THE LORD'S CHAIR EPISODE 6..."CAREWELL"

by Magne Guintu (Class 139, Shepherd of Class 184)

Dear Readers,

The last episode was sent from Los Angeles California, while I was having my breast cancer treatment there. It was exactly one year ago as I left for LA last year in September. Since I came back to the country this year , I was not able to continue the episodes because I had to undergo several chemo theraphy treatments and the operation.

I came home last March although my doctors in LA wanted me to have the operation there. I opted to have the surgery done here in Manila because I have my M.E. community here, my NSPS church family, my Prex Family and my relatives and friends here in Manila. I felt I needed their support as I go thru the cancer treatment protocol.

Before my surgery last June 28, God gave me another family to support me with. This is the CAREWELL community. It is the cancer resource and wellness community, incorporated in 2005 ( the year I was diagnosed of breast cancer), founded by Robert Suntay and his wife, the late Jessica Suntay ( who died of ovarian cancer in 2005). Carewell is a nonprofit foundation which provides support, education and hope to persons with cancer and their loved ones as well. Since June, I have been participating in support group meetings and wellness activies. Here, we have a good library and resource center too. The foundation provides arts classes every Saturday which my daughter Nadeen and I enjoy. It has many wellness activities like yoga, centering prayers every Monday, respite weekend programs,referral network, all free of charge. Carewell operates with the support of THE WELLNESS COMMUNITY Boston (and its national office), USA. It became TWC's first and only International Affiliate in Southeast Asia.

The earlier members who joined Carewell meet every Thursday at lunch time. They called themselves CAREBELLES, while the later ones ( or should I say the younger ones?) are called CAREGALS. They meet every Tuesday over lunch. The carebelles and the caregals are like sisters. They care for each other and help each other as much as they can. You cant imagine the laughter and the tears they share together.

The husbands ( CAREGUYS) also meet twice a month, every other wednesday. This meeting is called THE HAPPY HOUR. The husbands share tips on how to handle stressful situations as they care for their cancer stricken wives while sharing food and drinks compliments of Bobbit Suntay (Carewell Founder and Manager) and Carewell.

When I am in the support group meetings, I feel I am not alone. I discover there are so many cancer stricken people around me now, and more are being diagnosed. In my area alone here in Sampaloc, or should I say, in my own street alone, there are 5 of us with cancer now. The latest case was just last month, a 24 yr. old guy who had testical cancer. I also discover many alternative doctors now and many alternative medicines available to us. As we exchange views on medical procedures and aftermath of it, we are able to help one another understand more about the sickness and the healing process as well.

I would like to share in this episode a miracle which happened to me last month.

After over a month, my surgery has healed gradually. Only a few stitches are left in the armpit and in the left chest. My main problem though is the hardening of my muscles in the left torso and I could not put my left arm straight, nor lift it up straight above my head. I was feeling the pain of overstretched or darned muscles stitched in the armpit. I was feeling depressed that night and asked my husband (Brother Dan) to pray over me. I lay in bed crying in desperation that night. I requested him to massage the painful left arm with oil. As he did, we prayed together. After 3 minutes of silence, I stretched my left arm, and lo and behold, it was straight again! The pain was gone! I sat down and tried to put my left arm across my head to reach my right ear (thats the final test of enduring the stretch), and I did it! The left arm which I could hardly raise and couldnt straighten is now working normal! And up to this time, my left arm is normal again. I have regained my strength too. All in that 3 minutes of prayer. I know God heard our prayers that night. And I thank HIM so much for another miracle. God is indeed so good, HE has shown so many us miracles.

Indeed, as I kneel again in front of the Lord's chair, I feel God's loving hands, his gentle voice saying "I am here, my child, dont you worry." He said "Be still and know that I am God." Indeed, God is alive and He hears our supplications!

Thru this episode, once again, I would like to thank our brothers and sisters who have been praying for my healing. Lets us all thank God for HIS healing.

Thru this article also, I would like to invite all the members of our Mater Dei Marriage Encounter Community who have cancer, or who know of anybody who have cancer to join the Carewell Cancer Support Group. You can contact me thru my home phone, 743 2503 or thru my cell phone 0915 660 3688. I would gladly refer you to Carewell. It is located at the 6th floor of the S & L building, dela Rosa corner Esteban St. Legaspi Village, Makati City. You can visit its website at info@carewellcommun ity.org.

Let us all pray that God will finally put surgery, chemotheraphy, and radiation behind, in the world of oblivion and let better, cheaper alternatives come in the open. We all know that chemotheraphy and radiation causes a lot of damage to our good cells, even the doctors know that. May God sprinkle unto this earth the wisdom in all of us so that we may see that the real cure of cancer is just in our in our control, in our hands, in our midst, in our environment, ( the morning sun, the warm earth underneath our foot, the fresh air, the fresh fruits and vegetables, enough rest and sleep, clean living and lots of prayers).

When stricken with cancer, or any critical ailment, we should not question God, why me?

He will just ask you, why NOT?

Just ask God to carry you all the way until the glimmering light brings you to the eternal joys of Heaven. After all, our final destination is Heaven.

In Carewell, we often say, we who have cancer are at the "Pre Departure Area, or near the boarding time, heading for our final destination. The expression, "were dying to see you" becomes very appropriate especially for those who have stage 4 cancer. Joking aside, we come to realize that our life here on earth is the path of destination, sometimes smooth, sometimes muddy or slippery, sometimes bumpy and rough. But no matter what the road maybe, God is always with us, or better still, God is always within us.

He cares about you and me. As Fr. Domie Guzman sings in his final blessings, God cares for you....indeed God cares for all of us. Amen!