The Boy Who Cried Wolf!

Do you remember the story of the shepherd boy who cried ‘wolf’? Twice he pretended a wolf was attacking the sheep and he called out to the villagers for help. But when they arrived, the boy laughed because there was no wolf. He just wanted the attention. Then, a third time a wolf really did come and the boy cried out. But the villagers didn’t hurry to rescue the sheep this time because they assumed the boy was not being truthful.

Well, I sometimes feel that I am like the boy. Many times the cancer appears ready to overwhelm me. I write in such a way that death seems close at hand. Then my body fights back and figures out a way to give me more days of life. I almost feel like I need to apologize for ‘crying wolf’, only then to get better.

But I’ve always said that cancer is like a wild animal. You never know how fast or which way it will run. There are many who survive only weeks after receiving a cancer diagnosis. An aneurysm or organ failure can happen quickly, as happened to Jan. Others can carry their cancer for years. As cancer doctors will always say, “Each case is different.”

Yet, at the risk of shouting ‘wolf’ once again, there are increasing indications that my ‘promotion’ is approaching and my graduation to Heaven is not far off. For the past month, I have been dealing with edema in my legs and abdominal cavity. My belly has blossomed into a bell-shaped balloon. I’m having to wear compression socks to control blood flow in my legs. These indicate that either my liver or remaining kidney are becoming more out of balance, increasing my heart rate and blood pressure.

The hospice doctor paid me another visit today to do a check-up and recertify me for continued hospice care. She confirmed that my rapid weight gain (20 pounds in the past month) and enlargement of my abdominal cavity is likely due to tumor build up, which is affecting both my breathing and digestion. As my bodily organs become increasingly out of balance, so does the likelihood of something happening at any time. That ol’ wolf could appear suddenly and with little warning.

But I am not afraid of the wolf. In one of its many depictions of Heaven, the Bible says in Isaiah 11:6, “And the wolf will dwell with the lamb…and a little boy will lead them.” For me, that’s the only boy and wolf story I want to tell.