Cambodia Trip!

Finding the right words to construct a blog entry, that would be able to convey “Cambodia” to an outsider looking in, would be an impossible task. There are no words to explain what happens to your heart the moment you set foot down on the dusty soil of this country. You feel heartbreak and sadness almost immediately, but before long you see joy, you witness happiness of unexplainable origin, and you can actually feel the hope in the air.

I could explain (or try) what exactly we did for our time in Cambodia, but it seems so trivial. Michael and I simply followed God’s call to travel to the other side of the world to love on His children. I say “simply”, but we all know it was anything BUT simple. But you know, the hard part of heeding the call fades away, and what I am left with is what He did in my heart, something that will not ever fade away. God whispered to my heart to follow Him, through the hard spots, through the cancer, through the trials, through the doubts and the what-ifs, to follow him… and I am so thankful I did. God demonstrated to me the true definition of hope, of joy, and of love. He took me by the hand, led the way, and set me down in that dusty soil of Cambodia to show me just how much He loves us all.

Ticket in Hand

In exactly one week from today, I will board a plane bound for the other side of the world.  Just last week I celebrated 3 months of being cancer free. I, for a fleeting second and a second too long, thought that God had brought me to the end, through the whole journey with cancer, and that he had delivered me to my destination: free of cancer with a ticket in hand. Sometimes you want to thank God for what he’s done in your life and keep on moving forward.

This past Sunday, after two visits to the emergency room, I was diagnosed with having ruptured cysts on my left ovary. Just six weeks ago, we had made a middle of the night run to the ER for the same thing on the right ovary. Since Sunday, my oncologist has reviewed the CT scans, and I will be going in soon to have a PET scan in concern for cancer on the ovaries. I don’t really know what this means. Well I know exactly what this means, we move back into the space of trusting God for every step. It doesn’t look like this journey is over yet!

I can be stubborn (just ask the hubs!..or don’t..) but I still plan to board that plane to Cambodia next Thursday. I still plan to go spend about a week with some amazing kids who know who holds the world in His hands. I still plan to shine a light into the dark spaces of the world, and I still plan to glorify a God, who can do ultimately more than we can imagine.

Just when you think...

Life had returned to as normal as could be waiting on my 6 week post op checkup. I had planned on updating after that appointment, and letting everyone know how great and wonderful I felt... and then I was quickly reminded that I just went through a major surgery for cancer!

Monday night I awoke to excruciating pains in my lower back and after a few hours of no relief, Michael and I went to the ER in the middle of the night (of course isn’t that usually when you go to the ER!).  It was one of the fastest and most efficient ER visits I have ever had, except for the pain med part. They were a bit slow on that! I had a CT scan and it confirmed a kidney stone. It also showed something suspicious on an ovary, but that was due to the recent surgery, thankfully! I have since been home, running a fever off and on, and the pain has moved to my lower abdomen. It looks like it will be a movie watching weekend!

And now to what I originally intended to tell you all!! My 6 week followup was on Wednesday, and I have been released to resume normal activities of daily life! That is… after this stone passes! I am so so grateful that my body is healing just as it should. I had fears that my diabetes would cause a slow and ugly healing period, but it has not!

Thank you all who continue to pray for my recovery. I feel like this week has been crazy, hectic, painful beyond words, but God made this day (and this week), and I will rejoice and be glad in it!

Best News Ever!

CANCER FREE!!! It’s the best news ever. As my oncologist stated, “Best. Possible. Outcome.”

Wednesday was my post-op appointment with my oncologist. As you can read, we got the best news possible.  The pathology report: No residual disease, clear margins, clear parametrium, clear lymph nodes – a total of 40 of those bad boys! In cervical cancer, the amount of lymph nodes taken is directly related to the reoccurrence rate. The more taken, the less likely it is for cancer to be hiding out somewhere. My oncologist stated that the chance of reoccurrence just fell through the floor. He was confident that we chose the right treatment plan.  I will not need any further treatment, and once cleared from my surgery, I will begin a routine of testing every 4 months for the next few years. I am so relieved to say the least!

THIS is a moment of joy! My favorite verse (Psalm 71:14), “As for me, I will always have HOPE; I will PRAISE you more and more.” I sit at my Father’s feet praising Him for what he has done in my life. I pray that I have brought glory to His name in the midst of cancer. I pray that those who have leaned in to us during our time of need have seen and felt the Father’s love.

Please continue to pray for my healing from the surgery. I am ecstatic to focus on my healing without fear of what treatment is around the corner. I can now focus on my mission trip to Cambodia in November. I look forward to this trip being a celebration of life!! These kids have taught me to be hopeful no matter the circumstance, and celebrating the hope we have in God is going to be epic! If you would like to know more about our trip, email me or visit https://globalx.managedmissions.com/MyTrip/rhoades

Thank you so much for your love, support, and encouragement!! You guys are the best!!

Meal train

A meal train has been established for us. Thank you Autumn & Browns Bridge! 

https://mealtrain.com/z8lyo

Joy on the Farm

One Week Update

It’s been a week since my surgery, and I’m feeling pretty good! As with all recovery, some days are just better than others. I’m still extremely tired, but my walks have grown in length, and I now try to get out to see our feathered friends a couple times a day. Life on the Rhoades Farm brings much joy!

            During this journey with cancer, I am learning how to fight for joy on a daily basis. Joy is a choice! I can sit and ponder on the what-ifs, the pains, the hurts, the scary outcomes, the waiting, OR I can find joy in God. I can seek his face, and I can experience His joy. His joy is aplenty! It might sound almost contradictory to be full of joy AND to be fighting cancer, but as Nehemiah stated “…the JOY of the Lord is your STRENGTH” (Nehemiah 8:10). I can not express how true this has been for me. The more I focus on God and his love for me, the less time I have to be stricken with worry or fear. The more I seek joy in the world around me, the less pain and sadness I feel. God has not forsaken me, He’s walking right along side me through this entire journey!

            Thank you for continuing to pray for me! My body is a mess, as is normal after most major surgeries! Please pray for continued healing and adapting to the new “normal”. Please pray for great test results – clear lymph nodes, clean margins, and clear parametrium. Cambodia is on my heart…..who has time for cancer?!

A New Day

This post will be short and sweet, as I'm sure you understand! :)

First, I just want to thank all of you for your amazing support and encouragement. I can not fully express how much it has meant to us! We began receiving emails Sunday night before surgery, and they are still arriving! Michael has shared each and every note, message, email, text and phone call with me. It is an overwhelming feeling to be so loved by so many! Thank you - you guys keep us going! 
     
I definitely don't want to leave out the food. Oh my goodness. All of it has been so delicious!! I have an appetite, although I get full very quickly, but I make sure to try everything. You guys are amazing! Thanks for the visits. Healing can be monotonous and boring, so I am grateful for the conversations! 
    
 I'm doing well to be just a few days post-op! I'm finally able to get up and get around, although I tire rather quickly...and by quickly I mean after just a few steps! I'm swollen and bruised, sore and tired, BUT I'm oh so good! God is oh.so.good! Per my oncologist, the surgery couldn't have gone better. I loss very little blood ( a common complication in this type of surgery). My blood sugars have been good and stable. I'm healing and recovering with God, family, and friends right by my side. 

YOU GUYS REALLY ARE AMAZING! I am blessed indeed! 

Surgery Update

Becky is out of surgery. Thank you so much for all of your prayers! 

Family

God continues to place things in front of Becky and I that speak to the fact that we are His.  Not only is he our Creator, but he is our Sustainer.  He crafted you and I.  

Knowing that we would reject him, he bore our penalty of death.  He died so we could live.  

He said we could never do enough to win his favor; we can’t complete a to-do list to earn a place in his court.  Instead, he came into the world he created in the most humble way.  He came as a baby, born into a family.  Now, Christ invites us into his family.  He wants us to be his bride.  Once we put our trust in Him, He calls us Daughter, Son, Brother, Sister. We Belong.  We are Accepted.  We are Loved.  We are Chosen.  

Thank you to each of you that have lifted our family, doctors, & nurses up to God.  Each of you have wrapped your arms around us, prayed for us, cried for us, loved us.  Each of you are family, and it is good to be a part of God’s family.  

His family is big, and we have people praying for us from Georgia to Minnesota to Texas to Costa Rica to Cambodia, and I’m certain in other places in between.

On Belay?

A little climbing lingo for you...

On Belay? —  “Are you ready to belay me?”
Belay On   —  “We are Ready.”
Climbing   —  “I’m climbing."
Climb On  —  “We are ready and paying attention to you.”

(Post by Michael)
I have been on multiple team building events where climbing is involved.  I must admit, it is a pretty cool experience when you scale a 30 foot telephone pool, and then stand on top of it… on one foot.  Next, jumping to grab, and hang from a trapeze bar. It is a both a nerve racking and exhilarating experience.

You cannot (or at least should not) attempt this on your own.  The point of this crazy obstacle is both for you to stretch your limits, and for you to be fully reliant upon your belay team.  While you are trying to figure out how to go from climbing this pole to standing on top of it (as it sways back and forth), you are trusting your life to this group of individuals who are strapped into the rope system with you.  You have the liberty to push further because you know that this group is with you, and that they have you covered.

As I have walked this road of cancer with my wife, I often find myself wondering… “What do you do when the one you love has cancer?”  No really.  What.Do.You.Do? What is the appropriate response when you are told that your bride has cancer?

I cannot “fix it”.  I could not protect her from it.  So I am grounded in the realization that I, as a man, as a husband, cannot “solve” this.  Then God reminds me of my role.  He reminds me that my role of a husband is not to “fix it”.  He tells me that this is not my problem to solve.  It is my role is to be her belay team.  I, her husband, her other half, her best friend, her love, her life, her husband, her soulmate, her sunshine; am to love and support - her.  

The Creator of the universe.  The Sustainer of life.  The King above all Kings.  My Savior, my Redeemer, my Strong Tower.  This is His, and it is His will that I want to be done. 

God, Wife, Husband.  Yep, we’ve got this.

Need to Breathe has a song that I love.  The song is full of conviction, determination, and resolve.  The song is titled “Won’t Turn Back”.  Here is small part of it:

Faithful like a soldier

Who’s answered to the call

Even when his back’s against the wall

So tell me why I should run for cover

At the sound of the coming thunder

All I hear is the cry of my lover

Yeah take your shot

I won’t turn back

Cancer…Tell me why I should run for cover.

I. Won’t. Turn. Back.

Each of you are key to our journey.  We are grateful for all of you.  Your love, your care, your intentionality, your prayers; they are all key for us.  

You are Our Belay Team. So...
On Belay?