Journal
Blessed Remission
19 January 2006 › 25 comments
If you know me personally, you are probably familiar with my dad’s health situation. For those of you that aren’t, let me briefly re-cap. About eighteen months ago, my dad was diagnosed with kindney cancer. This was extremely unexpected, because he doesn’t really drink very often, and is a fitness nut – runs on his eliptical machine regularly, etc.
Anyway, he had surgery in the summer of 2004, and four weeks later was all the way over in Estonia, my wife’s country of origin, for our wedding. What can I say, he’s a trooper. About one year later, the cancer had come back, in the void where his kidney had been. It was diagnosed as a type that could not be treated with traditional chemotherapy, so for the past few months he has been undergoing self-administered treatments, via injection.
The doctors predicted a 50/50 percent chance of success. They told him if this treatment did not work, that he was looking at about a ten month timetable. Now, I know everyone has to go sometime, somehow, but I was really hoping that God wouldn’t take him just yet. Imagine my relief when today, my mom called and told me that after his checkup, the doctors found no sign of cancer.
Praise be to God, and serious props to the doctors and nurses who helped!
Discussion + Dissension
Comments closed after 2 weeks.
#1 Jim
All the glory to God! Not everyone gets to hear that kind of news; in regards to a family member/friend who has cancer. Awesome!
#2 Dennis Bullock
That is great news Nathan… just another example of the power of prayer. Bless you and your family.
#3 Jesse J. Anderson
Awesome. Great news man… isn’t God good?
#4 AsceticMonk
Great news! I am so happy to hear another miracle.
God’s healing is done in miraculous ways, glory to our Heavenly Father!
#5 Mike Montgomery
Wonderful news—we’re happy for all of you.
May God bless you all.
#6 Jonathan Sampson
Praise God!
Cancer is a nasty thing. As of now, we have a very dear staff member here at my ministry who is undergoing heavy chemotherapy. He’s only 29 years old, and this is the second time he’s had serious cancer. The doctors falsely administered a drug last week which is now causing his kidneys to fail. The Sin-cursed world that we live in is one full of pain, and depression…but I eagerly await the coming of our Savior, who makes all things new!
Even so, Come LORD Jesus, Come!
#7 Yannick
Awesome! Praise God indeed!
#8 Rob Soule
We do serve an awesome God, that’s great news! Praise him indeed. :)
#9 Chris Harrison
What awesome news. Thanks for sharing, Nathan. God bless you and your family!!!
#10 David Russell
Praise God!
#11 kartooner
That’s just great Nathan. Happy to hear it. :) Many blessings to your father and your family.
#12 Wesley Walser
Awesome news man, praise be to God indeed.
#13 Andy
Nathan, That is awsome. Praise the Lord!
#14 Nathan Logan
Glad to hear it Nathan. I actually just posted an article that talks about John Piper’s response to his recent cancer diagnosis.
Your article is a great encouragement, especially given a cancer issue currently taking place in my family. To God be the glory for His inherent goodness and sovereignty!
#15 Ryan Heneise
Praise God Nathan! So glad to hear it. My wife is a pediatric hematology-oncology nurse, so she works with kids with cancer every day. We’re around it so much that it’s easy to forget how it affects people’s lives. Sometimes it hits home though, and it can be so devastating. But the stories with happy endings – like your dad – make it all worthwhile.
#16 Jason Beaird
Wow! That’s excellent news, and it’s great to read a blog entry that inspires so many people to say “Praise God!”. He is good!
#17 Nathan Smith
Thanks for all the prayer / support, and positive feedback. It meant a lot to me, and I know it meant a lot to my dad as well. My mom was ecstatic.
#18 Jan Palmer
Hi! I won’t go in to how I found you, too freaky! I am in England and I have the same cancer as your Dad, diagnosed out of a clear blue sky in June 2004. Like him I had the primary removed. Mine has spread to my lungs, but is currently static, so I have not yet started the immunotherapy treatment. I was given 15% chance of making it so we’ll just wait and see! Best wishes from a mad Englishwomanfor to your Dad.and to you for the future.
#19 Ryan Nalepinski
2-day reader, first time writer. Praise be to God on the curing of your father’s cancer. The information found on www.hacres.com may be of interest to those of you who know of people who are currently fighting cancer.
#20 Jill Stevens
YAY!!!!! Thank you for sharing the good news. God is so good. I am really pleased for the whole family! Let’s all continue to lift up Yoshi, Elise and their family in prayer.
Nathan, it is wonderful to be able to read about you and Olga too. thank you for sharing photographs and updates.
Cousin J
#21 Nathan Smith
Jan / Ryan, and cousin Jill (good to hear from you!): Thanks so much for your kind words, prayers and concern. My parents have been reading this page, and are very appreciative of all the warm-hearted feedback and support.
#22 Colleen Doi
Hi Nathan: It’s me your long lost cousin, great news about your Dad! God is AWESOME!! You all our in my thoughts and prayers, send the family my Love :)
#23 Nathan Smith
Colleen: Hey, it’s great to hear from you. I see your email address is from Hawaii.edu, lucky! I bet you’re having much better weather than we are. ;)
#24 Mark
Nathan – Great news about your Dad! I have just been diagnoist with Kidney Cancer as well. It was a large surprise, to me and hope to have the same great news as your Dad. Life is very precious and we praise God everyday for the gift of life. My son (24 years old) is having a tough time with this, as I am sure that you have had. I pray that each day you both spend together will be equal, the same in years.
God Bless you and your family.
#25 Nathan Smith
Mark: I will be praying that you recover without incident. Tell your son to hang in there. It was tough for my family to hear and deal with the news as well.