Faith In Spite of the Storm

By Betty Lowrey

Debbie's life changed immediately, what she thought was a problem rest would heal, it wouldn't. The specialist words rocked her world; Glioblastoma is serious. Already the doctor scheduled surgery and sent her to a tertiary hospital where patients are referred and receive highly specialized care. Debbie is

• Language: English
• Publisher: Author Academy Elite
• Release date: May 15, 2021
• ISBN: 9781647466831

Betty Lowrey

As Debbie's Mom, Betty Lowrey would tell you, losing a child is possibly the most devastating event in life, for a parent.The blessings of family, friends and acquaintances are truly the light, God's blessing to His children. She comes from a fourth generation that "toiled the soil." A farmer's wife and bookkeeper, Betty now writes Christian fiction. Her wish is to offer the plan of salvation in every book she writes.Telling Debbie's story has been a blessing and a trial. Reliving the good, the bad, and the heartbreaking moments are forever engraved on her soul. Until they meet again, Betty continues her and Debbie's work to show and live with Faith, In Spite of the Storm.

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Faith In Spite of the Storm

Betty Lowrey

Copyright © 2021 Betty Lowrey

All rights reserved.

Paperback: 978-1-64746-681-7

Hardback: 978-1-64746-682-4

Ebook: 978-1-64746-683-1

Library of Congress Control Number: 2021900870

For Heather and Matthew

Prologue

This is Debbie’s story of faith she hopes will help others needing encouragement. It is her desire to give hope during times of hardship, whether spiritual, emotional, financial or physical; those times when life seems to be out of control.

Debbie can relate to suffering. She knew something was a little off-kilter with her health when she had thyroid cancer and when Leukemia began. Maybe she was experiencing this because she was living a very busy life. As HR director for a Visiting Nurses Association, life had become exceedingly demanding as a few top employees left and those remaining assumed heavier workloads.

We will begin with the year 2016. The year was not without heartache. The month of January found her father dying. What started as cancer of the prostate had spread through his body. His mind was still alert and he lived each day waiting for late evening when his children came to see him. Debbie came after work to sit and share with her dad. Later, when everyone arrived they would read a passage of scripture and pray together as the family joined hands and circled his bed. Prayer united the family but sadly her father died January 20 and the year kept going.

When warm weather arrived Debbie decided to build the pool she had always wanted. The doctor said it would be good for the Arthritis settling in her body. She was happy when on the weekends the family came to enjoy the fruits of her labor and it was labor. She noticed a problem with her hand and thought perhaps it was due to landscaping around the pool. She suffered through pain not wanting to be a complainer thinking it would heal and the pains disappear.

October arrived with the fields white to harvest. Typing had become difficult in her work and in writing letters to her brother who was away. November slipped into time and Debbie thought by now she would be healed and over the pain that was dragging her down but the pain was increasing and there were obvious side effects. She had to stay busy to keep her mind off the pain.

She found the rake and began to rake leaves. She loved her yard. Sadly, it was time to close the pool. There were many memories to cherish that summer. The family gathering around the pool each week made Debbie happy. The children splashing and the adults enjoying being together was great.

In writing her brother she said, I have very little use of my right hand and went to the doctor. They ran tests and said it could be a number of things nerve damage or Carpal Tunnel or even Chronic Fatigue syndrome. We went to church this morning, but I was so frustrated with this hand in trying to get ready I just wanted to go sit by Dad’s grave and talk to him. In her work, using a computer was necessary and she was wondering what she must do. She had no way of knowing by the time Thanksgiving arrived, her arm would be hanging useless and she must see the doctor to know what could possibly be wrong.

She downloaded a program that allowed her to speak and the words transcribed into writing. It also helped in letters to her brother. Perhaps she could more easily confide in the brother away than admit the problem to those around her. Eventually, she would explain I have had no road map to know what to expect. It is my desire to help someone who may experience this disease, by sharing mine. Stay with us as we gently begin this story on a day in 2017 when Debbie was spending time with her grandson.

As Debbie’s mother I will try to clarify parts of the writing that might be confusing to the reader, as we were usually in conversation and have tried to keep Debbie’s voice central to the story. This is Debbie’s story, the months we all lived through the difficulty of Glioblastoma. In many places the dialogue may seem raw and in need of correction to the punctuation. Please bear with us; it is a story of encouragement for the person who wakes one morning to find Glioblastoma has invaded their world!

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Chapter 1

It was June of 2017. Nate and I were taking my daily walk, when he asked. Me-Me, if you could start life over from a baby to any age what would you do? I looked at that sweet little boy I loved so much.

I would just keep on going from here, Nate.

Nate seemed to consider this a moment and then he said, But Me-Me, what about your cancer?

That was the crux of the matter. The whole family was worried about my cancer. According to the Doctors this cancer I am host to is deadly and aggressive and statistics show the usual survival rate is ten to fifteen months, but there are exceptions. Accepting the facts I have a lot of living to do in the next months, just in case. Nevertheless, at this moment, Nate is waiting for my answer.

I might not have you or Carli if I started over. His smile was my reward.

But Me-Me, what if you get sicker?

Nate, will you love me if I get sicker? Will you love me if my hair falls out and never grows back and more important than any of that, do you know where I’ll go if I die?

Sure. Nate looked at me with the love a young boy has for his grandmother. I know you’ll go to Heaven, but don’t you wish things were different?

I have to be honest. I do wish I didn’t have this cancer, I don’t know why I do. I want to see you grow up to be the good man I know you will be just like your daddy. For now, I want to see you play Basketball or hit a home run playing baseball, you don’t have to be the best at anything, Nate. If you do your best, that’s all that matters to me. I just want to enjoy you and be with you. I love you because you are you, not because of what you do. Does that make sense?

Yes. Nate’s expression was one of deep thought. But Me-Me, I don’t want to lose you.

You won’t ever lose me, Nate. Remember all the good times we’ve had together, the way we have laughed and played? Isn’t laughing fun? Most of all remember that right now I’m telling you how much I love you. That will last a life-time, Mr. Nathaniel Lewis. Now, what do you think we should do next?

It’s almost time for Carli to come home from Small Wonders and then, let’s go up in our tree house.

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Help me, Nate. My feet too short.

Nate was laughing, Don’t you mean your legs are too short? I can’t lift you, Carlie. Me-Me will have to. Me-Me was handing him the popsicles in order to lift Carli onto the second rung of the ladder. The tree house as they called it was only four feet wide. With the few items they’d placed around the side it was a close fit and if it mattered the tree was no longer there. They were in with Me-Me’s feet sticking out the other side, Nate’s folded against the outer wall and Carli squished in between the two.

Best popsicle we’ve ever had, Nate said, grinning as the melt fell on his arm. Right, Me-Me?

Absolutely delicious, she replied. I do think Pop-paw needs to build us a bigger tree house, though. We’ve about filled this one.

About that time a familiar voice called. Hold that pose, let me get a picture of three sardines.

Tori. Nate and Carli chimed, scooting to look at the ground.

Couldn’t you all find a bigger place than that?

There was a scramble and then they were climbing down as Tori reached for Carli.

We like it, Debbie replied, Don’t we? Nate grinned and nodded. You could have joined us, we know you wanted to.

Actually, I came to see if you want to take a ride through the woods. She stood Carli on the ground.

What do you think, Nate? Wanna see where me and Me-Me are building a race track?

More like a race path, Debbie corrected to Nate, Don’t let your daddy think we are racing.

She hugged her grandson. He might think I’d let you get hurt, so we will just drive very carefully. Right, Tori?

Okay, if you insist. They loaded into the double seat Gator and headed for the wooded area. If we are lucky we might see a deer. Nate was in the front with Tori and Debbie and Carli in the back seat.

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They had just returned when Nate’s Daddy arrived to pick him up. "What