Posted on 03/27/2007 4:25:29 PM PDT by fishhound
Hello Freepers;
I am desperately in need of help. Not what I had wanted for my one hundreth post thread.
Yesterday, I called my brother Bobby to say "hello".
It went like this...
Me:"Hey there, how are ya?"
Bobby:"Hey, not good."
Me :"Whadya mean?"
Bobby:"The cancer is worse then they thought. If you have people that you call to pray please call them now".
Me:"You got it..."
Last Monday he found out that it had returned. On Friday my sister and I together went to the Hospital to be tested to be bone marrow donors.
I waited twenty four hours to make sure I get this right. Here it is.
Our story is that my brother has been in remission from multi-cell mieloma for about a year and a half. It was sent into remission using chemotherapy,radiation and procedures with his own adult stem cells.
I am in pain beyond words.
Our mother also has a terminal illness (fibrosis of the lungs) and I fear how the full knowledge of this will affect her. As it is, I got the job of breaking the news to her last week.
The Lord bought my family back together late in life.The Lord brought wholeness for us. I have been telling people how filfulled I am; that I have lived to see such renewed love among a family that has had it's difficulties. My parents are divorced from back in the day when it was a stigma for people and kids. We were all estranged from one another. But in the last year the Lord moved mightily among us. I more than the others see it. I said some men might die bitter waiting for such as what I have seen and experienced. I know I was bitter. The stories of Wonder the last year seem countless. I thank God for His Presence in my life. This has been my witness of late. "Hey I am truely living in the happily ever after. I do not care what comes after this as I have seen true beauty from the Hand of God." When phone calls end in "I love you" or "love you" when for thirty years before it was unknown...you know. You just know.
So I was bowled over when the cancer came back. The first struggle was like a half a year in hell. Back then, one night, I left early from an uncle's wake to go to the emergency room. Bobby was there but he did not know what it was that made him feel so ill. We found out a week or so later.
A local newspaper article about a year ago described his struggle to remission. My brother told about how I had encouraged him to pick up his artwork and scultpure again after twenty years. I would go out and spend my last dime on supplies for him to give him something extra to fight for as he lay there..
Now his art work is back to what it once was and he only does Bible inspired sculptures. From just about dead, he is teaching others how to do thier own work.
He has a wonderful wife and young son.
Today though he is a Protestant and no longer a Catholic he came with me to be prayed over by a Priest. While we waited outside the church another Priest visitng form South Africa walked though the parking lot. I called him over and asked him to bless my brother. He did.Then the other Priest came and we went in and he blessed and annointed my brother in the chapel. I kind of felt like I had kicked in a door and and said "I am here to collect.":) I probably would have got one to get out of his car at a street stoplight, to bless my brother, if I saw one. I would do anything for my brother. He is my older brother and I only have one.
When my brother was first diagnosed I went to as many healing Masses as I could and stood in proxy for him. I did not do it for me I asked for nothing for me. Though in the end I think it changed me as well. Some, I drove 50-60 miles to reach. I put his name in for prayers everywhere I could.
I beg you for your prayers for my brother Bobby.
And may the Grace of God be in your lives. And may it show it's presence to you in no uncertain terms to your own heart, to your deepest self, as it has for me. Praise God!
Thank You, Sincerely Fishhound.
I am so sad for you and your family, fishhound. You loved Bobby so and did everything you could for him. He was so blessed by your love and your faith.
Dear Bobby, you fought the good fight and kept the faith. Now you are at rest in the arms of God.
Thank you for gracing this world a short while.
Rest in peace.
My mom is a two-time survivor of cancer (lung and breast) and I lost my pop back in March. I know what it’s like to watch loved ones suffer.
I pray the Lord will continue to bless you, your brother and the entire “Fishhound” family mightily as He obviously already has done. Remember Psalm 56:3 “When I am afraid, I will trust in Thee.”
Keep us posted.
Dear Fishhound, I had no idea when I read the post that it had the addition about your dear brother Bobby passing away.
My heart, indeed, goes out to you. Oh, I know the pain and it is still pretty new for me.
Prayers have been sent on your behalf.
All I know is that the Lord of Sorrows can turn sorrow to joy. I grieve for your loss. I entrust my grief, and I dare to entrust yours, to Him who turns evil into good and sorrow into rejoicing, knowing that now the grief is bitter.
If words could assuage it, it would not be grief. Grief is strong and hard. God is stronger. Weeping, we must remember that He wept.
I’m so sorry, and have said more prayers for all.
As you know, he is happier than he has ever been, but I know how you miss him.
I grieve for your loss; I rejoice in your brother’s journey home into His arms.
God Bless
Donna
My prayers are extended for you and your family on the passing of your dear brother Bobby. May God's Blessings bring peace and comfort for you.
Prayer BUMP
Oh fishhound! Heartfelt prayers have been sent!
So very sorry. Prayers for all.
Awww, fishhound... I join in prayer for you and your family during this time. Bobby is missed I know. You are a good brother...
I’m sorry fishhound. My prayers are now for your comfort in grief.
Prayers up.
I’m so sorry to read about your loss, fishhound, for Bobby’s wife and young child, for your entire family and all his friends whose lives he enriched. It is a blessing to you all that, however sad and tragic, Bobby’s illness brought you all together. Now, his pain is gone and he rests in the Lord’s loving arms.
I’m sorry for your loss and keep you and your family in my prayers.
Grab the memories on the hard days, as you pray through them. Share with your family and friends the crazy things, the happy things, the weird things, the things that made you proud of him.
While that loss still seems to fresh to me, I want to share something else with you and our dear friends here. My sister was taken unexpectedly, and the funeral was huge - which we did not expect. There were so many people there that we did not know; people whose lives Dee had touched. While I wondered about the message that day, the pastor brought the good news of salvation. We hoped it would reach someone. IT DID! It probably touched more people than we know, but ~ my parents got a letter at this time last year. It was written by a young lady who was a teen at the time my sister died. Dee had impacted her heart and life, and she had come the Lord after Dee died because of that touch. Not only that, she wrote in her letter that her whole family (parents and all) were now saved and going to church....all because of the seed my sister had sown. Fish, we never know who, or how many we have effected in our lives, as at times we may be the only Jesus people see. What glory to God!! I KNOW in my heart that while you were all in the huge struggle for Bobby's life, God was using those moments to reach out and touch the hearts of many others who were watching, and may be still watching.
May God wrap His loving arms of comfort and peace around you and your entire family, as you go through the next days, the holidays and the year with that empty spot. Hold onto the knowledge that it brought and is bringing Glory to God!!! Know that I and everyone else here are still praying, without ceasing, for you all.
Blessings,
He knows.
He cares.
He hears our prayers/
He knows.
He cares.
He hears our prayers/
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