MECHANICSBURG - Bryan and Sarah Massie have touched members of the community through their ministry, while at the same time battling numerous health issues.
"We just count on God for the strength we need every day and he has been thankful to supply that," said Mrs. Massie, pastor of the New Life Ministries church. Her husband serves as chaplain for the Mechanicsburg Fire Department.
In addition, the Massies are grateful to family members, friends and church members for all of their support. They were "blown away" when they learned that a local event was being planned to benefit them.
"It's just so amazing, so exciting," she said. "We didn't have to think about it twice."
Matt Mayberry, owner of Goshen Lanes Bowling Alley, approached the family recently and has offered to host a benefit to help the Massies with their increasing medical bills.
Health battles
Mr. Massie's latest visit to the hospital ended last week, but his recovery is far from over.
In August, he went in for a heart catheter and after he was admitted to Ohio State Medical Center he had robotic open heart surgery. He recovered and was sent home, only to later come down with pneumonia.
He went back to his cardiologist for a follow-up appointment and doctor showed great concern for his health, sending him by medical helicopter from Marysville to OSU. Mrs. Massie said her husband was found to have another blockage and had a stent put in.
Once again, he returned home to recover. He was put on cholesterol medicine and it is thought that it caused more problems - a condition in which the body attacks itself and breaks down the muscles.
"It was severe enough that he couldn't walk," Mrs. Massie said.
He was in the hospital for two weeks and underwent many tests, which ruled out many things but did not give a firm diagnosis of anything, she said. He did more than a week of rehabilitation in Columbus before returning home last Wednesday.
His battle is not over yet. Mr. Massie will continue to need rehabilitation and will go to a cardiac rehabilitation center in Marysville for several months to build up the strength of his heart muscle.
Mrs. Massie said her husband has had health issues for a very long time, as he has been dealing with juvenile diabetes for 32 years now.
Also, in their first year of marriage, Mr. Massie was diagnosed with testicular cancer and underwent major surgery and chemotherapy for it.
About four years ago he had a large blood clot in his pelvis which put him in the hospital for awhile.
"It sounds like a lot when you list it all out," Mrs. Massie said. "We just went a day at a time - we feel God has been so good to us."
In the midst of dealing with her husband's health problems, she too had health issues to overcome and continues to battle with some.
In 2005, a small melanoma was found on her calf. It was removed and she continued with check-ups and using sunscreen.
Then in 2007, she was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis.
"It is very well controlled, but I have a lot of fatigue with it," she said.
That same year, the melanoma returned in other areas of her body, including her knee cap and lymph nodes.
In January 2008, she underwent surgery during which she received a heated chemotherapy into her arteries.
Her oncologist recommended she undergo adjuvant therapy for a year's time, which is a course of medicine to reduce the risk of having another occurrence of melanoma. It took five days a week with an IV in a hospital and then a year of shots at home.
"It just kind of makes you feel like you have the flu, for a year," she said. She just ended that treatment in the spring.
She is currently cancer free, but also has edema in her left leg, due to the removal of lymph nodes. She has to wear a leg pump that moves the lymphatic fluid and must wear a daytime compression garment and a different one at night.
"It is all uncomfortable to wear," she said.
She, however, is thankful to be free of cancer.
The Massies are also thankful for their 15-year-old daughter, Emma, who has been by them through it all.
"She's wonderful," Mrs. Massie said. "She's a wonderful help to us, and such a blessing."
The Massies are on insurance through Mr. Massie. He worked at Honda for 18 years and took medical retirement about five years ago.
"I know that we're so blessed to have health care coverage," Mrs. Massie said. Premiums for the coverage, however, are high, nearly $700 a month. Other bills, like the MedFlight bill of $1,400, just add to the burden.
The support of their church family, though, helps ease the stress a bit.
"We have had so many phone calls from people," Mrs. Massie said. "The outpouring has just been so moving. It makes me really proud to live in Mechanicsburg and be a part of a community like this."
Even when it is a hard day or challenging day for the Massie family, they remember that "this may be a day when someone else may need encouraged."
Bowling benefit
The Bryan and Sarah Massie Fundraiser will be held at the Goshen Lanes Bowling Alley on Saturday, Nov. 28 from 7-9 p.m. It will be dutch doubles with a charge per couple.
Through the evening there will be raffles, a silent auction and baked goods.
For more information, call Mayberry at 834-2311.
Beth Deere can be reached at bdeere@urbanacitizen.com.
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