::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

UPDATE No. 1   Tuesday    22 /2/ 2005

 

 

 Hi ...  This is one of those circular letters that I need to send to a dozen people ... to tell them all the latest news.  On Wed. 16th Feb. 2005,  I told Dr. Daisy how food was sticking in my throat ... so she sent me off for a gastroscopy ...if that's how it's spelt.   I told her that Vijay, who used to be a member of my church at Rosanna , was a surgeon who did that kind of thing ... so Friday (18th) I popped off to see him ... and he slithered a camera down my throat to see what was the matter...  (you can see where this email is heading , can't you ?)   

   The next day ...Saturday 19th ...  he rang Barbie to say it was serious and he wanted to see both of us on Sunday afternoon at his home.  So I preached  that Sunday morning at Williamstown  ... took Barbie out to lunch  'cos it was her birthday ( tho' I only had pasta that slithered down ) ... then off to Vijay's. I already had said ... " Sounds like cancer "  and sure enough ... it's cancer of the oesophagus.    

   This has led to folk ‘phoning and speaking in hushed tones as if  it’s a funeral service. So much for the spooky word “cancer!” Another sends me rather boring sermon snippets from Puritans who lived 200 years ago. And another tells me that I was healed 2000 years ago ...   They all mean well ... even those who splutter and just don't know what to say .    

    Vijay urgently arranged for me to have a cat-scan the following day ( Monday 21st.) and  he rang the results thru' the same  afternoon. (They had found no cats. nor had the cancer spread.)   I must see my cardiologist next Monday to see if my heart will conk out under an anesthetic or not ( who knows  ?)  ... and  then see a Thorasic surgeon ( who lives in Thorasic Park ?)  next week ... ( already organised  by Vijay ... he is so helpful ! ) .... and he hopes to have me in Northern Hospital , Epping, by  Friday week !!.  Wow !     He said it was an urgent " major, major operation !"  (I’m not sure if that means the operation is dangerous or whether he stutters. )

 He will do half of it ... another surgeon does the chest as he does the abdomen.  Maybe they get Houdini to cut me in half first ? Yuk !      If I don't have the operation  the  cancerous growth will block my oesophagus and I'll have to be fed thru' a tube the rest of my life.  And it's difficult to get vanilla slices through a tube !  The growth, incidentally is close to a major pulmonary vein ... just to add to the drama.   

   None of this had really upset me ... but having to cancel 23 preaching & mid-week Bible studies during the next three months ... is really depressing !  Grrr !!!   On the good side , however , is the fact that I'll be in hospital about a month surrounded by pretty nurses who laugh at my jokes ...  or in Heaven singing to the angels with my ukelele.  

  It's a win/win situation !!  

                                    

                                                  God holds the key of all unknown

and I am glad;

If other hands should hold the key

or if He trusted it to me ...

    I might be sad.     

                                                                                                    ( Joseph Parker )     

 ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

 

 UPDATE  No. 2 … March 1.     Yesterday was a cardiogram … tomorrow a nuclear (!) cat-scan … Thursday see Vijay again and Friday see the chest surgeon.  I might add … things just grew more depressing . I was  not allowed to drink coffee or tea  for a day or two previous  …or wait for it … eat chocolates !! 

                                                                  

……………………………………………………………

 

UPDATE  No. 3

March ... 4th.  4:00 p.m. Saw Vijay  yesterday ... he had the results of the stress test

 ( so called 'cos running 50 m.p.h. on a treadmill  puts one under so much stress !) and the nuclear cat-scan ....  It seems that the operation  will be "high risk" due to the damage to my heart some 8 years ago when I had my heart attack.   Now he thinks I ought to go to the Austin Hospitalwhere they have equipment available if my heart stops during the surgery. I will be seeing the Thorasic surgeon at 5:30 p.m. today to get his final decision

 

March 4:    8:00  p.m.

      Well !!! … Dr Seevin ( or something like that ) … the Thorasic surgeon … seems to think the best course of action is a few weeks …or months ( !!) … of  chemo-therapy to shrink the tumor away from the heart before an operation.  So  now we wait to see Dr. Tuppett  and another gastroscopy …  in the meantime it’s still “ One day at a time !”

       I don’t know what the future holds … but I know Who holds the future.

 ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

   UPDATE No. 4  March 11th. 

  Hi !    

 Here I am ... still kickin' ... and rejoicing … with the latest news about my health.

 Last Tuesday Barbie & I saw a specialist  ...   who said so many things about what I needed having done to me , I'd forgotten most of  it by the  time I was back to the car.  But Barbie had taken notes   …bless her ! ... so I can tell you what lies ahead.

 

   On March 22 is a nuclear P.E.T. scan ... followed by another test ( a something or other that Barbie couldn't spell )... followed by another heart test to see if my heart ( which was damaged by my 1997 heart attack ) will cope with the operation /anesthetic.  Then chemo-therapy for 3 weeks or more....  then the operation.

 

Worst of all ... is that Barbie made an appointment  for me ( March 18 ) to get a flu injection from Dr. Daisy  !!

    

Last time I made her laugh just as she was about to jab and I'm sure the needle went in one side of my arm and came out the other. Moral of the story is don't make your Doctor giggle at a precarious moment.

 

At the moment New LItho ... the company that provided me with this computer, ...  is working on a web-site for me . I'll let you know when it is up and ready to go. It will provide something for me to do seeing as I'm not allowed to preach ( which included hours of preparation ) during the weeks/ months ahead .

 

God bless you all.

 

Thank-you for your prayers   ... for myself and Barbie and the family ... that we will know  the peace of God  in the midst of this disruption to normal life.

 

   Donald Prout

 ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

                              

  UPDATE  No. 5  … March 18 th.

 

I’m just home from the opening night of the Franklin Graham Festival.

He certainly preached the old-time gospel faithfully and it was good to see the response to the invitation to accept Christ as Saviour and Lord.

But the music !!!!!!!  Gone are the days of massed choirs and George Beverly Shea … now it’s guitars and drums and singers (?) whose lyrics  I am unable to understand.  All at full volume.

Anyway … that’s not why I’m writing this.

……………………………………

Today the inimitable Dr. Daisy with her omnipresent needle gave me a flu shot. 

This coming week , on Tuesday ,  it’s  the Positron Emission Tomography … better known as ‘The PET scan’ . I get a dose of radio-active tracers injected into me … and  for 6-8 hours after it’s over I’m not allowed to go near children under 2 years … or pregnant women ! 

Then Wednesday I see the Specialist ….

And Thursday I have a camera inserted in my tummy to see if any cancer cells are floating around where they shouldn’t be.  After all , no sense chopping it out of my oesophageus if it is hiding somewhere else … sneaky-like !

So that’s what lies in the immediate future… stand by for the next update next Friday… God willing !!

 God bless y’all !!

Donald

             …………………………………………………………………….     

P.S.

 

I'm in trouble, too.
 I just had the toughest time of my life. First,
 I got angina pectoris and then arteriosclerosis.
 Then it was cardiology and thoracic rhythm.
 Just as I was recovering from these, I got
 tuberculosis, double pneumonia and phthisis.
 Then they gave me hypodermics. Appendicitis
 was followed by tonsillectomy. These gave way
 to aphasia and hypertrophic cirrhosis. I completely
 lost my memory for a while, amnesia and dementia.
 I know I had diabetes and acute ingestion, besides
 gastritis, rheumatism, lumbago and neuritis.
 I don't know how I pulled through.  It was the
 toughest spelling test in my life!
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

UPDATE No. 6  Thursday 24 …

          Hi ... 'tis Donald !                                

 

Well  ... another week of Doctors'  waiting rooms (and needles)  is past.

Both the PET scan ( last Tuesday ) and the laparoscopy this morning  revealed no speed

 of the cancer outside my oesophagus.

 

At the moment I've a rather  sore tummy  ( and there is a lot of it to be sore !)  where the

surgeon drilled a hole and popped in a camera, ( I won't send you a copy of the photograph...it's not my best angle ...)                                                                 

 

I'm looking forward to preaching next Sunday night ... probably my last sermon for many a day.

   Then  it's  a heart scan next Tuesday ( 29th.) ...  

( I hope they leave it inside to scan it ! )

 

 a visit to Surgeon No. 1 next Thursday ( 31st. ) for a check up ...

 and then have a chemo-therapy 'port' inserted in my shoulder ... next Friday ( April 1st ).

 

I hope I can find a good book to read whilst I wait , wait , wait to be attended to.

I'm getting sick of  1985 Womens' Weekly's  that abound in such places !

  

The Best Book reminds me that " tribulation worketh patience " ( Romans 5:3)  ... and I don't need  convincing that such is just as true as the rest of the Book !

 

Pray that I won't get frustrated or irritable ... and that Barbie will be able to cope with it all.   My web-page still has teething troubles ... but  I'll let you know when it is up and running.

 

God bless !

  Donald.

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

 

UPDATE No. 7        

Just experimenting with my web-page … thanks to a couple of computer whiz-kids.

D.P.

                         

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::;

                            

 

     UPDATE No. 7      FRIDAY April 1st.

 

               Hi !  everybody ...

 

This is just to let you know that I'm stll alive , and kickin' , ... and sore !!! 

 You guessed it ... more needles !!   

                                                      

 Today the chemo-therapy 'port' was inserted under my skin ...  next Tuesday it gets hooked up  to the chemo  itself ...

 

                 Barbie has been so good driving me to and fro and waiting hours ... bless her ... that's one  of the things that saddens me. It has messed up so many of her  baby-sitting duties   and other things she used to do.

 

On the happy side ... my Web page is working ... the only trouble is that I have trouble working it. A friend taught me how to do it ... but when he went home , it didn't work for me !! Oh well , another 47 lessons and I should be a computer whiz-kid !

  

In the mean-time ... click on this and you should see what's on the Web-page so far.

 

                                             http://donaldprout.com/

 

 Last Sunday night Northcote Baptist let me preach  my 'last' sermon ... 'last' for how long , I don't know.

  I didn't realise it when I felt that  Psalm 23 was the theme I should choose  that verse 4 was a part of it.

 How about that  !!!  It was as if I was preaching to myself !

Below is a copy of the notes I distributed after the service ... in-case you are interested.

 

        Donald

...............................................................................................

 

 

“The King of Love my Shepherd is …”

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

 

Psalm 23
1   The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want.
2   He maketh me to lie down in green pastures:

 he leadeth me beside the still waters.
3   He restoreth my soul:

 he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake.
4   Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me;

 thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.
5   Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies:

 thou anointest my head with oil;

 my cup runneth over.
6   Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me

 all the days of my life:

and I will dwell in the house of the LORD for ever.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::;

 

INTRODUCTION    This “Pearl of Psalms”  is one of the best known, best loved portions of Scripture.

 Are there any new gems of truths to be unearthed within it ?

……………………………………………………

 (1) THE SETTING OF THE PSALM   It sounds trite to say that it comes between Psalm 22 & 24.

 But many an expositor has pointed out that therein lies a spiritual truth.

 Psalm 22 is the psalm that tells of our Saviour’s sufferings upon the Cross.  It commences with that cry, “My God, My God, why hast Thou forsaken Me?”  It speaks of the hostility of the mob (vs. 7-8), the agony of crucifixion (v. 14), the thirst (v. 15), the piercing of hands and feet (v. 16), the casting of lots for His garment (v. 18).  Psalm 22 is the Psalm of the Cross.

On the other hand, Psalm 24 is the Psalm of His Coming Again – “Lift up your heads, O ye gates;  even lift them up, ye everlasting doors;  and the King of Glory shall come in …” (v. 9).

Let us summarise it thus:………………

 

Psalm 22 – The Saviour’s Cross!

Psalm 23 – The Shepherd’s Crook!

Psalm 24 – the Sovereign’s Coming !

 

* Psalm 22 finds its New Testament correlation in John 10:11:  “The Good Shepherd Who gives His life for the sheep”.  Our Dying Lord!

* Psalm 23 finds its New Testament counterpart in Hebrews 13:20:  “Now the God of peace Who brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, that Great Shepherd of the sheep”.  Our Living Lord!

* And Psalm 24 finds an echo in I Peter 5:4:  “When the Chief Shepherd shall appear …”  Our Coming Lord!

Let it be emphasised, before we continue, unless you know Him as the Saviour of Psalm 22 you cannot enjoy the blessings of Psalm 23.

………………………………………………………………………………

 (2) THE STARTING POINT OF THE PSALM

 Whereas Psalm 22 spoke of the Provision of Salvation … the Cross

… Psalm 23 leads us to the Appropriation of that Salvation.  He is not just “a” Shepherd , or even “the” Shepherd,  but my Shepherd ! 

By faith I have made Him mine.

 Have you ?

……………………………………………………………….

(3) THE STRUMMING OF THE PSALM 

The six verses of Psalm 23 have been likened to a  6-stringed  musical instrument. And where-ever you strum …  it vibrates with Divine melody.

* Notice verse 4.  There is a change of grammar here.  The Psalmist is no longer telling others about his Shepherd as he did in vs. 1-3  but now he addresses the Shepherd directly . “Thou art with me !”  It is in the valley of the shadow the Lord becomes even closer to us !

………………………………..

 * Notice vs. 5 …  “My cup runneth over !”  And as the old Scottish preacher added …” and my saucer too !”   “Daily He loadeth us with   benefits.” ( Psalm 68:19)   What a Good Shepherd we have …

…………………………………

* Strum a little on vs. 6 … Goodness and mercy in this life !  And Glory hereafter !!

Why would anyone want another Shepherd ?

……………………………………

CONCLUSION

Psalm 23 … why not memorise it this week ?

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::      

     UPDATE No. 8

 

 

                Hi  !

 

   It was last Tuesday ( April 5)  I entered hospital for over-night Chemo-therapy ... but coming home on the Wednesday (April 6 ) did not eventuate !!   

   

Firstly there was some trouble in getting the new-style needle into my 'port'... (a thing they implanted under the skin of my shoulder the previous Friday) . Two nurses and two doctors all had a go ( three or four jabs each !)  ... and one hour later ... they found an  old-style needle that worked. I was beginning to think I was in the acupuncture ward by mistake. I was glad my  local doc. Daisy  …

                                                        

 

                                                                                    had toughened me up to this with her  needle jabbing caper !

 

 

This delayed the Tuesday dose of chemo ... which I eventually received Wednesday .

 So far my hair hasn't fallen out .. not even out of my eyebrows , 'cos there is plenty there too ...

 

 

  Barbie was coming to take me home about 6:p.m. ... I was even out of bed and in the waiting room when I had  a rather ... er ... violent reaction to the chemo ...

 

             I was .........................

                                              

 

 

                                                      and all the old heart attack symptoms I'd experienced 8 years ago returned.

So it was back to my ward bed which the staff had made up for the next patient .

 

 I was visited by the Hospital Chaplain ... who remembered me speaking at a Christian meeting in her school when she was a student there YEARS ago . She even invited me to speak at the Hospital chapel service if I were still a patient there on Sunday!!

 Then I was visited by a social worker whose theology was way out liberal.

I was visited by a speech therapist (! ) who wanted to see if I swallowed correctly.

I was visited by a dietician ( which was better than a mortician ! ) who said ...I kid you not ... that I should eat    "lollies , chocolate and ice-cream !"  Barbie thinks I bribed her to say it ... but everything I say is true and that's especially true !!

 

                                                                                                                     

So .... I just arrived home. ( Saturday 9th. )

They plan to change the medication ... and the type of chemo therapy... and hopefully the needles!

  Next Monday I get stitches out of my neck ... OUCH ! ... and later, when they arrange it , I'm

back for a two-hour dose of chemo.

 

 

            They say it affects the,mind, too .

 

                                 Will I remember how to tune my ukelele ?

 

V V

V

V

V

V

V

V

V

V

V

V

V

V

V

V

V

V

V

V

V

V

V

V

V

V

V

V

V

V

V

 v

Whilst I was in Hospital my web page was getting knocked into better shape ... I will be able to add to it soon.

Thanks so much to Peter Osborne in Surrey Hills and Chris Field at this end who both dithered with it at the same time.  ( I'd explain to you how they did it but it's a bit ... er ... technical for ... er ...you ! )

 

 If you haven't seen it yet , 'tis

 

                                                        http://donaldprout.com/

 

When Val Dunleavy comes for another visit and  saves my one-typing finger  by using her ten-typing fingers I'll be able to add a ton of stuff to it.

 

Some folk ... about 23, have sent emails during the last 5 days .... so I'll get around to answering those later.

 But I wanted to get this Update out because I know some folk share it with their Church tomorrow morning ( God bless 'em !) and are praying for me.

There were good opportunities to speak a good word for the Lord Jesus whilst in hospital , both  to nurses and other patients. May He water the seed that was planted.

 

I'm feeling reasonably well .. still having trouble swallowing food ( no steak thank-you ) ... and was told that whilst the chemo-treatment wears out of the system for a couple of days , I'm toxic ! Someting like the Six-million Dollar Man. ?  But the down-side ( from my point of view, anyway,) is no more kissing !!

 

I found an old wig at Super Savers for $2  ...it may come in helpful when my hair falls out.

Or do you think it doesn't suit me ?

 

V

V

V

V

V

V

V

V

V

 

V

 

 

V

 

 

 

 

 

          God bless !!

 

Donald    

‘’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’     

          UPDATE No. 9

 

                    'tis Donald ....   and I'm still trying to find a suitable hair covering . ....

                             not that my hair has started to disappear yet ... at least , not as a result of

                                            the chemo-therapy treatment !

 

                 But maybe this makes me look too much like an eighteenth century missionary

from the Amazon basin ?

v

v

v

v

v

v

vv

 

 

 

       I was discharged from hospital last Saturday morning  ( April 10) .................

                                          ... but felt too unwell to get to church on the Sunday ... 

 

  then back to the hospital  last Monday to get stitches removed  ( OUCH !  )

... back to the hospital again on Tuesday for more chemo-therapy ... ( but only for a couple of hours ) ...

and eventually  home, half asleep,  until now.  Some people walk in their sleep , others talk in their sleep and others snore in their sleep. I feel as if I'm doing all three at the same time.

                                                               

 

..........................................................................

 

 Oh,  yes ! .... there were more needles stuck in me earlier this week .

 

But I've realised  there's another little fellow who suffers needles worse than I ....

 

                                                            

 

        God bless y' all ..   thank-you, so much,  for your prayers ... and cheery emails ...

 

                Donald   

........................................................................................................................

 

P.S.  My web-page is growing  ....  http://donaldprout.com/

 

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::