Waiting Well

I went to the doctor yesterday for the results of my thyroid biopsy. It had been fourteen days since the procedure – fourteen days of waiting and wondering.

The results – inconclusive. The sample retrieved by the fine needle aspiration was not sufficient for proper testing.

I have been told many times the waiting is the most difficult part of the process. The wondering has proven just as difficult. What constitutes ‘bad news’? What constitutes ‘good news’? How might life change if there is ‘bad news’? What is the conclusion is 'just live with it'?

I was not thinking of “inconclusive” - sounds like a loose end that needs tying up.

The result of this is a return to the waiting process, though I am thankful for Dr. Wigmore’s move toward the next step. That next step is a surgical biopsy. Sounds more interesting and more ominous.

All this is a reminder of the need to ‘wait’ well. Psalm 27:14 has become a point of encouragement in the aftermath of all this: “Wait for the Lord; be strong, and let your heart take courage; wait for the Lord!”

Biopsy

Yesterday I went to the hospital for a biopsy. Specifically a thyroid biopsy. Even more specifically, a fine-needle aspiration. The procedure was simple enough – a combination of ultrasound images, iodine, freezing, and a fine-needle. It was over quickly with little pain and minimal discomfort. The reason for the biopsy is to discover the nature of a nodule present on my thyroid – whether cystic, cancerous, benign, or otherwise.

The idea of a biopsy suggests cancer and that is the scary part. The thyroid, I have been told, is a finicky gland when it comes to disorders. Nodules can simply be nodules and nothing to be concerned about. Still, the word biopsy stands in the shadow of cancer. The results of the biopsy are two weeks away.

This is not intended to be a follow-my-bout-with-cancer blog. What I want to see in this is the hand of God at work and reflect on His faithfulness. In our almost 27 years of marriage Barb and I have had few serious health issues – a few concerns here and there that have required attention, but nothing life threatening. Our girls too have been healthy – not even any allergies.

On the way to the hospital Barb asked me if I was nervous. My response, which I trust was genuine and not a “man-answer”, was simply, “I have no reason to be.” My desire in all this, no matter what comes, is to not be nervous but confident in the gracious hand of Jesus. I do not intend this to be a simplistic answer to complicated issues. I simply believe Jesus is there to help with the complicated issues.

Welcome to Standing in Grace

I have entered the world of the blog. In these days of communication options a blog is nothing new, but for me it is a beginning. As is evident by my late entry into the land of blog, I am not an early adopter. This is not because I have anything against the concept, it is simply a matter of becoming convinced I have something - a thought, an idea, an experience, a perspective - worth sharing with those willing to check it out. This blog is a means of stretching myself to think beyond myself and become part of a new community.

Standing in Grace is a journey into the daily experience of grace found in the work of Jesus Christ (Romans 5:1-2). As a follower of Jesus, redeemed and reconciled to the Father, I stand in His grace. My life is a reflection of the abundant favor of the Father toward me because of Jesus, and only because of Jesus.

I invite you to join me in this journey. Let us be encouraged together.