Update from Tom - SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 01, 2009 11:18 AM, CST

[Guest guest]

Last week, I went back to church for the first time since the transplant, but since Kathy was teaching Sunday School, I was there by myself. This week, we were able to go together. I had forgotten how wonderful it is to worship with her. Just singing with Kathy next to me is uplifting. We sat with Larry and Debbie this morning, just to put icing on the cake. Larry continues to do well with his recovery, and it's great to worship with my hero next to me.

This experience just underscored my contention about how important it is to have a strong faith when facing major challenges like this. We are in a healthy, well-balanced, supportive church community, and I'm grateful that God put us there.

Shifting gears slightly, after weighing myself this morning, I can report that I have now lost eight pounds in the last week. It's all water...my belly is still pretty bloated, but it's better than it has been, and the swelling in my legs has gone down considerably. Relieving that pressure does wonders for the pain level, and although I still have pain around the clock, its intensity has dropped off significantly.

I also noticed that I no longer have to talk myself into having sufficient strength to climb the stairs at home. Doing that is second nature again. It's still a decent amount of exertion, but now I don't feel like I'm having a heart attack when I hit the top of the stairs.

So, those are two small victories. I think it's important to look for the tiny improvements along the way. The recovery road is a cross-country trip, so you need to look for good things that happen periodically. There will certainly be plenty of setbacks, too, and that is why I seek little wins here and there. They make the backward steps a little more tolerable.

The hardest part right now is communicating that I have a long way to go in the recovery. Apparently, I look pretty good right now, according to those I meet. My color is good, and I don't look obviously sick any more, at least on the outside. (I guess I looked pretty bad right before the transplant.) But, I'm still healing on the inside, and that will be a process that takes many months.

I am learning that my mission here is to lift people up and show them that God will lead us through huge challenges if we let Him. I will keep a good attitude when I talk to people, even when I'm not feeling so great. A positive outlook is infectious. That said, I still need a lot of prayer. We're not done with this yet, and we won't be for quite some time. I'm happy to fight the war, however, and I welcome the chance to help others through their own difficult times.

This was a revelation to me last week. A frequent visitor to this site called me last week to tell me that he has cancer. That knocked me off my feet, because this person has been a close friend for decades. He's courageously fighting the battle, and although I can't be there for him physically, I can help him face what lies ahead, at least in some small way. I know I would never be able to do this if I had not gone through a similar life-threatening experience. God is equipping me for this ministry, and I pray that He continues to enable me to serve Him in this way. No one knows how this will turn out, but here I am, Lord, ready to help.

Tom

To send a message to Tom, Kathy and family goto;

http://www.caringbridge.org/visit/thomasbutler

-- Ian Cribb P.Eng. (6...