick for less difficult days, or facing challenges that are shadowing the season, I pray that God will bless you with his kindness and love and great comforting presence as we enter this season of giving thanks.

Sharon

“You Had a Really Hostile….

by Sharon

Published September 13, 2024

… abdomen.”

The doctor doing morning rounds kindly and efficiently shared details about the previous day’s surgery. I’m a pretty laid-back person. Don’t get hostile about much… but am dedicated to avoiding medical intervention. When doctors are needed, I go big. Thanks, abdomen.

“We had trouble getting to the cyst because you had so much scar tissue. You had what we call a hostile abdomen, probably from your previous radiation. The cyst we eventually removed took up much of your pelvis, but there is no cancer.” I would go home the following day. A miraculous difference from years ago with the first open surgery, a long hospital stay, cancer treatment, and more surgeries to follow.

Have you ever asked God for help with something, and discovered he was giving you an assignment to work through as part of the answer to that prayer?

This past spring I was driving or doing makeup before work or something mundane.

“God, would you help me get healthy?”

I went on about my day. I was having what seemed like endocrine issues or maybe thyroid stuff. I added in specific essential oils and supplements based on nutritional scans. I felt better but decided I needed get my act together with some cardio and losing weight. Overall my body has carried me well for the fourteen years since the first colon cancer diagnosis, the return of colon cancer in 2012, and being declared cancer free in 2013. Work life balance had blessedly arrived in 2024. It was time to get more proactive physically going into the next decade.

In July, probably two months after my quick prayer about getting healthier, I went for a gyn exam. You know, not feeling any issues, but maybe it was time for blood work to check thyroid levels. I spent about six months talking myself into that visit. The July gyn visit found a 10 cm cyst and set in motion a flurry of tests that caught me up in every category. Bloodwork (including thyroid) = good. Colon = clean. Mammo = clear. Cyst = hopefully, oh God please, would it be benign, or push me back into dealing with cancer? I and my family worked through fears and dread and trust and waiting on an answer with the news of this cyst. Would I be healthy? Are my fears unfounded? Or was this process just a mean thing to go through again, a distressing development after being cancer free so many years? I know God doesn’t work in mean ways; sometimes my mind does.

A referral sent me to a surgeon out of town. The beautiful sign at the office said “Gynecology Oncology“; Tom and I both almost fainted at that second word. My dormant white coat syndrome came right back and sat beside me.

Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need. Hebrews 4:16

In late August 2024 I showed up for surgery to remove what we hoped would be a large benign ovarian cyst, and to rule out cancer. This was the exact same scenario we tumbled into during 2010, except they weren’t sure where the cyst or tumor was located.

I woke up this time to the incredible gift of no cancer, and surgery was able to be done laparoscopic instead of open.

I felt like I had gotten away with something.

Moving forward, I have every confirmation and incentive to be healthy. I am grateful for the medical team God used to help me, starting with my own phenomenal gyn doctor, and the specialty team she sent me to for gyn surgery.

Two of the ways Webster defines “scar” include “a mark remaining (as on the skin) after injured tissue has healed”, and “a lasting moral or emotional injury”.

Here are thoughts on how God worked over the past few months helping me face emotional scars and the removal of extensive internal physical scar tissue:

We have to want to be healthy.
Once we ask for help, be ready for God to lovingly and effectively deal with the scars. They may be ones we didn’t know we had, or ones we didn’t realize were limiting health.
Allowing God to deal with our scars can be really scary. Will it hurt? Will there be more pain? Will it create more issues than it solves (if you’ve been through health challenges, you get it). What if it’s easier to just leave the scar tissue instead of removing it? We’ve become used to each other.
Scars are protective and restrictive.
The process of confronting and removing scars, while painful, positions us to move forward in better health.
God lovingly helped me work through many fears going into this surgery. I would have had the same fears to work through no matter the outcome. I can tell you that my hope, my security, and my joy is in the presence of God every day. He has proven himself to me not so much in the outcome for which I prayed, but in the journey of learning who He is today and into an eternity. I love him and trust him.
My body will fail someday, but my eternal soul is secure because of Jesus Christ. If you would like to know more about the God of hope, please visit https://www.peacewithGod.net.

Yet I am always with you; you hold me by my right hand. Psalm 73:23

The photo at the top of the page is my husband’s hand holding mine. We started a habit of praying together at the start of the day back during cancer rounds one and two years ago. This photo is from Summer 2024 when contemplating whether we were walking towards cancer round three. The picture of Tom holding my hand is a sweet reminder that God is always with me, with us. Isn’t that amazing?

God holds us by the hand no matter how deep and unseen the scars we carry or hard difficulties we face. He is for you. Trust him with your scars.

Other info:

Things I did in the month before surgery to prepare:

Myrrh and Sacred Frankincense essential oil on my abdomen with a rice heating pad before bed (after about a week, I felt far less pressure on my bladder – the cyst was sitting on top of my bladder based on CT imaging).
Castor oil pack over my liver/abdomen 3-4 times weekly (may help detox the liver, which in turn helps the liver function better, and may help break down cysts).
Deep Spectra Phyto Nutrition essential oil blend taken daily, 20 drops in water.
Thyromin, Super B, and Progessence Plus taken daily for thyroid, endocrine and adrenal support.
LifeWave X39 Patch begun two weeks before surgery to help promote wellness before and healing after surgery. Honestly it helped my anxiety about surgery, as well.
I eliminated most meat, dairy and processed foods.
Dropped to one cup of coffee daily with organic creamer (with my hubby in the morning; it’s our time to get ready for the day; the picture at the top of the page is from our prayer time together). Caffeine strains the adrenals.
Started walking one mile per day 4-5 times per week.
I lost about seven pounds before surgery and felt good going into the procedure.

Things I’ve been doing after surgery:

Daily iTovi nutritional scans for guidance on which oils would support my body. Lots of specific hormonal and structural support going on with some emotions tossed in!
Deep Spectra Phyto Nutrition essential oil blend taken daily, 20 drops in water.
Thyromin, Super B, and Progessence Plus taken daily for thyroid, endocrine and adrenal support.
LifeWave X39 Patch daily for healing at the cellular level (think, stem cells), and the addition of the Aeon patch for hormonal support, stress support, adrenal support, and inflammation support.
And other things nutritionally with lots of rest, gratitude, prayer, hope, and relief.

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