ZERO (An Update from Mike)

To all my wonderful family and friends,

Most of us, including myself, have read all the wonderful stories in the New Testament of Jesus healing the sick.  Most of us never realize the impact and significance of those healings, and I for one am glad you have not had to go through a life-long tragic disease to understand what it is like to be healed of such a dreaded sickness.  Like the woman who had a blood disorder that spent all she had for years on cures, or the paralytic next to the Pool of Siloam who waited years for someone to help him into the water, or the lepers’ cast out because of their skin disease, I have suffered with HepC for 22 years now.  What is it truly like to be healed of such a malady?  I now know!!!!!  After suffering horrible pain, fatigue, and nausea, after losing my job, my retirement and savings, after watching two of my very best friends die from HepC, after enduring a liver transplant, after putting my family and friends through hell watching me suffer, I am now HepC free with zero count of the virus in my body, zero!

Yesterday, my transplant coordinator called us and said, “Mr. Gray, you have beaten the odds and now are HepC zero count virus free.”  Odds/smodds, we know there are no odds, but a loving Father who heeded all of our prayers and healed me.  After recovering from the shock, I went into my bedroom to praise and worship the God who loves me, but instead after about 10 minutes began to sob uncontrollably for about 20 minutes until my sister called, and even then, took a little while to stop crying.  I continue crying off and on throughout the day as the reality is still sinking in.  I am healed.  Now I know why the cripple jumped up and down shouting and praising God when Peter and John pulled him up.  I really know!  It is one thing to know about God, it is vastly different to know the God who loves us; to experience who He is first hand.

Unfortunately, I still have to remain on the Triple Interferon Therapy for another 44 weeks.  Please be praying that by God's mercy I can be taken off this therapy sooner! But now, as the Book of Revelations tells us how we win in the end- I win in the same way!  I am still extremely sick with side effects from the treatment, but it is a little easier now to endure knowing the outcome is assured.  Thank you, thank you, thank you for all your prayers and support of our family year after year.  I could never thank any of you enough, from Tom Stansbury who risked his life to save mine, to the person who prayed for us when we came to mind.  To all of you; thank you.