Urgent Tehillim- Gilad Hillel Ben Bracha Mirul

Hi girls. I don't know everyone on this list, but i needed to share something so I'm just forwarding it to everyone on rebeccas list for invites to the learning things. Those of you that know me, know that i have a friend Gilad, that is suffering for liver cancer for the past 3 to 4 years. It has gotten to a pretty bad point and it has traveled throughout his whole body. I wanted to share with you a blog (posted below) that his mother posted so you could all understand his situation a little bit more in order to add more meaning to the Tehillim that I am asking you to say for him. GIlad Hillel Ben Brach Mirul. He needs your prayers more than ever now so please daven for him.

May 25, 2010

scan: (noun) - definition: to examine by point-by-point observation or checking

medical scan: (noun) such as x-ray, CT or PET scan - definition: 1. sectional view of the body constructed through imaging 2. image made by computerized or positron-emission tomography

We realize that many of you are probably waiting to hear about the results of yesterday’s scans. We also know that you would like to know how Gilad really is these days, and we understand that you don’t want to pester us or be intrusive.

It’s hard to be honest and tell you what you probably already know, and what we have only alluded to in past posts, that Gilad is quite sick. His body has been dealing with this disease for over three years now, and unfortunately, in spite of all the surgeries and procedures and treatment that Gilad has endured, the cancer has been slowly spreading. The disease has progressed, meaning it has continued to grow; it has not gone away and it no longer resides only in his liver. We have known this for quite a while but have continued to move forward, always praying that we would not arrive at the challenging phase in which we now find ourselves. On the other hand, there is always room for hope and miracles; Gilad has astounded all of us – the doctors included – and rebounded many times in the past.

So is he in crisis? Yes and no. This is not an emergency situation, but it’s a turning point of sorts. Things have certainly become more complicated, and it’s painful for us to see these gradual changes manifest themselves in our dear, sweet boy.

And now you probably want to know what comes next. Even now, the doctors will craft yet another plan, to keep Gilad pain-free and comfortable, and to stabilize the disease as much as possible. There is also the possibility of a creative but uncertain experimental treatment.

In this post I feel I have been open and honest. But other times some of you tell me that you don’t always understand the meaning of my words and find that you need to read between the lines. Yes, I often do hide here behind my expressive phrases and metaphors. It isn’t exactly my intention, but sometimes it’s easier to talk around things, pontificating with some lilting, upbeat, or tidy words. But I think many of you do understand, from the emotion that is threaded through the sentences, trickling from the letters, what I am trying to convey.

In the meantime, we still pray for miracles and for good, easy days for Gilad. We ask for the strength to get through the day, and that each tomorrow will be an easier one. We hold onto whatever hope we can find, and we believe that is what has gotten our boy this far, and we trust that it will get us through many, many, many more days.