God of Our Strength, Enthroned Above

A month has flit by and this week was again our appointment week for both my daughter and husband. I dealt with the hours on the road to appointments better than last month. Maybe because I was more prepared. Perhaps because I expected to get nothing done at home this week. Maybe because of good, uplifting messages on cd to listen to for those hours in the van.

Or maybe because of your prayers.

Our daughter's arm x-rays looked great and she is now free of her brace. Thanking the Lord for healing.

Ed's MRI is less conclusive. It is often hard to tell in the months after radiation whether an increase in size seen on the MRI is tumor growth or scar tissue. Often doctors don't even give MRIs for several months after radiation. Certainly they wouldn't give an MRI every month. But Ed is getting lots of extra tests since he is part of a research study. Brain cancer has not been well-researched, possibly because it is rare compared to many other types of cancers or maybe because of the inability to easily see inside a skull. Even the technology advances of MRIs are limited in their effectiveness.

But more tests give me more opportunities for testing anxiety. Or maybe more chances to practice trusting God.

Great view from the 13th floor at neuro-oncology.

The doctors think that the swelling seen on Ed's MRI is the result of scar tissue from radiation. Since Ed doesn't have symptoms such as headaches or weakness on one side, we are choosing to give it more time to heal before beginning more treatment. Ed continues to experience fatigue and sometimes struggles to concentrate, but he is still able to go to work part time. At 17 months since his GBM diagnosis, we appreciate every day we can get out of bed in the morning.

We recently sang this hymn at church, and it has been echoing through my mind this past week. Without a God on the throne of heaven pouring out His strength, I couldn't handle weeks like this. 

God of Our Strength, Enthroned Above
By Fanny Crosby
Hymns of the Church #81

God of our strength, enthroned above,
The source of life, the fount of love;
O let devotion’s sacred flame
Our souls awake to praise Thy name.

Refrain
God of our strength, we wait on Thee,
Our sure defense forever be.

To Thee we lift our joyful eyes,
To Thee on wings of faith we rise;
Come Thou, and let Thy courts on earth
Ring out Thy praise in days of mirth. 

God of our strength, from day to day
Direct our thoughts and guide our way;
O may our hearts united be
In sweet communion, Lord, with Thee. 

God of our strength, on Thee we call;
God of our hope, our light, our all,
Thy name we praise, Thy love adore,
Our Rock, our Shield, forevermore.