When the wait is finally over.

I had a whole body scan done after my radioactive iodine treatment. That’s standard procedure. They were supposed to call me within 3-5 business days with the results. 

It was either going to be, ‘The future is bright, we think the disease is gone,’ OR, ‘Unfortunately it’s spread… stay tuned for further instructions.’

Firstly, Amazon Prime has ruined me in the whole waiting department. Secondly, instead of calling with results, they called me rather mysteriously and told me to come back in… To repeat the scan. TWICE. 

Good thing that’s not unnerving in the slightest. 

Finally the team completed a satisfactory photo shoot of my insides and said, “We got what we needed now. You can go home.”

I left the hospital that second time only slightly crying inside the mask on my face… all the way home, while listening to the same David Crowder song over and over. Because honestly, I’ve learned this year that I HAVE to fight fear with worship.

The lyrics?

Good God almighty,
I hope You’ll find me
Praising Your name
no matter what comes
‘Cause I know where I’d be,
without Your mercy
So I keep praising Your name
at the top of my lungs

 Now, imagine those lyrics with a super upbeat rhythm and a slight bluegrass feel; perfection. 

I waited my 3-5 business days for the results call after scan number 3. And then I kept waiting. Two weeks went by. 

My husband and I would just let out huge sighs now and again.

“This is…” I’d say in a long drawn out manner. 

“I know, right?!” He’d answer while shaking his head.

Those marital conversations crack me up. The ones with barely any words that SAY so much.

The waiting seemed more burdensome than actually knowing the results, so eventually I started calling around because it was starting to get ridiculous. 

It turns out that my digital paperwork had literally been misplaced in the airwaves. The results had been sent on time, but not received… but finally, thank you Jesus, we were back on track. It was declared that the doctor would call me with the next chapter of my story – on Wednesday at midday. 

You’re probably like, “So what… what’s the big deal about Wednesday at midday?”

Well, Wednesday just happened to be the day that I was meeting the videographer from our church. I had been asked to share my story from this past year.  A story laced with God’s faithfulness and his PERFECT timing. 

So there I was with the best film crew, wandering around the trails of the lagoon by my house. The same trails where my husband and I had literally walked and talked with peaceful unawareness an hour before that lump on my neck had appeared; so many months ago. 

The irony of being back in that very place again was not lost on me at all. 

And then of course that’s when the phone in my pocket rang, AN HOUR EARLY. 

“I’m so sorry, I have to answer this. I’ll be quick.” I said, because I now know all life changing phone calls only take 5 minutes or less.

I crouched in the dirt taking notes with the scrap of paper I had in my pocket.  

“So, there was uptake from the radioactive iodine in the thymus…” The doctor said.

“Oh ok. I don’t have any idea what that means…” I answered. Fortunately, this doctor of mine is pretty used to me by now and my, ‘Please go ahead and break it down simply for me sir’ requests. 

Turns out the thymus is a gland in your chest, not to be confused with the thalamus, which is totally inside your brain… We are truly intricately made beings, my friends.

He went on to explain. “Either it means something, or it means totally nothing. We’ll keep an eye on it.” That’s such a funny statement just for the record.

But THEN the doctor also said these words… “There’s no obvious spread anywhere else. We’ll watch the thymus, but your lungs and bones look clear… we’ll do an ultrasound in the fall, and I’ll call you in two months.” 

And then that was it, but it was so much.

He basically said we’d keep an eye on THAT in the months ahead. 

I basically thought, what if God already took care of THAT. And what if what was seen back then on those scans would NEVER BE SEEN AGAIN. 

What if. 

Suddenly a 6 month hope filled reprieve was staring us in the face. That’s a remarkable moment to take in. 

With my phone back in my pocket, a quick report and a heartfelt cheer with the best church film crew ever, we resumed our storytelling. 

My mind was frantically processing everything my ears had just taken in. 

“Just sit there and stare out at the water for a minute.” The videographer said. I didn’t need to be asked twice, I don’t think he knew that staring at water is one of my favourite things to do ever, especially in that idyllic ‘bench under the willow tree’ place.

There were geese just hanging out a few feet away from me as I sat there. Two ducks flew in and wandered by my feet. I was waiting for a deer to emerge from the thicket nearby… how awesome would that have been… Honestly, it was just such a precious minute where I could simply exhale a heartfelt “THANKS for all He had brought me THROUGH.”

I honestly didn’t know which way Wednesday’s phone call was going to go, but of course God did, and He really knocked it out of the park with all of the details. I’m suspicious that He might have even suspended the arrival of the results, just because He knew how much ‘storytelling Wednesday’ would forever be cemented as a day of beautiful victory for me.

A storytelling gift to his storytelling daughter. Come on now. That’s fun, right?

*Here’s the finished video – click on Rebecca’s Story

Photo cred: James Fam