Pray for Pastor Sara

This coming week, my wife, Sara, will undergo surgery to remove her thyroid. Doctors found two nodules on it that are likely cancerous. If the surgery goes well, she’ll stay overnight in the hospital just one night.

Sara and I know people who’ve survived and thrived after thyroid cancer. When caught early, like Sara’s nodules were, it is very easy to treat. The thyroid is relatively isolated as organs go and the chances of it having spread are very, very low. If you have to have cancer, this is the one to choose!

If after surgery, the nodules are found to be cancerous, Sara will be treated with radioactive iodine at the doctor’s office and then released to isolate at home until she doesn’t glow anymore. (Joking! She sadly won’t glow.)

If the nodules are not cancerous, all the better! She’ll simply take a daily thyroid hormone replacement pill the rest of her life. This is quite common medication, and many, many people thrive on it.

So we are very hopeful about the outcome. We are well supported by friends and family who will provide meals and childcare. I will take the week off as vacation so I can fully support Sara and the kids.

We simply request your prayers! Of course for Sara’s health and surgery. One worrisome danger is actually to Sara’s vocal cords. Pray that when I and Zion people leave for Tanzania on September 2, Sara is back to full strength.

Also, pray for peace and wisdom in our home. None of us Olson-Smiths have ever been really sick before so this is new territory. We’ll be learning how to love each other through the stress, uncertainty, and recovery.

I will be back in the office Monday, August 26. After that, I’ll share what news I know about how it all went and what will come next.

Thank you deeply.

Pastor Clark Olson-Smith