Shall we grab our cuppa’s & get comfy for our time together my friend!
As we’re sitting enjoying our tea I’ll tell you all about a journey hubby & I have been traveling lately.
Sharing the good, the bad & the ugly of it.
But first a little background
If you join me here often you’ll know that over the last few years I’ve made some simple changes to my lifestyle for a better health outcome.
Especially since receiving the shock diagnosis of insulin resistance.
As I was already living with several Chronic health conditions I didn’t want another added to the list!
So by implementing simple changes to my lifestyle (mainly changes to diet & increased walking) brought about some amazing results. Completely reversing that insulin resistance!
While these new lifestyle measures can’t cure the chronic conditions I have. They truly help me to cope better within them.
Thus, I continue to take positive & preventive steps for my overall health care.
Which brings me to today’s sharing…
The Good…The Test
Here in Australia we have an amazing Public Healthcare system.
Something I am truly grateful for…
In 2006, our Federal government initiated a National screening program for Bowel Cancer. Which is open to all Australian citizens over a certain age.
The test is sent in the mail with clear instructions for collection & subsequent return of the samples to the pathology lab.
All done by mail…Simple & Easy!
The test is completely free & sent every two years to all those who choose to participate.
And the Lab results are mailed directly back to you.
My results have always returned a ‘Negative’ result which means nothing suspicious was detected. Yay!
The Results…The Good & the Bad
This year I received my results in the mail as per normal…
However this time it wasn’t a ‘Negative’ but a ‘Positive‘ result.
A Bowel cancer test with a positive result! Hmmmm!
This came as a bit of a shock but always the eternal optimist I thought it may just have been related to another condition.
However, my physician wasn’t convinced that it had anything to do with that condition & organised a Colonoscopy for further investigation.
The Good, the bad & the ugly…The Prep
It came time for the necessary prep for the Colonoscopy.
Of which my entire body objected & reacted to the Prep medication! A rather nasty reaction… apparently this can happen for some people!
I made it to the hospital in plenty of time for the procedure.
The medical team were wonderful & I slept through the entire procedure due to the anesthesia.
The Findings…
Once out of recovery & allowed to have something to eat.
The findings were explained to me in detail by one of the medical team with a copy of the report to take home.
I was absolutely gobsmacked to hear that something suspicious had been found, surgically removed & sent to the lab! And a few other conditions discovered.
You see I had convinced myself that there wasn’t anything serious to find (remember I’m an eternal optimist)!
And suddenly I realised that these conditions had all been growing in secret.
I was totally unaware they were even there!
While one of these conditions had been symptomatic.
Those symptoms had been quickly put down to an already existing condition!
What’s secretly growing in our lives?
This experience has given hubby & I much food for thought.
That’s why he encouraged me to share our journey with you today.
Our thoughts have been…
Is there anything growing in our hearts that may be hidden from our awareness?
Ugly things like bitterness, jealousy, resentment or unforgiveness festering?
Which give certain behavioral symptoms at times but are easily put down to existing conditions.
Conditions like weariness, stress, anxiety, fatigue, hormonal changes or going through life changing events!
All these things if not addressed will keep growing & turn very ugly indeed.
Just as cancer can spread throughout our entire body before we realise it!
Toxic emotions can completely consume our hearts & take over our lives!
It’s time!
Don’t you think it’s time to shine the Light on those hidden ‘toxic emotions’ that poke their ugly heads up when we least expect it!
That really do need healing by the Great Physician!
My Results!
I can happily share that the results from pathology did reveal that the Gastroenterologist suspicions were founded, as it was precancerous.
However, it hadn’t yet morphed into full blown cancer. Yay!
Hubby & I are praising God for the National Bowel Cancer Screening program, a wise physician, an alert Gastroenterologist & answer to our prayers! 🤗
When is the last time you had a check up my friend, physically, emotionally & spiritually?
This is the first post in a new series, Hidden, the second installment is Are you just Going through the motions of life?
Until next time,
Jennifer
You’re most welcome to join me in The Reading Nook
© 2021 Jennifer M. Ross, teawithjennifer.blog All Rights Reserved. Photo by Quang Nguyen Vinh on Pexels.com
Tea With Jennifer 
Jennifer,
I’m grateful you were able to stay ahead of the problem. What a wonderful analogy to our spiritual lives!
I hope you feel well today.
Peace and grace,
Tammy
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Thank you Tammy! I’m delighted you dropped by today! ☺️
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Jennifer, we are blessed to live in a time when these tests and procedures can help to keep us healthy. May your post encourage someone to take care of themselves – both physically and spiritually 🙂
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Thank you Joanne. Lovely having you join me in a cuppa today.
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Tied together with a perfect bow. Great, encouraging post.
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Thank you Susan! Yes, a wonderful gift that’s for sure 🤗
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Praise God, Jennifer, that everything was caught in time. There are times God has had to “rile me up” to move me to action when I think I need to just trust that He’s got it. He knows satan’s plans and He has the battle plan to overcome. Sometimes that means I need to do things differently than I think walking “faith” looks like. I’m glad you moved how God wanted you to move!
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Thank you Maryleigh! Yes, I understand what your saying here, I think we can all have a tendency to do similar.
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In Canada we too, are grateful for the health care plans! I am glad your initial test, although unpleasant, led to early intervention of something that could have gone worse. My brother died of colon cancer, sadly. I have to skip the preliminary test and go straight to the colonoscopy every 5 years. An unexamined life can be an unhealthy life! Your words remind me of David asking God to search His heart for anything not of Him – a wise daily prayer for all of us!
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I’m saddened to hear you lost your brother to Colon cancer Lynn. That’s a difficult thing to go through. 🌹
My late hubby died from brain cancer which was a difficult journey for us both but God.
Yes, ‘search out hearts Lord’ & align them with your nature not ours.
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How wonderful that you all have access to the screening program! I imagine it’s saved quite a few lives. I had my first colonoscopy in my 40s and they found cancer. They removed it that day and that was that. Except for I have to have more frequent colonoscopies. But it’s a very small price to pay to have preempted having full-blown cancer. I’m so thankful for our modern technologies and that you were smart to take advantage of yours! If you had ignored it and it had grown, it would have been far more disastrous than just a colonoscopy. Thanks for sharing this with us, Jennifer. May it encourage someone today to follow up on anything they need to
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Wow Lisa that’s wonderful! Praise God for these new technologies. I’m glad they caught yours in time too! ☺️
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Jennifer, praise God for a good report! The analogy to our spiritual condition is perfect. Any hidden sin will eventually be
brought into the light. Thank you my friend for the point well made.
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Thank you Pam, yes we’re definitely praising God! 🤗
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