ROME – Regular readers of Crux, or regular consumers of my weekly video or podcast, will have noticed my rather conspicuous absence these past three weeks or so. Proving once more that Crux types are an observant lot, many of you have wondered if my disppearance had something to do with my health.
In a word, yes.
On Jan. 14, I was rushed in for emergency surgery to correct an occlusion of my abdomen. I’m happy to report the surgery was a success, and I’m now home and more or less recovered.
However, during my hospitalization I underwent a couple of CAT-scans, and an examination of those scans by my oncologist revealed nodules on my intestine, suggesting that the cancer I have been battling since 2022 has spread there. He prescribed an aggressive new weekly round of chemotherapy and immunotherapy, beginning Feb. 14, which should last at least until May.
As a result, it’s quite likely I will not be in a position to contribute much to the Crux site, or to record my weekly video and podcast, during this period. Ideally, the treatment will beat back the cancer, and I’ll have breathing space on the other side when I can resume my regular activities.
In the meantime, may I ask three things?
First, please continue reading, and, where possible, financially supporting Crux. My absence means the burden on the other women and men on the team will become even greater, and they’ll need your help to get through it.
Second, please, if you’re so inclined, keep me in your prayers. Never in my life have I believed more in the power of intercessory prayer than I do right now.
Third, please also keep my wife Elise in your prayers. It’s said that whenever someone falls seriously ill, there are always really two who suffer: The sick person and the other person who’s their primary care-giver, whose own life, to some extent, is subsumed by the needs of the other. Pray that God grant Elise strength to handle this new burden.
Thanks to all of you for your friendship and support over the years, and I hope to be back in the thick of things as quickly as I can.
