A MIRACLE

Eighty-one year old “Shelley” was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer nine months ago. Pancreatic cancer is one of the most deadliest forms of cancer. Many patients only survive a few months after diagnosis. Shelley was hospitalized three months after diagnosis and, at that time, was close to death. It was then, when she was discharged home to hospice.

Shelley has been married to Jack for thirty-five years. Jack and Shelley had been active bicyclists. A thirty mile bike ride was routine for them. They belonged to a bike club and traveled all over the world riding their bikes. They both were in excellent health and it came as quite a shock when Shelley was diagnosed with her cancer.

Shelley has such a positive attitude about life. She feels blessed by the tremendous support she has from all of their friends and family. She and Jack are very social and, if they weren’t entertaining, they were off bicycling with friends.

When Shelley came onto hospice, she was quite weak and spent a lot of time home as did not have energy for much more. To her doctors and the hospice team, it appeared she had only weeks to live. Then, suddenly, she slowly started to get stronger. She was eating more and sleeping less. She started to entertain. At first, Jack would cook for friends, but then Shelley started to take over the food preparation as well.

Jack and Shelley had just finished a thirty mile bike ride when I made a visit three weeks ago. Her doctor had ordered tests to determine the status of her cancer. Her blood work showed normal readings. Shelley's doctor told her last week that she was not only in remission, but she was cured.

The hospice nurse and I went out today to do one final visit with Shelley. Shelley is an atheist and I was surprised to hear her call being cured a miracle. Shelley also shared that a friend, who is very spiritual, told her about a dream that he had. He said an angel came to him and told him that Shelley will be okay.

Whether it is a miracle or not, something fantastic happened no matter how anyone defines it. Shelley is a great example for others to never give up. No one knows where their journey will take them. I will likely share Shelley’s amazing story to many others as I travel along my own journey.


A MIRACLE

　
She had a deadly cancer.
Most never do survive.
She declined like the prediction.
We all thought weeks at most.

She went through all of the treatments.
The side effects left her weak.
She had no fears about dying.
Her atheist belief made sense to her.

She cherished each of her days,
preferring to focus on the positive.
She was realistic, although determined
to make it through another day.

Then, she started to slowly get better.
All thought a temporary high.
Her doctor was amazed and overjoyed
when test results were totally clean.

Her doctor said she was one in a million.
“You will likely die from something else.
You are not in remission, but cured.”
He was as surprised as all of us.

Even though a non-believer,
she is the first to admit,
somehow the stars have all aligned,
as all she can say is,
          “It’s a miracle!”