Episode 22: Living Abroad with a Diagnosis with Ashley McCartney

As a mother of three small children living overseas, the last thing you need is more on your plate. In the midst of transitioning between continents, Ashley McCartney received more complications than just lost baggage and a tight schedule – she received a brain tumor diagnosis. However, our God does not say he gives help if suffering comes; he says when suffering comes. In today’s podcast, Ashley shares the story of her ongoing illness and her family’s eventual transition back overseas, along with how God has sustained her in the midst of suffering -- showing her (and us) how an undeniably bad thing can still be used for His glory.

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You can follow along with Ashley and her family

on Instagram

Questions we asked Ashley:

Share with us about your health and some of the challenges that you guys have been through over the past couple of years in your diagnosis of cancer.

What were you thinking? Oh, we’ll get through this? We’ll get this tumor removed? He’ll take care of this and life will go on? Is that what you were thinking in the beginning?

So they could not remove the tumor and you today are living in Turkey and still have a cancerous tumor in your brain – is that correct? That’s the reality of your every day?

How did this decision to move back overseas [happen] and how did the people around you, if they are reacting to your radiation decision, how did they react to your decision to move back overseas?

So you have this in the back of

you

mind -- you’re not sidelined, this is the best for

you --you

go to your husband and say “I think we need to go back overseas even though I have a brain tumor, you have MS”, and he was like, “Let’s do this. Ashley let’s pack tonight?”

[How did your husband respond?]

Did your family agree with this [decision]?

How do you talk

with

your children about what’s going on in your life with your illness and your husband’s illness?

Does fear rise up? How do you deal with that?

How has your view on suffering changed? How has suffering changed you?

For a woman who may be in the middle of something, or coming out of something, or dealing with a friend who is suffering, how would you encourage them in the middle of their trial?

Here are some words we pulled from the interview that we found to be very quote-worthy: