And I Will Trust in You Alone

Forward A while ago I had the privilege of meeting up with Graham. I discovered that we have a lot of things in common. We are both committed Christians. We both regularly attend Spring Harvest and we both discovered that we had been diagnosed with cancer at about the same time. We met up in the Spring Harvest team lounge with Graham’s wife Ginny and my wife Irene. We both related our cancer stories to each other and discovered yet another thing that we have in common. Although we had both experienced a really tough year, we felt that it had been even tougher for our loved ones and families. I thought that meeting up with Graham may be a rather sad time but nothing could be further from the truth. Graham is a man full of faith and hope. He is a man who loves and trusts Jesus in the good times and still loves and trusts Jesus in the difficult times. It was such a joy to sit and talk with him. The saddest part was after a while we had to leave. Graham could not tell me when or how his cancer journey would end, but he did know that Jesus is in control of everything that is happening in his life. Here in this book is Graham’s painful story. Blunt, honest and to the point but full of personal lessons that I believe will be an encouragement to both the healthy and the less healthy. Here is a chance to walk alongside Graham on a journey that none of us humanly speaking, would choose. Rev Ian Smale (Ishmeal) December 2007 I have finally realised after a number of months suffering with excess wind and repeatedly needing to go to the toilet that I should consult my doctor. He was very understanding and suggested that I started drinking Actimel which is a yoghurt drink which contains the bacteria probiotics which can help your body improve its immune system, therefore fighting against illnesses and diseases. I was advised if nothing had improved after a couple of weeks, I should see him again. 11 February 2008 Despite drinking the Actimel yoghurt drinks, nothing had changed; in fact things appeared to be getting worse so I decided I ought to see my doctor again. The reason I had delayed another appointment was that over the Christmas period eating habits are different and I thought this may have been part of the reason my digestive system was not working properly. However, the need to repeatedly go to the toilet was beginning to get me down and was becoming uncomfortable. Another reason for putting off this appointment was that I can’t face medical situations - having previously fainted when having a simple blood test and needing to close my eyes when watching medical scenes on the TV or in films. My doctor immediately recommended that I should go for a flexible sigmoidoscopy at the hospital where the experts could see if anything was wrong. He said that appointments are normally made within two weeks which proved to be right. 26 February 2008 – email to close family Hi, It’s probably time to share with you that I have been suffering since before Christmas with a digestive problem and have seen the doctor a couple of times now. He has now referred me to the hospital for a flexible sigmoidoscopy next Thursday at 9.00am. This is an investigation with a camera to look at my rectum and colon. This is something I am not looking forward to especially as you’re not normally sedated and I tend to faint at medical situations at the best of times. Your prayers appreciated. Blessings Graham 26 February 2008 – Book of Encouragement 7 The LORD will keep you from all harm - He will watch over your life; 8 The LORD will watch over your coming and going both now and forevermore. Psalm 121 v 7 - 8 (Email from Mum and Dad Priddy) 28 February 2008 Today I have an appointment at the Royal Berkshire Hospital for a procedure called a flexible sigmoidoscopy. The procedure is used for finding out what is causing symptoms such as changes in bowel habit or rectal pain. It is also used to check for inflammation, early signs of cancer and polyps. During the procedure, they may take biopsies (samples of tissue) for examination in a laboratory. As the doctor has to see clearly, the bowel needs to be completely empty and when I awoke, it was necessary to use the enema I had been sent in the post. This is designed to empty your bowel within a few minutes. I did not find this easy to administer and so Ginny had to assist. The examination only took about 10 to 15 minutes and was very uncomfortable, rather than painful, as air was pumped through the tube into the lower bowel to make it expand. This made it easier to see with the aid of a camera lens at the end of the sigmoidoscope which sent pictures from the inside of the bowel to a TV screen. Following the examination, I was able to rest in a ward for an hour prior to being told that they had found something and I would require a further visit to the Outpatients department at a later date. In view of the discomfort, I took the rest of the day off work and spent some time finishing off the decking I was building in the garden.