During the week between my mammogram results and my appointment with Dr. H, I received two more devastating phone calls from Dr. O. The first phone call – Dr. O told me there was not one tumor, but two – one was larger and that one was cancerous, the other was smaller but did not appear to be cancerous – but they would know more once it was removed and biopsied. Here I go again…fear all over my body! Again, I could not believe what I was hearing…not one, but two tumors! And again Dr. O told me they were both very small, which was in my favor. All I could think of was “Oh GOD please make this roller coaster of fear stop!”
Things went from bad to worse! Two days later came the second phone call… the bombshell. Dr. O called with the last of the results from the biopsy. The tumor wasn’t Estrogen positive as they had hoped. Dr. O said the tumor is what is known as Triple Negative, meaning I had no positive receptors (Estrogen, Progesterone, or HER2) and will require the Lumpectomy as we had discussed, along with the full-blown cancer treatment of Chemotherapy followed by Radiation. He said the tumor was fast-growing and aggressive. At this point, I am absolutely terrified!
That evening I called Dr. S. He said yes, this type of cancer is aggressive and fast-growing and yes, I would have to have chemo along with radiation as this is the only treatment available for this type of cancer. He said it is a long, tough road, but he said he knew I could do it. He told me to exercise – get out every day and walk. Stay positive and keep my faith strong. He advised me to watch a lot of comedy style movies to keep my spirits light…and to remember – my prognosis was good and though the road is long and tough – it will come to an end. S was so soft-spoken and encouraging – so full of empathy and knew exactly how I felt – he knew because he had been a cancer patient also just six years earlier. Although each person is different, and each cancer is different, your feelings when you receive the devastating news are basically the same. He also told me I would feel a sense of some sort of peace once I knew my exact treatment plan…how long, how much, which “cocktail” they would be giving me – and that believe it or not, once I received all the plan information, I would actually begin to feel and think – let’s get this done…and guess what…S was right! That is exactly what I came to realize.
June 14th finally rolled around and I met with my surgeon, Dr. H. He went over all of the possible options of treatments. I would first have the Lumpectomy as the tumor must come out and the sooner the better. He said, depending on the type of cancer some women choose to have a Mastectomy of the breast with the tumor and some women even choose to have a total Mastectomy. He did an examination of my breasts and afterward began to tell me what his plan of treatment would be. H would begin by ordering an MRI of the chest. He would also order hormone levels from the biopsy I had a few weeks earlier & blood work….My mind was racing! I have never had an MRI, and I certainly did not know what hormone level testing was. – I was given a packet of information to read on breast cancer and the types of surgery and treatment. At this point, I am on information overload. I decided I would look at the information packet another day. My MRI was scheduled for the following week, so I figured I had enough time to look everything over and try to make a decision….my mind was racing! What exactly is an MRI? Would I be able to lay inside an enclosed capsule?… Overload! One thing, I found as a cancer patient to remember is, it’s ok to take in bits of information at a time. There is a lot of info and a lot of decisions coming at you all at the same time – and although there was somewhat of a race against time – I could still put everything aside and try to clear my head. A few days later, I sat down with the packet of information and decided to educate myself on my options.
After reading over and studying all of my options, I decided a double Mastectomy would be the best way to go. I never wanted to have the possibility of going through this nightmare again. And the thought of never having to have another mammogram was good with me. No more days of worry about the upcoming mammogram for me! A total mastectomy and reconstructive surgery would solve the problem of ever having to face this fear again…Wrong! I would soon learn that was not the case.
June 21, 2018 – The day of my MRI and blood work. I would soon learn that I would have weekly visits with doctors and testing for some time to come. I had what is called a CBC (Complete Blood Count) followed by my first-ever MRI. This was going to be my “first-ever” for a lot of things I would be going through. I have to say, I was so nervous and intimidated by these ginormous machines…but you know what…I did just fine. The MRI wasn’t as bad as I had imagined it would be, as would be the case with so many things throughout this whole journey.
Once the MRI was complete I felt so accomplished! I know that probably sounds crazy, but I was so proud and relieved to have that behind me. It was lunchtime, and I was starving…let’s go celebrate with food! 🙂
Another thing to remember when going through cancer tests and treatment…it’s ok to celebrate the little victories along the way. There is nothing wrong with being excited, relieved, and happy for successfully making it through one of the many milestones you will complete along the road of this journey in the world of cancer. I could only pray and believe that my results would come back normal – HA! Now there’s a word that you long to hear when going through the myriad of tests and the treatment of cancer. So, for that day I celebrated making it through getting the MRI done, and really…it wasn’t bad at all.
June 28, 2018 – was the day I was to meet with my Surgeon, Dr. H to get the results of my MRI, blood work, and hormone test. However, the MRI report wasn’t ready, so I was rescheduled for the following week, July 2nd….UGH! But…as it turned out, June 28th was going to be a good day.
The night before as I was getting ready for bed, I was thinking about John Paul Jackson, an author and the founder of Streams Ministries. He was diagnosed with cancer in 2014 and received letters from people all over the world encouraging him through GOD’s Word and telling him, he was going to be healed. I began to think and tell GOD…I wished I had someone to write me letters to encourage me and tell me I was going to be healed.
Then, the following day, out of nowhere! – my son-in-law’s uncle (I will call him AL), whom I had only met a few times, sent my daughter (BreAna) a text and asked her to deliver it to me. This is the text he sent…written in all caps:
LISA STAY POSITIVE. EXPECT MIRACLE. EXPECT HEALING IS HAPPENING. JESUS HEAL LISA’S BODY COMPLETELY IN JESUS NAME. DISSOLVE THE CANCER. (At this point the text was written as if he were praying on my behalf…as if he were me). I LOVE YOU JESUS, ASKING FOR FORGIVENESS (when you ask GOD for anything, forgive so that your prayers will not be hindered). I’M BELIEVING YOU ARE MY DOCTOR (Jesus is the healer…by His wounds we are healed). YOU ARE HEALING ME, MEETING ALL MY NEEDS (GOD will supply all of my needs according to HIS riches and glory). YOUR WORD IS THE SEED. SEED IS PLANTED, HEALING IS GOING THROUGH MY BODY! I FEAR NOT, ONLY BELIEVE YOU ARE WITH ME (when you go through great trouble, I will be with you) . I’M REACHING OUT TO YOU. ALL I NEED IS A TOUCH OF YOU (woman who bled for 12 years, knew if she could only touch His robe, she would be healed). RECEIVE ME, LET YOUR HEALING BE UPON MY LIFE, IN THE NAME OF JESUS – AMEN. JESUS PUT YOUR HAND ON ME. HEAL MY BODY FROM CANCER, IN THE NAME OF JESUS (everywhere He went, He cast out demons and healed the sick).
There were several Scriptures from the Bible, which I have interjected in the text & included below, that went through my mind as I read…in tears and sobbing at the nugget I had received from GOD.
These are the Scriptures:
Ask Forgiveness: “ And whenever you stand praying, forgive, if you have anything against anyone, so that your Father also who is in heaven may forgive you your trespasses.” ~ Mark 11:25 (Prayers are hindered if you are harboring unforgiveness).
Jesus is our Doctor (Healer): “I will restore you to health and heal your wounds, declares the LORD.” ~ Jeremiah 30:17
Jesus is Healing me: “By His wounds we are healed.” ~ Isaiah 53:5 and 1 Peter 2:24
Meeting all my needs: “And my GOD shall supply all your needs according to HIS riches in glory by Christ Jesus.” ~ Philippians 4:19
Fear not: “Where YOU are, there is no fear, because YOUR perfect love drives out fear.” ~ 1 John 4:18
“You have not given me a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love, and a sound mind.” ~ 2 Timothy 1:7 (There are numerous Scriptures in the Bible in reference to fear…365 to be exact…one for each day. I’d say GOD is pretty serious about trusting HIM and not being in fear)
Believe You are with me: “When I go through deep waters and great trouble, YOU will be with me.” ~ Isaiah 43:2
All I need is a touch of You: “The woman (had been bleeding for twelve years) had heard about Jesus, so she came up behind Him in the crowd and barely touched His robe. She said to herself, ‘If I can just touch His robe, I will be healed.’ As soon as she touched His robe, her bleeding stopped, and she knew she was well.” ~ Mark 5:27-29
Jesus put your hand on me & heal me: “Now when the sun was setting, all they that had any sick with divers diseases brought them unto Him; and He laid His Hands on every one of them, and healed them.” ~ Luke 4:40
I was ecstatic! and completely blown away at the same time. Father GOD heard the cry of my heart! It wasn’t a “letter” as I had asked for – it was a “modern day letter” in the form of a text! GOD is so unique in how HE answers our cries and gives us these little “winks” as if to say, how do ya like that?! Coincidence?…I don’t think so 😉 Thank YOU LORD!
But…that’s not all my LORD had in store for me! The very next day, when I got to work, there was a piece of paper folded up on my desk. When I opened it – I found that it was a letter – written by my husband as if it were from our six-month-old grandson, Julian. Julian was wishing me a good day and letting me know that Jesus loves me very much and that He was taking care of everything…and He wanted me to know – help was on the way. Philip remembered that I said I wished I had someone to send me a letter like John Paul Jackson…so he wrote me a letter from Julian. What a blessing to know my husbands’ inner thoughts and prayers for me! I was smiling from ear to ear all day! – Love that man so much!
My help is on the way 😊 Another coincidence? Nope! And if that still wasn’t enough – BreAna received yet another text from her husband’s uncle AL for me…WOW! GOD is building me up & letting me know HE is right here with me.
This is the text AL sent:
“I come in the Name of Jesus for my healing. Jesus heal me, dissolve the cancer they say I have, out of my body! I come in Your will. Take care of my life. I pray for Your healing Jesus – put Divine Healing into me. I am Trusting & Believing in You. It is You doing it. Keep me in Your Favor – In the Name of Jesus!” Again, he wrote it as if he were me, praying for myself.
What a Big day! And again I ask…Coincidence? I do not believe in coincidence. These notes, letters, texts – are all nuggets, treasures…GOD winks from my Father GOD! I was…am so grateful for the Prayer Warriors Father GOD has blessed me with. – Oh, what Love and Grace HE is pouring out on me. I am one blessed girl!
Looking back now, I realize GOD was sending me Hope. Showing me Love. Giving me assurance, something to hold on to for the coming days ahead…and I was going to need it!
