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Brain tumor draws pastor, family closer to God
In 2006, the Rev. Dr. Chris Atkins changed course. After once serving as a professor of biblical studies at Trinity Baptist College in Jacksonville, Fla., for four years, Chris, his wife, Eunice and their youngest daughter, Bethany came to McCook. He accepted a position as the pastor of adult ministries at McCook Evangelical Free Church, and plotted his course day-by-day.
That course change was the result of "simply listening to God," Atkins said in an interview in August 2006.
Life, complete with every day ups-and-downs, continued along the same path, and there was no indication whatsoever that a course change was coming. In November, the Atkins family, well-settled into the routines of life in small-town America, were simply looking forward to the upcoming holiday season. The one exception to routine was Chris' plans to lead a tour to the Holy Land for a group of 40 parishoners and friends in January.
One morning in November everything changed. While talking on his office telephone, Chris suddenly found himself on the floor, his coffee spilled and the church administrator, Joan Koch, calling from her office next door, "Chris, are you alright?"
"Naturally, they first suspected my heart," Chris said. Unable to detect anything seriously amiss, doctors put him on a monitor and sent him home from Community Hospital that Saturday. He was back at church on Sunday, remarking only that although things "looked the same, they were different."
His wife Eunice, however, saw other signs. Finding the sour cream in the cabinet was one clue. Others came from those close to Chris, who remarked worriedly, "something is just a little off."
When the couple returned to the doctor, Eunice said "Maybe we need to check his head, not his heart."
She was right. And on Nov. 11, the couple, learning the results of an MRI, heard the five words that changed their life-course, "You have a brain tumor."
On Nov. 20, doctors at Presbyterian Hospital in Dallas, Texas surgically removed a stage 4 glioblastoma multiforme tumor, deep in the right side of Chris' brain.
Following 51⁄2 hours of surgery, Chris expected to spend just a day and a half in ICU and greeted Eunice in the recovery room by reciting Psalm 1 in Hebrew, then providing the English translation, assuring her through that recitation that his mind and his memory was intact.
Chris' brother-in-law Mike Hemp, wrote that day in the newly established blog "Utmost for His Highest," that, "When Chris woke up in recovery he was very alert, quick-witted, considerate of others, with his usual sense of humor." That blog became the link between Chris and Eunice and their "family in McCook," receiving more than 14,000 hits during his four months in Texas. The blog is still updated frequently at http://loveunchangeinggraceunending.blogspot.com and has become a daily devotional for many.
Reading through the blog entries, it is apparent that as each new obstacle appeared, so did the Lord's solution or accommodation for it.
Back in Dallas, the news became somewhat more grim as the days wore on and Chris' pain didn't abate. A CAT scan not only revealed that post-surgical swelling had blocked spinal fluid from draining but that Chris also had suffered a stroke at some point in time. Steroids helped with the swelling but put Chris into a "mental 'Twilight Zone'" and he began experiencing severe panic attacks. (Thankfully, the only lingering effect from the stroke is the loss of Chris' peripheral vision in his left eye.)
Chris spent the next seven days in ICU, unable to sleep unless someone played Fernando Ortega worship music on his CD.
Over the next several weeks, Chris and Eunice endured multiple ups and downs as Chris battled blood clots in both lungs, pneumonia, the debilitating effects of daily radiation treatment and the hard to predict side-effects of chemotherapy. Toward the end of the initial treatments, liver problems surfaced and Chris' bilirubin count, ideally less than one, soared to more than 30 points. Although doctors were able to complete Chris' initial chemotherapy regimen, his bilirubin count remains elevated and subsequent treatment has been postponed until the counts return to normal.
"This (elevated count) isn't a life-threatening condition," Atkins explained. "But it does prevent the doctors from continuing the recommended treatment protocols for glioblastoma multiforme tumors."
Another side-effect of the treatment is "dry-mouth," which causes a lot of difficulty with eating, and enjoying, food. Chris has lost weight, "not altogether a negative side-effect" he allowed with a smile. Nevertheless, he doesn't recommend this type of weight-loss program for anyone.
Additional pressure came from the financial aspect of Chris' treatment. Although he and Eunice were blessed to receive the gift of accommodations at the Cooper Aerobic Center in Dallas from Chris' sister and brother-in-law, Linda and Mike Hemp, they were ill-prepared for the many financial obstacles raised during his initial treatment and the projected expenses related to ongoing treatment. People who develop glioblastoma multiforme tumors are not "cured," but are susceptible to the tumor returning. Ongoing chemo- therapy and quarterly MRIs are medicine's front-line defense, and come at a cost.
Chris wrote in the blog Dec. 4, "We have received much encouragement from Bruce (Lester, senior pastor at MEFC) and marvel that a medical fund is being set up to offset the many expenses that will not be covered by our insurance program, which we thought was supposed to be a good one."
Fundraising continues with members of the community and congregation at McCook Evangelical Free Church making arrangements now to bring Christian recording artist Fernando Ortega, such a comfort to Chris in ICU, to McCook's Memorial Auditorium April 19 for a concert. More information on the concert will be provided in a later story.
The blog continues to provide encouragement and insight into how carefully God has brought Chris, Eunice, their children, their church family and the community through this sudden change of life-course.
"I want only to be a vessel for God's use," said Chris. "I was tickled that I could share what I was learning and keep people posted on what I was going through."
Not only have Chris and Eunice expanded their medical knowledge and terminology, words like glioblastoma multiforme tripping off their tongues like they took a full 8-year medical course, they have also learned how great a God they chose to serve those many years ago.
"People can choose how they respond to God's answers to prayer," Chris explained, especially when human suffering enters the equation.
"These are hard questions, valid questions, lifted before an all-powerful God."
The possible answers are as varied as the people petitioning the Lord, said Chris. Biblically, there is at least one injunction on unanswered prayer, this given to us by James, Jesus' brother. "When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures." (James 4:3 NIV)
That isn't the issue in Chris' case. The persistent prayers have asked only for his health to be restored.
"When all is said and done, and the prayers seem to have been exhausted, sometimes our all-powerful, loving God answers the same way he answered his son in the Garden of Gethsemane when he prayed, ""My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me."
We may have to come to the same conclusion that Jesus did on that fateful night, "Yet not as I will, but as you will," he said. (Matthew 26:39)
"So, we'll continue the fight, Chris said, "We'll deal with each situation as it comes, one day at a time. For now, I can't begin to explain how wonderful it is to be home."
Wisdom gained from experience has taught Chris and Eunice and those who love them to "be kind to everyone. Because everyone you meet is going through some kind of battle; health, relationships, financial, any battle you have had or can imagine is being fought on a daily basis."
With that in mind, Chris is learning to live life in the present, every day, and takes encouragement from the Apostle Paul, "For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all." (2 Corinthians 4:17, NIV)
Contributions toward the ongoing medical expenses can be made to the McCook Evangelical Free Church, with Atkins Cancer Fund written in the memo portion, and mailed to the church at 602 East 14th, McCook, NE 69001.