Today’s guest blogger is John Friedman. John’s desire to encourage and bring others to Christ is the focal point of his life. Here are his words:
In August 2016, I had been having trouble with chest pain and shortness of breath, so my doctor sent me to a cardiologist for a stress test. The test suggested I had blockage, so the cardiologist scheduled a heart cath. During the procedure he told me I was extremely lucky to be alive. My “widow-maker” artery was 99% blocked, so he put a stent in that artery. Everything was fine for a short time, but in December my chest pains and shortness of breath returned. I went back to the same hospital where the stent was put in. This time they found three more blockages all 75% or more. I was quite upset that they had not found this in August. But little did I know that God was working all things for good in my life. God used this experience to get me ready for the next chapter in my life.
In March 2017 I was having serious problems with my golf game and my motor skills. Later that week I fell down three times and was having trouble buttoning my shirts. At the time I was in Paris Landing, TN with some friends. I had fallen and hit my head on a concrete wall. I called my wife Sharon and asked if she could come get me and explained what was going on. She took me straight to Baptist ER. I told them I thought I had a stroke and explained what had been happening. They did an MRI, came back, and said, “John, you did not have a stroke, but you have a tumor on your brain the size of a tangerine, and it needs to come out ASAP.”
So, once again, I was admitted to the hospital. On Monday a brain surgeon came to discuss the situation with me and get me to sign off on surgery. He explained what he thought I had and went through all the risks involved, which included death on the operating table. The surgery was scheduled for Wednesday, March 29, 2017. Then he told me something that almost floored me. He said that if I had not had that heart surgery in January, he would not be able to perform the brain surgery now because my heart would not be strong enough to survive the surgery. He would just have to treat the tumor and hope for the best. At that moment I realized why they had not caught the other blockages the previous August and realized God was in control. I had nothing to fear.
The surgery went well, and I was released from the hospital two days later. Two weeks later we went for a follow up visit to remove staples from my head. The doctor confirmed what he had expected, terminal cancer called a GBM-4 (glioblastoma). He went through what all I could expect, then asked if we had any questions. I said, “I have two: What is the survival rate and How long do I have?” He said survival rate was near 0% and he guessed I had 11-14 months. He said that in his entire practice, he had 2 patients survive for more than 5 years. Both were females and young, with both of those traits working against me. Sharon and I had a good private cry, then I told her it was a win-win situation. I could either have more time to spend with friends and family, or I could go see Jesus face to face. That was 3 years 8 months ago. Through my experiences God has taught me that He did not put me on this earth to sit, sour and soak, but to serve Him. Now I thank Him every day for one more day to serve Him!
