New Year, New Challenges

The year 2007 hasn’t been quite gentle on the Lucasi family. Even before 2006 ended, we were headed towards tremendous challenges.

December 17, 2006, Sunday evening, my father Doming was rushed to the local hospital in Nueva Vizcaya because he was suffering from severe abdominal pain. It has been days since he was able to have bowel movement. The doctors said there might be an obstruction but they couldn’t identify what was causing the obstruction or where it was located. Nevertheless, he needed to undergo surgery to relieve him of that obstruction. Five days prior to that though, he had problems with bladder retention and could not urinate so a catheter was inserted in him.

It was later decided on that the procedure be done in Manila. So amidst bad weather on December 19, the plane from SIL Bagabag flew him over to Bulacan. Hours later, he was confined at St. Luke’s Medical Center in Quezon City. The following day, he had a colostomy.

His colostomy helped him with his bowel problem but he still suffered from great pain. A whole abdomen CT scan showed that a big myeloma mass had grown on his tailbone and was pushing against the rectum causing the obstruction. It was painful for him to sit or lay down. The doctors from pain management put him on morphine and it gave him relief but the side effects were plenty. He was barely awake and he couldn’t speak out loud. His memory became foggy and he had some hallucinations. We prayed that God would deliver him from pain and God heard our prayers. For one week he was off morphine and he was pain free. He was able to move around and talk and tell stories. The doctors say it was impossible for the pain to just suddenly stop. But God is a God of the impossible. Everything was going okay until the pain began again. This time it wasn’t on his backside. It was on his lower abdomen, groin area and on the mass on his upper left rib.

Aside from the mass on his tailbone, he had other masses growing in other parts of his body. But the main concern right now is the mass causing the bowel obstruction. He is undergoing radiation therapy and needs to finish 28 sessions. If everything goes well, his last session will be on the 6th of February. Until then, he will be confined in the hospital. His left leg is swollen and so is his right eyelid. His protein level is low. The doctors say that even if the mass on his tailbone is shrunk, it would always grow in different parts of his body.

The process has been a roller coaster of emotions and trying physical condition. But my father’s prayer is that God would have mercy on him and extend his life. He longs to serve God longer. He feels there is yet to be done. And so as a family we stand by him in prayers asking God to allow us to experience His healing power. It is a daily fight as my father struggles with cancer. He tries to walk around, do things on his own, talks about Jesus with his visitors and fight the pain.

It has been exhausting and difficult. But God, being true to His word, never left us nor has He forsaken us. He has been our source of strength, of joy, of comfort. We do not know what His plans are or what the future holds for our family. But we are at peace knowing that all things work together for the good of those who love Him. His ways are not our own. His thoughts are higher than ours.

We have been praying for a miracle…one of healing. And we see God’s hand moving. There has been healing of broken relationships. There has been forgiveness, mending of rifts and most importantly healing of broken relationships with God. We have learned a lot through this process of healing. We are experiencing the sweet joy of waiting on the Lord. Of being still and knowing He is God. Our faith is being stretched and tested.

Prayers are pouring from all parts of the world. Friends have been coming to encourage. Blessings are abounding and we cannot thank God enough for how he has been and will be sustaining us.

We look forward to what God has in store for our family this New Year. Please join us as we pray for God’s mighty healing power for my father. Rejoice with us as we celebrate life, friendship, laughter, tears and God’s enduring faithfulness and love.

Leo