Autumnal Check-Up

This morning we drove through the University of Minnesota for Andrew's check-up. As Andrew inched over the crosswalk to take a right, I yelped, "Kiddie! Kiddie! There's a kiddie in the crosswalk." Andrew braked as a student wearing a backpack emerged from the left.

"Did I just call a college student a "kiddie?" I asked. "That means we're really old now. Is it just me or do these people look too young to be college students?"

"I think it's just you," Andrew said.

We proceeded to Andrew's check-up with Dr. Bevan Yueh (Pronounced "You." As in "Who me? Yeah, you.") Until this September, Dr. Yueh was a head and neck doctor with the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center and the University of Washington in Seattle. He was best friends and colleagues with our brilliant life-saver and surgeon, Dr. Futran. Dr. Yueh now heads up the Head and Neck department at the University of Minnesota. This was his first day having clinic since moving here. I hope it was comforting for him to see us his first day, cause he said he almost thought he was back in Seattle reading through our records written by all his friends.

So far, Andrew continues to look healthy. Praise the Lord! When Dr. Yueh examined Andrew, he said Andrew was "a really good healer." Yes, the Lord is an awesome Healer and has greatly blessed Andrew and us! Dr. Yueh was really impressed at Dr. Futran's job.

Andrew started to say, "Yeah, we've heard Dr. Futran is - one - of - the best..." stumbling over his words, careful not to offend Dr. Yueh.

Dr. Yueh responded, "Dr. Futran is the best. He is the best. If I had cancer, he would be the one operating on me." Every doctor we meet, even when we visited the Mayo Clinic here in Rochester in October has heard of Dr. Futran and the incredible doctor he is.

We are continually amazed at how the Lord's perfect sovereignty moved us to Washington and then kept us there for cancer to be treated by Dr. Futran. That in itself is a miracle; His perfect working in His sovereign plan. We cannot even imagine what could have happened had we been somewhere else and stumbled upon some lesser doctor. It's not like we were experienced and knew what we were doing when Andrew was diagnosed. Thank the Lord there is God's sovereign plan and only God's sovereign plan.

The other thing that we loved about the University of Washington (other than it's writing program) is how concerned the doctors seemed to be for us. Considering that between the two of us, we've probably seen more doctors than anyone we know, such concern is a unique thing. I'm sure the doctors were accustomed to seeing patients die, but they were so concerned that Andrew was only 25, at his prime, just starting life. They must have propagated this culture of concern, because Dr. Yueh was so warm, kind, and concerned for us too.

On another note, we are really enjoying the cold weather here. Granted, it's not really "cold" yet. It's only been in the 30's and 40's, and maybe by February we'll be singing another song, but we find the cold to be so cozy. We haven't experienced Autumn in almost a decade since moving from New Jersey. It feels like we are finally home again.