Living A Relentless Faith
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Blessed with a relentless faith. To each of our family and Friends, Bonnie and I want to say thank-you for your support in prayer, telephone calls, and cards of encouragement. Most importantly, your prayers have been the key to supporting and creating an atmosphere of love and faith from which we have drawn strength! Your thoughtfulness has been astounding, and words seem an inadequate way to express our deeply felt gratitude. We cannot say "thank-you" enough!
It is easy to run through life filled with cynicism and never give a thought from where that life originated. But for the Christian, there is no doubt from Whom our life comes- from God through our Savior Jesus Christ- Life is a gift! It is precious, fragile, complex and wonderful. My heart resonates with the Psalmist when he wrote, " I will praise thee; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made: marvellous are thy works; and that my soul knoweth right well." (Psalm 139.14)
Many of you who know Bonnie and me, understand those words in reference to the journey we have been walking the past eighteen months.
As teenagers (1976) Bonnie and I were sweethearts. From the moment she stepped out of the church van at Senior High Camp- I was smitten! We dated for two years until her father (Harold Canaday) accepted a church assignment several states away, and I was devastated. For the next 34 years, we attended different schools , colleges, met other people and married and raised two families. Life seemed grand. And then divorce split our families- although neither of us knew where the other lived over those three decades.
And then it happened! Through a strange, yet Divinely orchestrated series of events, we found one another with 750 miles separating us. Phone calls turned into a 35 year reunion which led to our marriage in October of 2012. Our fairytale romance resumed, and continues to this day! Between us, we have been blessed with five of the most exceptionally bright and loving young adult children.
We are greatly blessed, and highly favored!
Beginning in September of 2013, I began experiencing excruciating pain in my back and abdomen along with a wide range of gastroenterolgical symptoms that completely sidelined our life. What followed have been endless visits to my gastroenterologist, Internist, neurosurgeons, and eventually an oncologist. It seemed as though every specialist was certain of their diagnoses, ranging from my Crohn's disease being out of remission to neurological damage in my spine, and finally, the word nobody is ever truly ready to hear- Cancer.
But we have been blessed with a relentless faith!
From the conviction that cancer was roaming through my body, my doctors began a process of elimination- first with Acute Myeologinous Leukemia, then pancreatic cancer. Last Fall I endured the first few rounds of Cytarabine (chemotherapy) before it was decided I was misdiagnosed , and the treatment was stopped. They were certain that the cancer was not leukemia, but pancreatic cancer. Although further testing and biopsies were needed, I began enzyme therapy in December of 2014 to boost the efficiency of my pancreas- and I felt better! But the pain persisted.
Unsure of their test results ( blood panels, CT scans, MRI's, scopes and biopsies) my doctors and I decided that MD Anderson in Houston, Texas was the most appropriate healthcare provider to pinpoint the type of cancer I have.
In the middle of January, Bonnie and I travelled to the University of Texas Medical Center's MD Anderson Cancer Clinic to begin testing. After three weeks, pancreatic cancer and leukemia were completely ruled out, although there was something still wrong in all of my test results. Pancreatic insufficiency and hypothyroidism were confirmed...but there was more. The "more" would have to wait until we returned home, and one week later, I had a triple confirmed diagnosis of Carcinoid Tumor Syndrome. ( Carcinoid.org ) It is a very rare (5:100,000 people) cancer, that is extremely allusive, and an aggressively malignant form of cancer.
But God has blessed us with a relentless faith and we are determined that "cancer" will not have the last word!
So, where do we go from here? As with any cancer diagnosis and follow-up treatment, the costs are enormous. In working with the financial arrangement personnel at MD Anderson, my responsibility for my initial treatment is $25,000. This is my 20% "copay" which is now due. For Bonnie and me, this is an impossible amount for us to pay. As Bonnie and I have discussed how we are going to meet this obligation, you have reminded us with your many, many calls and cards that you would like to help in any way possible- you have asked us to just let you know. It is your love and caring for us, and desire to help in some way, that we have chosen this avenue to help us in a tangible way- regardless of the amount of financial support with which you may be able to help. In advance of any size donation you can make, we want to say thank-you. This is a difficult thing for us to ask, but feel after weeks of prayer, and exercising a relentless faith in God- that this is what we must do.
Again, thank you for boosting our relentless faith with your help. And if you cannot give a financial expression of your love and encouragement , then would you join with us in prayer for my healing, and guidance for the physicians as they construct my treatment plan?
We love and appreciate each of you,
By His grace and with a relentless faith,
Kevin and Bonnie Sandlin
It is easy to run through life filled with cynicism and never give a thought from where that life originated. But for the Christian, there is no doubt from Whom our life comes- from God through our Savior Jesus Christ- Life is a gift! It is precious, fragile, complex and wonderful. My heart resonates with the Psalmist when he wrote, " I will praise thee; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made: marvellous are thy works; and that my soul knoweth right well." (Psalm 139.14)
Many of you who know Bonnie and me, understand those words in reference to the journey we have been walking the past eighteen months.
As teenagers (1976) Bonnie and I were sweethearts. From the moment she stepped out of the church van at Senior High Camp- I was smitten! We dated for two years until her father (Harold Canaday) accepted a church assignment several states away, and I was devastated. For the next 34 years, we attended different schools , colleges, met other people and married and raised two families. Life seemed grand. And then divorce split our families- although neither of us knew where the other lived over those three decades.
And then it happened! Through a strange, yet Divinely orchestrated series of events, we found one another with 750 miles separating us. Phone calls turned into a 35 year reunion which led to our marriage in October of 2012. Our fairytale romance resumed, and continues to this day! Between us, we have been blessed with five of the most exceptionally bright and loving young adult children.
We are greatly blessed, and highly favored!
Beginning in September of 2013, I began experiencing excruciating pain in my back and abdomen along with a wide range of gastroenterolgical symptoms that completely sidelined our life. What followed have been endless visits to my gastroenterologist, Internist, neurosurgeons, and eventually an oncologist. It seemed as though every specialist was certain of their diagnoses, ranging from my Crohn's disease being out of remission to neurological damage in my spine, and finally, the word nobody is ever truly ready to hear- Cancer.
But we have been blessed with a relentless faith!
From the conviction that cancer was roaming through my body, my doctors began a process of elimination- first with Acute Myeologinous Leukemia, then pancreatic cancer. Last Fall I endured the first few rounds of Cytarabine (chemotherapy) before it was decided I was misdiagnosed , and the treatment was stopped. They were certain that the cancer was not leukemia, but pancreatic cancer. Although further testing and biopsies were needed, I began enzyme therapy in December of 2014 to boost the efficiency of my pancreas- and I felt better! But the pain persisted.
Unsure of their test results ( blood panels, CT scans, MRI's, scopes and biopsies) my doctors and I decided that MD Anderson in Houston, Texas was the most appropriate healthcare provider to pinpoint the type of cancer I have.
In the middle of January, Bonnie and I travelled to the University of Texas Medical Center's MD Anderson Cancer Clinic to begin testing. After three weeks, pancreatic cancer and leukemia were completely ruled out, although there was something still wrong in all of my test results. Pancreatic insufficiency and hypothyroidism were confirmed...but there was more. The "more" would have to wait until we returned home, and one week later, I had a triple confirmed diagnosis of Carcinoid Tumor Syndrome. ( Carcinoid.org ) It is a very rare (5:100,000 people) cancer, that is extremely allusive, and an aggressively malignant form of cancer.
But God has blessed us with a relentless faith and we are determined that "cancer" will not have the last word!
So, where do we go from here? As with any cancer diagnosis and follow-up treatment, the costs are enormous. In working with the financial arrangement personnel at MD Anderson, my responsibility for my initial treatment is $25,000. This is my 20% "copay" which is now due. For Bonnie and me, this is an impossible amount for us to pay. As Bonnie and I have discussed how we are going to meet this obligation, you have reminded us with your many, many calls and cards that you would like to help in any way possible- you have asked us to just let you know. It is your love and caring for us, and desire to help in some way, that we have chosen this avenue to help us in a tangible way- regardless of the amount of financial support with which you may be able to help. In advance of any size donation you can make, we want to say thank-you. This is a difficult thing for us to ask, but feel after weeks of prayer, and exercising a relentless faith in God- that this is what we must do.
Again, thank you for boosting our relentless faith with your help. And if you cannot give a financial expression of your love and encouragement , then would you join with us in prayer for my healing, and guidance for the physicians as they construct my treatment plan?
We love and appreciate each of you,
By His grace and with a relentless faith,
Kevin and Bonnie Sandlin
Organizer
Kevin Sandlin
Organizer
Cold Springs, AL