Recently, I discovered that I have a rare bone cancer (Osteosarcoma) on my rib. The tumor is about 6-7 cm (bigger than a golf ball but smaller than a baseball). At my first visit with a thoracic surgeon-oncologist at UNC, he suggested that I need to have surgery soon. Later, I also found out that it has spread near the area of my spinal cord (1 cm away). For that part, I need to do radiation therapy, where the side effects can include nerve pain in my (polio) legs. Worst case, potentially I may also get leukemia and/or lung cancer down the road. If I don't do anything, then I may have only 6 months to live. Needless to say, I did not know how to react to the news. I asked God for wisdom so I may know how to act. Act in a way that is pleasing to God. One Sunday morning, I got up, earlier than usual. The first thing that came to my mind was "love your enemy." My enemy is the Osteosarcoma. Since I am a person of faith and I have friends and family, I reached out to them and asking them to pray for me. Overwhelmingly, they did and I received much reassurance (from God) that I am going to be alright! I realize my enemy is also a gift. In my case, it's a gift of suffering. Suffering is a great way to purify my soul. So, where there is a gift of suffering, there is also a gift of Grace. So, I am focusing on the endless gift of Grace through the gift of faith, friendship, family, love, hope, charity, and so on. In short, it will be a rough road with many challenges ahead. Please keep me and my family in your prayers. Everything is going to be alright! Updated: I ended up going to MD Anderson Cancer Center. They told me that I do not have bone cancer but I do have thyroid cancer. So, I am going to MDACC for my treatment.
