It was
almost one month less than a year that I received my last radiation
treatment. I am amazed that it has been
almost a year since I started this cancer journey. And although I’ve finished chemo and
radiation, I am not sure that a cancer journey ever comes to an end. But I hope that the hardest part of it
has. I am believing that I am already
healed but will continue to follow doctor’s suggestions. (At least most of
them.) 
I have
started taking Letrozole, a medication that decreases the female hormones in my
body because my cancer was a hormone positive cancer. This means that the hormones estrogen and
progesterone fed the cancer. No tests
have yet been run or even mentioned for the doctors to pronounce me cancer
free. I think I read somewhere that you
must go 5 years without a reoccurrence to get the cancer-free status. Taking the Letrozole is supposed to help
decrease my chance of a reoccurrence. So
far, I haven’t experienced any bad side effects and will continue to take it
for the prescribed time (5 to 10 years) as long as side effects don’t prohibit
me.
I have been
doing a lot of thinking about what God has taught me through the diagnosis and
treatment of cancer. Here are some of
the things:
God is faithful! He was with me every step of the way
giving me peace and comfort. He kept me
from being ruled by fear. He gave me
rest. He provided for me in so many
different ways. He has taught me so much
this past year.
God’s people are amazing!
Today I counted the cards I received from so many of you…over 100 not
counting the postcards I received from the Methodist Church’s Tuesday prayer
group each and every week. This does not
include the texts, phone calls, financial gifts, food, flowers, and gifts of
various kinds. It was not uncommon for
me to receive a box from Amazon with gifts to help ease the difficulties I
faced. It is amazing how I would receive
a card, a text or a call with just the right encouragement for the moment from
so many of you…many of whom I have never met!
God also
provided some amazing ladies and girls who brought or went with me to chemo and
radiation treatments. These special
people made what should have been only difficult, something that I actually
looked forward to because I would get to spend time with them. Some of you I didn’t know very well before,
but God has used this hard time to make us dear friends. I am so grateful!
And I have
to thank my husband, children, parents and extended family for how they have
been patient with and supportive of me through it all. I can’t begin to list or number the things
they have done and how they have loved me during this difficult year. I love
you dearly!
Prayer makes a difference! I am reminded of the verse in
Philippians that says, “I know this will lead to my deliverance through your
prayers and help from the Spirit of Jesus Christ.” (1:19) And you all flooded
the gates of heaven with prayer! And
because of that, the Spirit of Jesus answered those prayers by strengthening
us, giving us peace, giving us rest, giving us hope, giving us encouragement
and so much more.
The cards
and postcards were and are a tangible way for me to see a small portion of the
prayers offered on behalf of me and my family.
But I am well aware that many of you prayed and never sent a card. Many of you have prayed daily for me and of
course daily cards would not be reasonable (though from one, I did receive
weekly cards). Again, I have never even met so many of you who prayed for
me. I humbly and gratefully thank each
of you who prayed on behalf of me and my family. You just don’t know how much your prayers
have meant to me and what a difference they’ve made in my life. I cannot thank you enough!
God has given me compassion for
others who are suffering. Many of you have dealt with or are
dealing with much more devastating and tragic things than what I have dealt
with. Some of you have had to watch your child suffer through or be taken by
cancer or some other awful disease or accident. My prayers are with you. Some
of you are dealing with loss of a spouse or parent or loss of a relationship
with a child or divorce. My prayers are
with you. I do not understand why God
allows such suffering to occur or why He lets it happen to His children. I do not understand but must continue to
trust that He is good and loving. I have
wept for you and prayed for God to comfort and strengthen you.
God has given me a
thirst for heaven. Any
diagnosis that threatens to take you or your loved one’s life, makes you do a
lot of thinking about death and what comes after this life. I am so thankful that Jesus made a way for us
to have life after death! And that life
will be glorious! The Bible says that it will make the suffering that we
experience here seem light and momentary. (2 Thessalonians 4:17) And not only
that, it also says our suffering is producing some sort of eternal glory for us
that will make all the suffering worth it. I don’t quite understand it, but I
am hanging on to that promise of God. It
somehow makes suffering a little more bearable.
I am working at learning to fix my eyes on Jesus and the cross and what
that means for me…spending eternity with Him in heaven. I pray that all of you have come to know Jesus
as Savior and Lord so that you can have the same hope that I have. (https://peacewithgod.net)
Looking
back, I can honestly say that cancer has not taken from me as much as I have
received because of it from the Lord and from you. I have received many more blessings through
it than it has taken from me. I praise God for this! It has been a hard year. But it has also been a good year!
I can not
repay any of you for the kindness you have shown to us during this difficult
time. But I am asking the One who can to
bless you and keep you. I am asking Him
to let His favor rest on you. I am
asking Him to credit your account in heaven (if you have an account there) for
how you have blessed and encouraged and provided for me and my family.
I also
cannot repay the One to whom I owe everything. He has been the Source of every
good and every kindness ever shown to me.
Not just during this cancer, but for my entire life. I am so thankful, that He does not expect me
to pay anything in return. Jesus paid it
all for me! And all He wants from me is for me to love Him. I pray that I would love Him as He deserves
and that my life would be lived in gratitude to Him.
