Though through the valley

It's been a week and one day since I found out I have lymphoma.  I've felt so many blessings during that week.  I've felt that the veil is a little bit thinner for me.  Maybe that's part of what it means to walk through the valley of death.  I really have felt the presence of the Lord through this.

To begin with, from the moment I heard the words, "Nathan, you have cancer," I've felt almost like there is a protective cocoon around me, helping me to feel secure, to deal with the potential awfulness of the diagnosis.  Christina has commented on this as well.  We've really felt the spirit reassuring us that everything will be right in the end.

I'm thankful that we didn't find out everything all at once.  We've been going through tests and narrowing down the diagnosis and treatment options over the last week.  This has made it easier to deal with the problem mentally.

I'm thankful for our bishopric, Brian Kreutz and Brian Howard visited us the first night in the hospital.  They gave me a blessing.  They also gave Christina a blessing.  It was a great comfort.  We were told that we would be given the resources to make good decisions that would lead to a good outcome for me.

Christina is amazing.  I have felt many times during our marriage the witness of the spirit that we were meant for each other, but it has been particularly strong during this week.  I know that this is very hard on her, but she has really rallied the family together.  She is my coach and team captain.  She is my researcher and counselor.  More than that she is my eternal friend and companion.  I cannot express the depth of my appreciation for her.