Back from Surgery

By David J. Stewart

Thank you to everyone who is praying for me. I returned on April 25th from San Diego from surgery. Unfortunately the surgery didn't help at all. My first surgery last year actually made me worse. This surgery did nothing to remedy my health woes. Both of my arms feel like air bags, especially my right arm.

Thankfully, I am still functional and can use my arms, but it feels very strange that they are puffy all the time. All my fingers tingle 24/7. My right leg feels half asleep, especially while I'm walking. It's just a physical burden that I'm going to have to endure for the rest of my life. God is the Potter, I am the clay. God's will be done.

I have sharp pain radiating down my right arm throughout the day. Sometimes it's not too bad, at other times I have to stop whatever I'm doing. The agonizing toothache-like pain in my neck is still there. I'm taking 80 mg. of Oxycontin daily to cope with the pain. Even with the Oxycontin I still have pain episodes that require additional medication. I've been physically drained lately, just trying to get by daily, going through a ton of mail and trying to take care of everything. It's been about a month since my surgery. I live by myself. I'm doing the best I can with the Lord's help. I ask for your continued prayers. I love you all in the Lord, whoever you may be.

I saw an elderly man in San Diego searching for tin cans in a garbage container. I handed him $20 and a Gospel of John. He followed behind me afterwards and said, "Mr. I'm glad you're a doer of the Word and not just a hearer." That encouraged me to go find some more people to help in the Lord. May we all be doers of the Word and not just hearers.