August 9, 2011
BEHIND THE SCENES.
I decided to focus this blog entry to sharing with you, on a personal basis, what I went through during my Chemo treatment and, most importantly, what got me standing again.
So far I have been at MDA for 19 days. The first 4 days I was given heavy, intense Chemo. Those 4 days and nights were very dark and gloomy. My mind started playing tricks on me. I was seeing visions. My body started acting weird. I could feel that I was falling apart, slowly, but surely. My appetite was gone. My thirst increased, but I was unable to drink. Oh how I longed to be able to drink water to my content – however, to no avail. The nights were long and the days felt meaningless. I could sense that I was falling apart. My body started developing rashes and my mouth was a mess. Once they stopped the Chemo, my body started reacting in strange ways. I no longer understood it … “BUT” all along I noticed something very obvious … through it all my spirit and my faith were intact. That was an incredible feeling. What the Chemo was doing to my body, it could not touch my spirit or my faith. It was so obvious that the Lord was in full control. I could feel Him. Additionally, every single day I would get updates from the body of faith on how many groups were fasting for me until I am able to eat and drink again … the numerous emails from the beloved (from all over the world) saying how the Lord stopped them in the middle of an activity where they felt the need to pray for me and immediately got on their knees and fervently started praying … others telling me how they awoke in the middle of the night and rushed on their knees in prayer for me … thus I was surrounded and lifted up by ” the effective, fervent prayers of the righteous that avails much” (James 5:16). Yes the Chemo was strong, yes the nights were dark, yes my body was getting weaker … but my spirit and faith were intact and the prayers of the believers were fervent, effective and mighty and the Lord heard them all … that is why today, after everything I’ve been through, I stand strong (Ephesians 6:13) and I can say, “even though I walked through the valley of Chemo, I am still standing, for You are with me, Your rod and Your staff they comfort me”. What an awesome God we serve.
As of today, I am able to eat and drink (PTL). I am also saving money on hair cuts … and, most importantly, feel I am getting better and stronger by the day. Still, I desperately need and count on your daily prayers for full speedy recovery. The road is still challenging, but your prayers will pave the way for a smoother path.
Philippians 1:3
Sami Lahoud 
Sami:
I just received word about your battle. I am, as always, a mighty prayer warrior and am praying without ceasing for your healing and your strength. I have only read a bit of your blog just now and will read more later. May God grant you a substantive, tangible measure of grace and peace and may his angels minister to your body and heal you with the power of the most Holy Spirit as the Word fills your soul and mind with his teachings.
Love,
Ginger
Sami, I hope that you feel the prayers from my Sunday School class. We are all praying for you. You are in my thoughts daily as well. Your spirit should inspire us all.
Diane
The Ortiz’s read your blog together tonight and prayed for you and the family. You are truely a blessing to us. Thank you for sharing. You are giving us opportunities to share with our family and friends. Continue to be strong and the courage. Take care Bro. JGO
Sami: I was really sorry to receive word from Ramsey that you have been diagnosed with leukemia! I will be praying for you and your family. Your blog is a testimony of your faith and sense of humor! You have a very strong circle of family and friends pulling for a speedy recovery! Your friends at EMIT might even be powerful enough to stop blocking access to your blog so that your ExxonMobil friends can keep up on your progress from the office. Get well soon and you can come to my 30-yr lunch!
Who loves you? Mike
You still manage to crack me up 🙂 Keep that Sami humor going … we all love it. Thinking of you Bud.
: ) Sami, I just wanted to let you know that I am praying for you and your family. You are all so precious to me and I consider you my own. You are an encouragement to me. The Holy Spirit was sent to us as a comforter and our faith, to trust in and rely on. Be strong my brother in Christ. All my love, Javiya
Dear Brother,
Great faith and prayers…God is carrying you through every step of this journey. Elisa and I are continuously praying for you, Jacqueline, Wadad, Jeannette, Samir, your dear Mother Wadad, your sisters and all of your precious family.
I love you, your brother Mario
My daughter (Nour) and I prayed for you!! You are in our hearts and minds…. Lots of love….
Sami,
You have been such a blessing to so many and your faith is such a testimony to His grace and how He can shine from within. Please know that you, Jacqueline and your children have been in our thoughts and prayers. We have a mighty God and He will see you through this.
Sending you hugs and much love…
Trudi and Robert Mendez
1 Thessalonians 5:17-18: “Pray without ceasing. In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.”
Sami,
Dheyaa asks about you when I see him every week. I gave him your blog address. Your group misses their leader terribly.
Thanks for sharing details of the treatment and your journey of faith. May God continue to strengthen your heart so you may stand holy and blameless in the presence of Almighty God on that day, that glorious day, when Jesus comes for us.
I love you brother.
Sami – I received the news of your illness today… it hit me hard, really hard, but reading your blog and the sharing of your awesome faith and spirit has somehow in a strange way brought a special kind of calmness to the situation. Someone once said “We are infinite spiritual beings living a temporary human experience”. I’ve thought of this often, and I believe God is lifting you out of this challenge. Get well soon my friend so we can have many more of our special talks; you always seem to lift me up, now let us do the same for you in prayer my brother. (MMP)
P.S. Lynn and I read your blog this evening.
New International Version (©1984)
When Jesus heard this, he was astonished and said to those following him, “I tell you the truth, I have not found anyone in Israel with such great faith.
Truly, truly… in all my friends, I have not seen nor heard what I am witnessing now through you my beloved. God has given you favor among men and I believe as the servant said, so can you… Just speak the word and my servant will be healed!!!
Jacqueline, I know you are a prayer warrior; Sami and I have discussed this time and again. Be encouraged my sister and keep the kids focused.. I see Jeanette also has Sami’s sense of humor. Hold them together and rejoice in the power of the almighty. Love you all!!!
Sami
My neighbor, my friend, my brother.
When Neala first told me of your news, I could only think and ask “Sami …Sami…..Sami….. Sami who?” Even though you are the only Sami i know, I was not wanting nor willing to come to terms that she meant you. We had just seen Jackie, Jeannette, and Samir at Veritas for the July 4th parade and all looked so healthy and happy. I knew you were just as healthy and happy. What a shock to us all.
i don’t know if you recall, but in 2005 i was facing my own ordeal – bypass surgery to repair an aneurysm. I was a wreck the night before the surgery and all the barbituates the hospital threw at me could not help. You called and led me in the most calming prayer which definitely had an effect on me and sedated me in a way no medicine could. I successfully made it through my challenge and to this day still credit you with a major assist.
Your family has always been there for my family – whether helping my wife, my daughter, or my mother in law. Please let us be there for you. If anything is needed, please reach out to us. My office is literally minutes from your hospital. If you need something, I can easily drop off for you before/after work. If Jackie or the kids need anything, allow us to be of assistance.
Having recently traveled to the land of my ancestors, Ireland, I feel I must bestow upon you some Irish blessings periodically. (They must be said with an Irish accent, which I don’t know if you can pull off through your Lebanese accent. If you need help, have them page my sister Jane Falk, the head nurse for the 15th floor, for the accent). Here goes:
May the road rise to meet you.
May the wind be always at your back.
May the sun shine warm upon your face.
And rains fall soft upon your fields.
And until we meet again,
May God hold you in the hollow of his hand.
I pray that you keep strong your sense of humor and more importantly your faith. Faith and family must remain the top priority in our lives. Your blog is tremendous and Neala and I try to read it together each night and realize how fortunate are we to know a man of such strong faith.
Regards (a traditional Irish farewell – until we meet again)
We love you!
Joe Fogarty
Sam,
You’re doing great habibi.
Faith is really everything and YOU will win.
Missing you and yallah I’ll see you soon.
Said
What an amazing journey to witness. The fact that your body is ailing, yet your faith is being renewed reminds me of these two verses in 2 Corinthians:
1) “Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all.” (2 Cor. 4:16-17)
2) “For just as we share abundantly in the sufferings of Christ, so also our comfort abounds through Christ (2 Cor. 1:5).
In addition…
The verse in James you mentioned is confirmation of my QT: ” the effective, fervent prayers of the righteous that avails much” (James 5:16). I’m reminded of the fact that Satan’s greatest attack will be to keep us from praying. From what I see, your faith has made it OBVIOUS he cannot win. Coupled with the faith and prayers of the body of Christ around you, this fight is already VICTORIOUS through Christ! Keep the faith, Khalo!! Praying for you from Lebanon every second of the day 🙂 Our God is greater!
Sami,
Thank you for writing on your Web page. We are praying for you daily….more than once. It is great to be able to pray specific prayers. We read your entry to check on you.”God is our refuge and strength, A very present help in trouble. ” Psalm 46:1. Praying that God be literally present with you to give you the healing, strength, and the joy you need step by step. We are very glad to be among your prayer supporters. Sincere Love in Christ to you our beloved. Emil & Salwa.
Sami,
Know that lots of ppl. who do not even know you are praying for you.
BTW-I have decided to take an internet/social network fast for 2 weeks, the exception is your blog, using it to meditate on God’s word
THANK YOU!!
Listen to this song-http://youtu.be/hHHU1fDcfHI “voice of truth” by Casting Crowns..I Hope it speaks to you when in doubt- blessings ❤
حبيبي واخي العزيز سامي
الدعوات والصلوات مستمره بدون أنقطاع حتى يمن عليك الله بالشفاء التام
حتى عوائلنا تدعو لك بتمام الصحه والعافيه والشفاء والعوده سريعا الى أهل واحبابك جميعا
أدعو الله العلي القدير ان يعطيك القوه لتتجاوز هذه السحابه في حياتك
سامي العزيز
أنا عرفتك رجل شجاع وتملك قلب فارس واخلاقك اخلاق رجل دين مؤمن وتواضعك لله
صدقني يا سامي سينصرك الله ويتم نعمته عليك وتشفى يأذن الله الواحد الأحد الفرد الصمد
أللهم أشفي كل مريض
أللهم أشفي كل مريض
أللهم أشفي كل مريض
آمين رب العالمين
Dear Mr. Sami
I can’t write anything , I can’t say anything , my master my father my chief …..
I miss you too much , do you know master what happened when I heard your NEWS from Mr. Robert I could believed it , I said no this is a joke but I saw Rob he’s serious . I could control myself , Mr. Sami I know you very well Want something from you don’t gave up your personality and remember you are Sami lahoud the great man , there are many of words for you but I can’t write them just remember you are Sami IT manager we are wait you in basra in our home on in FOD .
I love you master
Mustafa A. A. Gzar
I am humbled and SO PROUD to be called your sister ya habib albeh. Can’t wait to see what our Dad is going to do next. What sweet victory He has in store for you. Keep on holding on to the Spirit and showing the world who your true God is “so that all the peoples of the earth may know that the LORD is God and that there is no other.”
1 Kings 8:60
Love you
Rima, Hayete ente!!!, You will be very surprised with what your Dad along with his Brother “my Dad” can do for Sami….. Let’s keep on praying and talking to them and to our LORD. Miracles to happen!!! Trust me on that, I witnessed it…
Love you all, hang in there!!!
You are in our prayers. Keep up the faith.
Deborah Barfield and Melissa Weber
Hi Sami,
I learned about the matter from Amale while visiting Beirut. Asking about you, Hiba just told me that I can log in to your blog. Well, you are in thoughts and prayers. God works through all things for the good of those who love Him. I ask the Lord to grant you His everlasting and eternal light which penetrates and overcomes any darkness in us and around us. I pray that this battle will bring you closer and closer to our creator…to a unity deeper than anything we know or experienced before. The Lord is God..the only true God… He knows what is best for us. May he touch your soul and body with His healing power…
In Christ our Lord,
Elias and Ferial Baz from Beirut…
Sami, I just learned of your illness and have been reading your blog. It makes me sad to hear of this, but am greatly relieved to see that your sense of humor is still shining through your writing! I will add my prayers for you, Jacqueline and kids to the many!
Sami,
It is so encouraging to read your blog and see that this trial has not shaken your faith and that the chemo did not affect your sense of humor. May the Lord continue to give you the peace and strength to get through this journey. We love you and are continuously praying for your complete recovery.
Roula, Gordon, Danielle and Tristan
Master
I’m so sorry but that’s a truth says , always my parents asks me about you
Mr. I want something from you again just say YES I’m ready to donate for you and if you say no thanks … I’ll think there something is wrong in me , master I’m serious .just say YES and give me the green light you will find me beside you . master you are my LORD remember that .always pray and I call allah for you . I’ll send you very day all the regards from my family , my friends , and myself .
I love you MASTER
Dear Sami
I hope you will be OK to comeback to Iraq because I miss you so much and I feel really there is some person that I miss, you are strong and you can across this distress by your optimism and ours. Everybody knows there are obstacles in the life, ask God to heal you, come on man we are waiting to to comeback, greetings to your family.
عزيزي سامي، أنا مشتاقلك كثير وصلاتي اليومية لاجلك ما اتوقفت وانا والاخوة إلي حواليّ، عندنا اجتماع صلاة صباحي الساعة 6 وعم نذكرك فيه على الدوام، انا راجع يوم الاربعاء على هيوستن، اصلي أنا اسمع أخبار طيبة بنعمة الرب عن تعاملات الله العجيبة معك، انت كنت وما زلت مصدر تشجيع وبركة للجميع عالماً أن الرب صالح من جهة مشيئته وأمين من جهة مواعيده
إن توانت فانتظرها لأنها ستأتي إتياناً ولا تتأخر حبقوق 3:2
مع خالص الحب والتقدير
سامر بطارسه