www.byzcath.org Forums Faith & Christian Life Prayer upcoming sugery

I don't get into it on the forum much, but since 1993 I have been having a string of health problems that sometimes leave me feeling like Job. Two pituitary tumors in my brain with surgeries and radiation. One of the side effects of the first pituitary tumors was osteoporosis. So I started breaking bones in 1993 at the age of 33. I've had over 14 incidents of broken back vertebrae as well as breaking my entire left rib cage twice and more broken toes and fingers than you can imagine.

The upshot is that in October of 2005 I found out I had two herniated discs that were putting pressure on my spinal cord and if I didn't have surgery immediately the doctors said I would be in a wheel chair wearing adult diapers for the rest of my life. I was 45 years old. I've already been taking morphine (about 180mg a day) since 1999 and the pain is just getting worse. Something went wrong during the surgery in 2005 and I wound up paralyzed from the waist down. I had four surgeries during the month of November 2005 alone, one of them about 17 hours long. I've been recovering from that only things keep going up and down. I had another surgery in May of this year and am scheduled for my sixth spinal surgery in two years. It's Monday, Dec 3 at Johns Hopkins in Baltimore, Md. Throw in the fact that I have no pituitary function and produce no hormones at all anymore and surgeries become a major problem for me. This is actually my seventh spinal surgery since the first tumor in 1993 produced a tumor on my spine that left me paralyzed from the waist down. I've had to learn how to walk all over again twice now.

I calculated that since October of 1993 I've spent over 34 months in the hospital, had two brain surgeries, radiation and now seven spinal surgeries. I have rods and screws in my spine from T2 to L3, which is over half of the spinal column.

My priest will be doing a annointing for me after Divine Liturgy this Saturday with some Oil of St. Nicholas from Bari, which I received due to the graciousness of one of the posters on this forum. This poster, who is an angel, also included two bottles of water from Lourdes. I've been nipping at one of them and plan on having the other one with me at Johns Hopkins.

I already have a motorized scooter and if this surgery doesn't work, it looks like I'll be heading for disability since there are days I just can't walk it hurts so much. I ask for your prayers for my upcoming surgery. May God guide the surgeon's hands and look favorably on me, your humble servant.

Thanks for any prayers in advance.

Tim

Prayers that this surgery works and that your health will be restored.

Through the intercession of Sts. Luke, Panteleimon, Cosmas, Damien, Cyrus, John, and Gianna Beretta Molla I offer my prayers for your surgery.

Prayers Tim!

Prayers...

james

Our Father, Who art in heaven,
Hallowed be Thy Name.
Thy Kingdom come.
Thy Will be done, on earth as it is in Heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread.
And forgive us our trespasses,
as we forgive those who trespass against us.
And lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil. Amen.

Heavenly Father, physician of our souls and bodies, Who have sent Your only-begotten Son and our Lord Jesus Christ to heal every sickness and infirmity, visit and heal also Your servant Tim from all physical and spiritual ailments through the grace of Your Christ. Grant him patience in this sickness, strength of body and spirit, and recovery of health. Lord, You have taught us through Your word to pray for each other that we may be healed. I pray, heal Your servant Tim and grant to him the gift of complete health. For You are the source of healing and to You I give glory, Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Amen.

Lord have mercy on your servant Tim!

Prayers !!!

Lord have mercy on Tim !!!

May the Theotokos intercede on on Tim's behalf !

-- John

Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, look with mercy to Tim and heal him, relieve his fears and sorrows. Amin!

My prayers for you through St. Timothy the Apostle, and from one Timothy to another!

In Christ,

Timothy (also a brain tumor survivor and a big fan of Johns Hopkins)

My unworthy prayers to Almighty God through the intercessions of the miracle workers, St. Nicholas--whose feast day is on the 6th of December, and St. Nektarios.

May our brother's surgery go well, and may his health get better and better.

Alleviate his fears and let him be confident in Your mercy and compassion through the miracles of the Saints!

AMEN!

In Christ,
Alice

St. Nicholas Orthodox prayer to read daily:
http://www.sprint.net.au/~corners/Dec95/StNicholas.htm

St. Nektarios prayers:
http://www.goarch.org/en/chapel/saints.asp?contentid=283

Blessings and prayers ....!!!!!!!!!!
CS

Tim, prayers brother. Your priest is an exceptional man. When you're down, just remember you've got an army of us praying for you and remembering you.

Thank you for all of your prayers and kindness. At Divine Liturgy we did the entire Annointing prayers with Oil of St. Nicholas of Bari and every member of the congreagation come up to lay their hands on my head and say a prayer. It was quite a humbling experience, very emotional. It kind of reinforces the entire thing that Jesus really does live in each and everyone of us. The words "I'm not worthy" kept running through my mind. It reminded me I was a sinner, but God is always there, with love, no matter what we do. Very, very emotional.

If you ever have a need, I suggest you request it from your priest.

My wife and I are getting ready to leave soon. We had some snow last night here in State College, but not too much. It's supposed to turn to freezing rain later today, which wil make driving a it trickier. There's one fairly steep mountain we need to go down, then it's not too bad the rest of the way to Baltimore.

Thank you.

Tim

ps--save some pirohi for me for when I get back!

Tim,

I hope everything turns out for the best with your surgery. May God hear our prays and hasten your recovery. Through the prays of the Holy Mother of God and Ever Virgin Mary, and through the intercession of the Saints, especially Nicholas of Myra, may you make a full recovery!

Ung