Elise’s Continued Witness Despite Medical Complications

“Everything has become an effort,” says Elise. “Going from my room to the living room is a full activity in itself.” The young Encompass worker has been battling cancer for over two years now. And while August was rather calm for her, allowing her to catch her breath for the first time in a while, September was a different story.  

One reason last month was so rough was because of an unexpected visit to the emergency room. “My nose started bleeding for some unknown reason,” she says. “The bleeding wouldn’t stop to the extent that my at-home medical team had to call the ER to know what to do.” She had to wear bandages on her face that made it difficult to breath, and she might need a blood transfusion. 

On top of that, her doctor had given her permission to try eating food again, but Elise says, “My body just couldn’t take it.” She has been living from an IV for the past several months, so having that hope dashed “was really hard to swallow,” she says, noting that the pun was intended. Somehow, she has still managed to maintain her clever sense of humor despite her incredibly difficult situation. 

“I feel like the medical world is just overbearing right now,” she says. Issues seem to pop up left and right, and new ailments always spark some anxiety. “I saw the term 'medical burnout' and that spoke loudly to me,” she says. Not only is the cancer affecting her physical body, but the mental fatigue of being sick for so long is just as real. 

Yet despite all the difficulties of living with cancer, Elise continues to pour into others. Activities at her church have picked back up, and even though she can’t attend on Sundays, she still finds ways to participate behind the scenes. “I’m thankful for this, because it helps me focus on something else,” she says. 

And she recently concluded an ongoing Bible study with a friend who told her, “I still can’t believe that I had somehow missed the resurrection of Jesus and its significance all these years. Thank you for taking the time and putting in the energy. These calls have changed my faith and the way I live forever!” 

The way Elise continues deriving strength from Jesus during this this season is an inspiration to us all. She says, “Thank You, Lord, for giving me the grace to go day by day.”  

Jesus, please uphold Elise’s spirit and bring healing to her body.