Life Interrupted...

My world has been knocked off its axis.  No, it isn't about the ongoing unemployment.  That's just been a little bump in the road.  We've been down that road before, and eventually it will smooth out.  There are options we haven't even begun to explore.  Something will come together and we will survive unemployment one way or another.

A few weeks ago Bob and I were enjoying dinner at Olive Garden with my brother and his wife.  They were treating us in celebration of our 35th wedding anniversary.  Don winced every now and then...his back was still bothering him and physical therapy wasn't helping.  He was disappointed because he had hoped to be training for his 12th marathon. At age 59, he was the picture of health and vitality.  He had been running for fitness and stress relief  for decades.  But this new pain in his back was bringing all that to a screeching halt, and he was having all kinds of scans and tests run to see what was going on.

One night he ended up having to go to the ER, the pain was so great he felt he couldn't move.  He was admitted to the hospital for more tests and morphine.  A few days later he sent us a text message late at night.  "got the test results.  news not so good."  As my husband read the details to me, I was at first stunned and then angry.  I wanted to start throwing things.  I felt sick to my stomach.  I thought I was having a nightmare and I just wanted to wake up to my normal life again...life as it had been before this news.

I'd heard of multiple myeloma before. Our grandmother died from it 40 years ago.  It is an incurable blood cancer that settles in the bones.  It is very rare, representing only about 1% of all cancers.  And just a few years ago I had done a little research on the internet when I had a small tumor removed from my inner elbow area.  Mine was not malignant but I was curious as to the symptoms of multiple myeloma.  That was when I found out that in spite of many new experimental drugs, radiation and chemotherapy, not much progress has been made in finding a cure or in survival rates. Still, the doctors are saying this cancer is "very treatable".  So we hope.

In my brother's case, a tumor was found on his L5 vertebrae, and had in fact crushed it, causing the severe pain he is experiencing.  More scans, more tests...  The good news so far being the cancer has not metastasized in any other bones.   Chemotherapy begins in just a few days.

As I sat before my brother yesterday while he rested on the hospital bed that has been set up in their family room, he held both of my hands for a long time.  He is taking a liquid morphine every 2 hours so he faded in and out as we talked.  He wanted to tell me about the good things he sees happening already as a result of his suffering.  "God stories" as he calls them.  His faith is strong.  He is determined not to "waste his cancer".

We don't know where this road is leading.  It's not a journey any of us would choose to travel.  Only God knows the end from the beginning and the number of our days.  In spite of the shock, the pain, and the uncertainty, as individuals and as a family we will choose to say "Blessed be the name of the Lord."  And we would so appreciate your prayers for healing, for strength, for faith to remain strong through the storm.  Thank you friends.  I know you will.

 Don Lichi 

Sept. 2011

Congratulations, Dr. Don!

My little brother, Don Lichi, 57, completed his 10th marathon on Saturday, Sept. 26 in Akron, Ohio.

He says this is his last one...we'll see!

Approximately 10,000 people from all walks of life came to participate in the various races, which included a 1/2 marathon, and a relay race.

In case you didn't know, a marathon is 26.2 miles. Don finished the race in 4 hours, 52 minutes (4:52). 1500 people set out to do the 26.2 mile marathon. Of the 1431 people who finished, the average time was 4:21. The longest time was 6:40.

The first place winner of the race was a 27 year old man from Kenya, whose time was 2:27...not the world's record, but not too far from it! How amazing is that?! This man is in the United States to run a couple races in hopes of taking the prize money back home to his family. He picked up $2000 in Akron.

The Bible uses the analogy of running a race many times to illustrate how we should live our lives while on this earth. One of my favorite verses is this one, which is a quotation of Paul from one of his letters to his protege, Timothy. He was chained up in a dreary prison at the time, and knew he was near the end of his life:

"I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day..." (II Timothy 3:7)

Paul is looking back over his years of laboring for the sake of the Gospel, as an athlete who has given his all for the prize.

Now, my brother knew before he started this marathon that he would not even come close to being the fastest runner. He did not let that discourage him from running the race, however, and striving to finish it, in spite of an injured calf. Nor did it bother him that he was 30 years older than the man with the fastest time. He was running according to his own abilities. After months of training and discipline, the satisfaction of finishing well according to his ability was his reward. It was a worthy goal for him. The same can be said, I'm quite sure, of the person who finished with the longest time. What mattered was getting into the race, and doing the very best they could, and with that comes the satisfaction of finishing well.

Isn't that just like life? We all have different abilities and talents. What are we doing with them? We don't need to compare ourselves with others...but we can be developing and using the skills that we each have been uniquely gifted with. That is a worthy goal. And the prize will be, at the end of our lives, to hear those coveted words, "well done, good and faithful servant" (Matt. 25:23).

Way to go, Don! You are, as always, an inspiration to so many...both in running the marathon 10 times, and in the race of life.