癌症復發

很久沒更新網頁，懶自然是原因之一囉！此外，原本開部落格是為了給關心的朋友一些正面的消息，或是給一樣罹癌的朋友一些資訊，但去年11月回英國訪友兼結清銀行帳戶和拿剩下行李，並順遊布魯塞爾/巴黎後，返台做例行檢查時發現癌症復發（骨移轉，在肋骨上發現1.2公分的小點），1月開始電療和化療，所以想等到5月治療結束再補上訊息，沒想到居然收到朋友的催稿通知 。XD 當然這也告訴我，真是好朋友才會這麼關心，謝謝！

總之，最驚嚇的時刻已經過了，最壞的結果也已經想過，所以請不用替我太擔心。換個角度想，與其一直擔心復發，真的復發反而讓我看清一些事，不必再被害怕的靈綑綁，也不用再試圖恢復到發病以前的我，生活反而更簡單。這段治療期間謝謝家人的無條件支持和朋友的代禱，我能做的就是盡可能早睡早起、天天讀經禱告、注意飲食、熱水泡腳和深呼吸、每週至少運動三次/每次至少30分鐘、偶爾走個步道/吃點好料，閒來無事就看看小說、做世界展望會的在家翻譯志工或發呆，不用再想人生到底要往那個方向走之類的問題。

目前我對五月的大檢很有信心，我相信上帝只是幫我關上不對的門，正在引導我走向對的、且開啟的窗。如果說上一次病發學到最大的功課是信心，這次學到的功課是順服。接下來我不會再抱持著「我在這裡，請差遣他」這種心態回應他的呼召，所以之後的人生就看上帝對我有什麼計畫囉！

很喜歡平安喜樂這四個字的祝福語，因為不只在順境可以平安喜樂，在逆境也是可以因著對神的信心和盼望而平安喜樂。如舊約哈巴谷書3:17-18：「雖然無花果樹不發旺，葡萄樹不結果，橄欖樹也不效力，田地不出糧食，圈中絕了羊，棚內也沒有牛；然而，我要因耶和華歡欣，因救我的神喜樂。」所以，依舊祝福大家平安喜樂！

附上兩張巴黎羅浮宮搞笑照（首發），歐洲24天自助行的遊記等我有空再補吧！

Carol's Update 04/03/14

Dear friend,
Thank you for your kind thought. I am sorry that my previous emails were written in a state of trepidation. I was very anxious when the doctor said he could only manage my cancer reoccurrence rather than to cure it. But thank God! A young sister in our youth fellowship asked me why. It reminded me that "With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible". I regained joy and peace. Praise the Lord!

Now I am doing well with my medical treatment, both physically and psychologically. (Yes, I'm still capable to do some English-Chinese translation for the sponsored children of the World Vision Taiwan.) Fortunately, the reoccurrence of my breast cancer is only a small spot in my rib, so my doctor is willing to give me aggressive treatment. I had 13 radiation treatments. (It is tiring but finally passed.) I have been injected with a new drug to protect my bone every month and taken chemo medicines twice every 3 weeks. The course of my chemo is 18 weeks. We expect to finish it in May. Then we will have a check-up to see if the cancer cells have been disappeared.

There is an episode encouraging me a lot. At the beginning, my doctor planned to inject another chemo drug into my body, in addition to the oral chemo medicine. As it caused hair loss and a small operation to insert a port in my shoulder, my doctor postponed it due to the Chinese New Year. Two weeks ago, he decided to cancel it because no one knew if the chemo drug was useful to me. It's awesome! I don't need to have more suffering. I guess he might be also pleased with my current state.

During the past a few months, I got some sad news. Kent, a friend from my graduate school, passed away in early December because of lung cancer. I went to see him for several times before visiting you in England, so I knew how unwilling he was to leave his wife and two children. We were all surprised that the period from his diagnosis to his funeral was only 4 months, particularly because he didn't smoke and went camping frequently with his family. But we are glad that his wife and children have begun to rebuild their lives, supported by their family and friends.

My grandpa also passed away before the Christmas. He was 97 years old and baptized in the nursing home. He was the only Christian among my family members, but we never had chance to talk about our faith because he had almost lost his memory. I believe he has been in Heaven. He might be quite happy to see that his seven children and many grandchildren got together again from the north and the south due to his funeral.

In addition, the founder of my current church Koert was diagnosed with rectum cancer last month. He and his wife Gea are the missionaries from the Netherlands, dedicating nearly 50 years to the people in Taiwan and in China. Now Koert has treatment in the same hospital of mine. I know there must be many friends praying for them. Koert will get better and better.

And Jessica, who studied in MA TEFL at Lancaster University from 2006 to 2007, has suffered from pancreas cancer since 2011. The cancer transferred to her liver in the next year. I didn't clearly know it until recently. She is looking for different treatment to comfort her state. As she and all her family are faithful Christians, hope God gives them strength and confidence. (Jessica and her husband got married at the end of 2013, and they know each other for 15 years. They are a very special couple, realizing the meaning of the wedding vow. Bless the couple!) 

Facing the death and illness, I think I'll cherish my life even more and focus on the most important things. Spring is coming, at least in Taiwan. I miss your British garden. Hope you have a nice spring too.

Lots of love, Carol

冬日良伴(II)—鮮菇豆皮湯

隨便亂亂做，但意外的好吃

材料：金針菇、美白菇、杏鲍菇、豆皮、薑一片、芹菜（葉）末和鹽巴少許

作法：
1. 把手邊有的新鮮菇類洗淨撕碎（因為金針菇是條狀，所以把美白菇和杏鲍菇也撕成條狀），直接放入空鍋內用小火煮，約數分鐘後就會有看起來黏黏的汁液出現，菇類的香氣也出現。
2. 菇類出水後，加入薑片、切成大塊的豆皮（配合條狀菇類，這裡也只把豆皮直切，每塊分成三份）和適量的清水，煮至水滾，再放入芹菜末和少量鹽調味即可。

小撇步：
1. 先用空鍋把菇類的多醣體煮出來，不用煮太久湯汁就很鮮美了。但各種菇類的出水量不一，香菇、金針菇、鮑魚菇、美白菇、鴻喜菇的出汁又多又快，杏鲍菇則稍差。
2. 豆皮要買新鮮豆漿製成、沒有油炸過的，湯汁才會清澈，又有豆漿味，有白湯的感覺。
3. 青綠色的芹菜（葉）末有畫龍點睛的效果，灑上去很有春天的味道（這是最近在看「大英美食宴」時很喜歡的修辭 XD）。

冬日良伴—蔬菜湯

最近很喜歡的一道湯品—蔬菜湯

材料：洋蔥、蕃茄、胡蘿蔔、西洋芹、馬鈴薯、蒜瓣幾粒、油少許

作法：
1.洋蔥切小塊，和蒜泥一起放入油鍋，用小火炒香，洋蔥略微變黃。
2.蕃茄、胡蘿蔔切小塊，放入油鍋繼續炒至蕃茄變為軟爛。
3.西洋芹切小塊，加入鍋內，如果湯汁不夠，這時候可以加一點水。
4.馬鈴薯洗淨，用電鍋蒸熟後搓去表層薄皮，放入小鍋中用湯杓壓成泥，等湯汁滾後，把薯泥加入即可。

小撇步：
1.洋蔥和蒜泥要用「小火」炒出甜味，以免燒焦。
2.烹煮蕃茄和胡蘿蔔，一定要先過油炒，人體才能吸收到茄紅素。
3.芹菜葉其實可以食用，也很有營養，所以除非真的太老或發黃，否則一併切碎入湯（當芹菜葉片太多時，我們家也會先洗淨切碎，放入保鮮盒中冷藏。日後要煮湯時，起鍋前放一些下去，湯會很香。）
4.馬鈴薯的皮其實相當營養，如果有先用乾淨的菜瓜布洗淨馬鈴薯表面，可以省略去皮那個動作。
5.有人喜歡把馬鈴薯一樣切小塊下去煮，但我個人是比較喜歡放入薯泥，因為馬鈴薯是澱粉類，放入薯泥的湯會比較稠，有濃湯的感覺。但放入薯泥後不宜久滾，以免鍋底燒焦。
6.原則上這鍋湯有澱粉、有蔬菜，如果懶得另外烹煮魚肉等蛋白質，可以直接放一點肉絲或肉塊進去，一個人一鍋湯，加上水果就營養滿點了。

從《誰無罪》這本書看民法972條修正案

「民法972條修正案」是最近在教會中熱烈討論的法律議題，主要辯論點在尤美女立法委員提出的民法修正案，欲將民法親屬編972條文中「婚約應由男女當事人自行訂定」的「男女」兩字修改為「雙方」，使同性婚姻合法化。

這件事讓我聯想到之前看的一本書、由《罪行》、《罪咎》兩本暢銷短篇小說作者費迪南．馮．席拉赫（Ferdinand von Schirach）於今年出版的新書《誰無罪》。故事是講一個常常慷慨奉獻的富豪，被一個來自義大利、名叫柯里尼的陌生人給充滿恨意地槍殺了，之後柯里尼便沈默等待被捕且拒絕再說任何一句話，而兒時受到富豪照顧、被派來義務為柯里尼辯護的菜鳥律師，在人性掙扎中，只能秉持著對法律正義的信念，靠自己去發掘真相。

圖片來源：博客來

然而，真相是殘酷的，原來富豪在二次世界大戰期間是納粹的一員，柯里尼的親人在富豪的軍事命令下，一一被殘酷殺死，但這些納粹受害者的正義，卻在「惡法」的保護下，無法循法律途徑得以伸張，導致柯里尼只能在僅存的親人過世後，用自己的雙手復仇。這本書以「柯里尼案」揭露惡法之罪，出版後撼動德國，甚至使部長下令，全面檢視司法沉痾！

在閱讀這本書之前，我沒有想過立法人士可能會因為自己視野的有限或偏頗，造成如此廣泛的影響。但看完這本書後，深深覺得一項立法的修正，不能只是從少數人的角度出發，就像民法972條修正案，乍看之下，只是要保障同性戀者的人權，但實際上，它的影響卻擴及下一代的教育、健康、與社會關係。

就像我們認為應該讓孩子從小學開始就要有正當的性教育，但我們每一位老師、家長準備好了嗎？在公開播放類似「青春水漾」的性教育影片給孩子時，有多少老師有能力和班上每一個學生講解內容，而不是讓他們只注意到劇中演員對彼此身體上的肢體探索？當整個社會仍舊將愛滋病視為禁忌話題，有些人甚至連傳染途徑都還不甚清楚的時候，這個修正案的配套保護措施在哪裡？在我們社會資源連因應夫妻離婚、隔代教養都還一團混亂、僧多粥少的時候，我們有沒有足夠的輔導老師或社工人員可以輔導孩子因應多元成家方案所衍生的社會關係變化？

我尊重同性戀者，也曾和一對蕾絲邊的朋友一起喝下午茶聊天，我理解他們有不一樣的性別取向，每個人的背後都有自己的故事，他們和異性戀者一樣，有自己的美麗與哀愁。但我反對貿然修正「民法972條」，因為牽連太廣。如果您也認同這樣的觀點，請一同登入台灣守護家庭官方網站，加入連署，謝謝！

連署網址：https://taiwanfamily.com/