Skip to main content

Prayer is an Action Word

Within days of Mathew’s admission to Moffitt, love, and support from so many people started pouring in. Throughout the year, it continues, and since our world is filled with diverse situations and people, this support reflects those differences.

My family is Catholic, so my Mom and Dad brought in prayer cards. A dear friend of my sister, his Mother, sent A Special Healing Gift. Mathew was enrolled in the League of Saint Anthony to be remembered in daily masses and prayers. Tibetan Nuns on the other side of the world were praying for him.

Soon a small table was set up with these gifts and cards, eventually, it would become a healing altar. Many faiths were represented on this alter and Mathew felt so blessed that so many people held him in their thoughts and prayers. 

I was reminded during this time, what I had learned many years ago, that prayer is an action word. 
James 2:14-26
“17 So faith by itself, if it has no works, is dead.” ***

***You can read the entire passage at biblegateway.com 
%202:14-26&version=NRSVCE&interface=amp

This is a good place to add in a caregiver tip.
In the spirit of prayer is an action word, people will ask what can they do to help.
Have a list ready. I know with Mathew's constantly changing condition, I often had no idea what I was going to need.
My sister Kathleen, when asked, “How is Mathew doing?” Responded, “Which 15-minute increment are you interested in?”

So, if you are in this situation or know someone suddenly thrust into the position of full-time caregiver and you want to help, here is a list of ideas:
  • gas gift cards
  • food gift cards
  • lawn care
  • cooking (be sure to ask about any dietary restrictions or precautions)
  • grocery shopping
  • sit with the patient so the caregiver can run a few errands



















Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

About this Blog, A Journey Through Sarcoma

Confections for Cats, A Journey through Sarcoma is a chronicle of my son's journey through Desmoplastic Small Round Cell Sarcoma. It is intended to educate and inspire by using Mathew’s thoughts and feelings, dreams and fears through a variety of mediums; art, music, and writing. Through factual experience, what we learned and what we wish we had known. Mathew’s desire was to give meaning to his journey and in the process help anyone else on a similar path. The last possible explanation in my mind for my son’s health problems was cancer. Even the words “the scan shows a large mass” didn’t lead me to conclude cancer and when the cancer diagnosis was confirmed, I still wasn’t prepared. My Mother is a breast cancer survivor and my sister Elizabeth passed away three years after her breast cancer diagnosis. I thought I knew what cancer treatment and living with cancer looked like, but none of us could imagine or be prepared for how all semblance of routine and normalcy had alre...
Post a Comment
Read more

When a Cancer Patient Has a Medical Emergency

3 Days in the DRC, Part 1 If you haven’t read my first post about the DRC at Moffitt and how it works, since Moffitt does not have an ER, you can read about it here.  https://confectionsforcats.blogspot.com/2018/04/neutropenic-fever-after-ie-chemo-and.html In summary, the DRC is where an existing Moffitt patient is directed to go if they have a medical emergency.  Usually, we would be there a few hours or overnight (since we arrived at midnight or shortly afterward) until they had a room for Mathew on the ward. This particular visit Mathew stayed in the DRC three days. As mentioned in my other post, the DRC has maybe two rooms with a bathroom; otherwise, one bathroom for about a dozen patients. In Mathew’s case, a patient with a lowered immune system.  This time Mathew was in the room furthest from the bathroom.  When inpatient, we had a routine for getting him to the bathroom. First, he needed the IV unplugged (often quickly) and most times, I ...
Post a Comment
Read more

Hair Loss After Chemo for Sarcoma, My Son's Point of View

I can't imagine or pretend to know how it feels to lose your hair because you have cancer and the chemo causes your hair to fall out.  I only know what I saw with Mathew and years ago, my sister Elizabeth's experience as they lost their hair to chemotherapy. But it was something that affected Mathew more than just the initial hair loss, it had nuances. Here is a journal entry. It's short but I think it speaks volumes. MATHEW’S JOURNAL     5-23-14 Lately, I’ve been envious of people’s hair. Well, I guess not envious of other people’s hair but missing mine. I told my Mom about it and expressed to her that I was afraid I was falling prey to vanity. She expressed the idea that I may be missing having hair because it’s part of being healthy. I do miss having a life and at the same time, I’m afraid that I may never have a full life again or that I may lose what’s left of the one I have. -  I’ve been thinking about dying a lot lately. I don’t know wh...
Post a Comment
Read more