My times are in Thy hands

Mum did the first stint and now she's taken over from me. It was my privilege to attend a remarkable service this morning... hymns so well suited to the sermon which was highly relevant to our case. For a start, we were encouraged about the power of prayer. I try and help Bo to write notes in the sermon and set him the question, 'why is prayer so powerful?' 'Because God answers' he replied. We've seen a number of very remarkable recoveries from cancer in our congregation and, given the current state of Pad's prognosis, that is the kind of thing we need again if he is to see this illness off. But, as Paul says, in prison, under imminent threat of execution, 'for me to live is Christ, to die is gain' (Philipians 1:21). He knew that his circumstances would turn out for the best, whatever befell him, his confidence was that:

He that formed me in the womb,
He shall guide me to the tomb;
All my times shall ever be
Ordered by His wise decree.

Plagues and deaths around me fly;
Till He bids, I cannot die;
Not a single shaft can hit,
Till the God of love sees fit.

John Ryland

I was with Pads from about 3pm-10pm. He's ticking all the boxes to ensure he gets out as soon as possible. That includes toddling the 20 metres to the ward entrance, drinking a litre of water (which he'd done by 10am!!), and eating 'enough'. With all due respect, the hospital food is not great but it really cannot compete with the kind of treats and tasty helpings we can walk across the park to him. Still, the 'dinner ladies' know how to make you feel like you want to try something, just to please them, but one nearly always regrets it. P condescended to the final offer of 'cheese and biscuits' but only one buttered cream cracker passed his lips before leaving the other 3 to me.
The hours seemed to pass quite slowly. The brightest he was was when Moli visited for half an hour. His neck is very stiff and he's quite quiet - pinching himself that the tumor came back.
The current drug cocktail includes: codeine, paracetamol, brufen (which together bring his pain to tolerable levels), steroids, stomach-liner, and laxitives - some of this can go down the PEG so 'George' is slightly back in favour. Thyroxin is off the menu for the moment - they've opted to break that off just for now.