My Journey with Cancer
Aug 18, 2024 | by The Fellowship
For nearly four years, I have had a journey with cancer -- and God has been with me all the time! It started on October 19, 2020, when I received the diagnosis of cancer in my right breast. Even though 26 years earlier I had a mastectomy on my left breast, it was a shock to have the cancer return after so long a time.
While still reeling from this news, on October 27, just nine days later, I was involved in an automobile accident. The accident was my fault. At the hospital, a CT scan revealed I had three fractured ribs and a fractured sternum. After three days in the hospital, while awaiting my discharge papers, a doctor walked in and introduced himself as a pulmonologist. He told me the CT scan had shown a spot on my right lung that looked suspicious. Therefore, he had scheduled a PET scan. Unfortunately, it revealed that the spot was cancer. And on top of everything else … it also showed a growth on the pituitary gland in my brain! I was in shock from trying to get my mind around all this negative information.
With these new developments, my children insisted I go to MD Anderson Cancer Center. The doctors there ordered more testing and biopsies. Amazingly, it was determined that none of my cancers were related to or had metastasized from the earlier breast cancer.
MD Anderson’s priority was my lung cancer. Surgery was scheduled and the cancer as well as part of the middle lobe of my right lung were removed. The automobile accident was a blessing in disguise because the lung cancer was discovered at an early stage. I did not need chemotherapy or radiation after the surgery. God was busy working things together for my good!
Another huge blessing not only was the discovery of the pituitary growth, but that it proved to be benign. And surgery to remove it is not needed. The growth has not caused any serious side effects, and the doctors are keeping an eye on it through yearly monitoring.
Six weeks after the lung surgery, I had a mastectomy on my right breast. Again, chemotherapy and radiation were not needed! Both my lung surgery and breast surgery were during the pandemic. MD Anderson did not allow anyone to be in the hospital with the patient. But I never felt alone. God gave me peace, and I knew He was right there with me!
Two years passed and then it happened again! In 2022, I was diagnosed with bladder cancer. This cancer did not respond well to the first series of treatments, but thankfully there was another protocol MD Anderson could try. It proved to be effective. Since then, I have been having a maintenance treatment once a month. After six of these, a recent cystoscopy showed there was no sign of cancer in my bladder. I am to continue the maintenance treatments for another six months. At that point if the next cystoscopy still shows no cancer, the doctor will decide if the treatments have done their work and all I will need are follow-up cystoscopies.
I am so thankful to God for all His blessings and answers to the multitude of prayers that have been lifted for my healing with each new diagnosis. I trust God will continue to be with me on this journey with cancer at my age of 84. Whatever the future may hold, I believe God knows best, and it will be His will for my life.
When I am afraid, I put my trust in you.
Psalm 56:3