Shaken to the Core

The man in the chair looked pretty healthy to be a patient at NHC, an impression strengthened when he jumped up to shake my hand.  Turns out it was his son of the same name who was the patient, who was wheeled in after therapy shortly after. 

A few weeks ago, back pain had sent the relatively young man to the doctor.  Degenerated disks was the diagnosis, but tests done in preparation for that surgery uncovered suspicious areas in lymph nodes, which in turn led to a diagnosis of prostrate cancer, and surgery for that. 

As we spoke it was not hard to see that he has been shaken to the core.  Besides the very real possibility of an early death, everything he thought he had and was seemed up in the air.  Would he be able to return to work?  Would he be able to live alone?  He had lost a lot of weight, and somehow his voice had changed, so that he didn't seem like himself to himself. 

It had been impressed on him that ultimately all we have is our faith in Christ, and his promise to deliver us "from the body of this death."  There were tears, prayers, and more tears.  His is a fight not only for health, but for faith.  Pray that R.S. will regain the former, and stay strong in the latter.