[Noozhawk’s note: Second in series. Click here for the first column.]
Here’s the rest of the prostate cancer story begun in my previous column. All seemed well after Dr. Alex Koper of Sansum Clinic removed my catheter only two days after my HIFU (High Intensity Focused Ultrasound) procedure.
Sadly, the next day I was unable to eliminate that afternoon and into the evening hours, and experienced increasing frustration and pain. Finally, around 11 p.m. I asked my wife to drive me to the Goleta Valley Cottage Hospital emergency room.
Upon entering the ER, I was asked my pain level. I commented “eight” and was promptly attended to by a male nurse in one of the available rooms. Dr. Jason Prystowsky promptly inserted a new Foley catheter and removed more than ;600 milliliters of fluid. What a relief!
I imagine ER physicians quickly become experts at replacing catheters since my situation seemed to be fairly commonplace. That catheter became my sidekick for the next five days.
On the sixth day I was back at Sansum Clinic having the catheter removed once again. Then I returned later that afternoon for a follow-up visit.
Unfortunately, I wasn’t able to produce a urine sample, which led to a phone call between urologists and the decision to insert a third catheter for an additional 13 days! I was not prepared for this at all.
Apparently, Dr. Koper realized that my prostate was not anywhere near ready to function and he wanted to give it sufficient time to heal. I was prescribed Flomax (Tamsulosin), which treats benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) and also relaxes the gland to allow for proper healing and urine flow.
Apparently my HIFU procedure was so extensive that it totally shut down the gland, and it would be three weeks from the procedure date before this third catheter would be removed. By this time, I was no longer surprised and found a certain peace in simply accepting the consequences of the procedure.
Over the three-week period, I became quite proficient in doing business as usual and became fairly attached to this third device. I was amazed at how much work I was able to accomplish and found myself getting around town without a hitch.
I saw no reason to let this dilemma get me down. Exactly three weeks after the procedure, my prostate was finally able to function on its own and, after a few days developed some control of my bladder.
Through this latest medical journey, I could truly sense the Lord working on increasing my degree of patience. King David proclaims in Psalm 40:1-2, “I waited patiently for the Lord; he turned to me and heard my cry. He lifted me out of the slimy pit, out of the mud and mire; he set my feet on a rock and gave me a firm place to stand.”
Yes, I could relate to David’s song of solace as I considered all I had been through this past January.
Interestingly, I also found myself reflecting on Paul’s discussion of the human body found in 1 Corinthians 12:12-31. He compares the Church body to our human body. In verses 22-25, he shares, “On the contrary, those parts of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable, and the parts that we think are less honorable we treat with special honor. And the parts that are unpresentable are treated with special modesty, while our presentable parts need no special treatment. But God has combined the members of the body and has given greater honor to the parts that lacked it, so that there should be no division in the body, but that its parts should have equal concern for each other.”
My personal experience with one of the most modest of body parts has given me a new perspective on these verses. Paul continues in verse 26 with this clincher: “If one part suffers, every part suffers with it; if one part is honored, every part rejoices with it.”
I truly rejoice with the overall healing of my body and trust the Lord will continue to do a mighty work in removing any signs of cancer, if that’s His will. After all, we are here for His pleasure and I trust Him more than ever since going through these troubled waters.
To God be the glory!
Passages to Ponder
— Jim Langley has been writing for more than 30 years while working as a life and health insurance agent in Santa Barbara. In recent years, his passion has turned to writing about his personal relationship with God, and his goal is to encourage others to draw near to Him as well. As a longtime member of CBMC of Santa Barbara (Christian Business Men’s Connection), he started writing Fourth Quarter Strategies columns in 2014, and he now reaches an international audience through the CBMC International devotional Monday Manna. He can be contacted at jim@fourthquarterstrategies.com for more information. Click here for previous columns. The opinions expressed are his own.