The C Word

Cancer is no Stranger

It would be difficult to find someone today whose life has not been touched by cancer. Unfortunately, this group of diseases is pervasive in our society and around the world. According to The American Cancer Society, or ACS, there will be an estimated 1,658,370 new cancer cases diagnosed in 2015.

At the young age of five I became acquainted with this horrible disease when my grandmother’s life was taken by breast cancer. I was in kindergarten and I remember crying each day during nap time. My teacher would ask me why I was crying but I could not muster any words. We were very close and I was devastated. As an adult, my father-in-law died of liposarcoma and my grandfather died of kidney cancer. However, well over a hundred friends and family members have been diagnosed with cancer, successfully completed treatment, and now live cancer-free. I also was an eyewitness to a miraculous and instantaneous healing of a woman with cancer at a church altar. Another woman I know was diagnosed with breast cancer and, after much praying by the warriors around her, the doctors could no longer find any trace of the disease.

The Worst Day in your Life

I have recently joined the club where no one wants to belong. Members feel bound together by what they have in common. They become instant friends and share things they normally would not with a complete stranger. I have heard story after story about the worst day in their lives, the day they found out they had cancer. While the stories are horrifying and filled with intense emotion these things are not what makes the stories challenging to hear.

The C Word

Arguably, I would say the day you receive your diagnosis of cancer is not the worst day of your life. The day you are diagnosed is not the day you got cancer. A person has had cancer long before the day a doctor uses the c word. Most people have some symptoms and are undergoing testing to find out what is wrong. The day you are diagnosed with cancer is one of the best days of your life because this is the day you can begin to do something about it! This is something I did not have the benefit of for a very long time. According to my new doctor, I may have had undiagnosed cancer for 15 years. Likewise, I struggled for many years before I knew that I had a mast cell disease. I have met countless people over the years struggling with life altering or incapacitating symptoms searching in vain for an answer. When you don’t know what you are up against you can’t do anything about it. If you don’t have a diagnosis you can’t begin treatment.

The Fight

I would say the worst day in your life might be the day you quit living life, I mean really stop appreciating all the beauty, goodness, and opportunities around you. Maybe it’s the day you let things come before people or when you quit believing in miracles. But beyond all those things I think the worst day of your life is probably the day you give up fighting. Recently my friend Nicole over at allergicchild.com told me about a book she is reading called You are the Placebo by Dr. Joe Dispenza. She shared a story about a man who was told he had cancer and was dying. He got worse and worse until they found a drug that would make him better. As he began to take the drug he, in fact, got better. When he was told the drug was not making any difference he got worse again and then died. When they did the autopsy they found he never had cancer to begin with. I have not personally read this book yet but think this story makes a valid point about hope, mental disposition, and the will to fight and live. Now, I’m not saying positive thinking is the answer to all of life’s problems. If that were the case no one would die and only grumpy people would be sick. However, I do believe the mind is very powerful, God made the human brain more amazing than we know.

Treatment = Hope

There are lots of reasons for hope today. New treatments, advances in technology as well as scientific breakthroughs all provide better outcomes than ever before. The ACS reports a slight increase in the occurrence of cancer between 1975 and 2011 yet the fatality count is greatly reduced. There is a treatment I hope I will be a candidate for called targeted therapy. Genetic testing is done on the tumor to determine which gene is malfunctioning and which proteins are being given off. Then a drug is made specifically for that tumor, so it will not return. As science progresses more and more treatments will become available.

The Struggle is Real

We will always have problems. This is not heaven. What is it that you face that seems bigger than you? Are you being called to do something waaaaay out of your comfort zone? Are you struggling with finances, relationships, addiction, or attitude? Honestly, most people will struggle with all of these issues and more in the course of their lifetime. The question is not if we will struggle but rather how we deal with the struggle when it comes.

Strength

When challenges come where do we find the strength to deal with them? Do we call on our family and friends? If so, what happens when those people, well-meaning as they are, let us down in our time of need? As much as people love us they are human, after all. In May of last year we found out accidentally that the swelling and constriction in my throat got significantly better after being at the beach; perhaps due to the lack of tree, grass, and weeds that make me so sick. After moving to Florida and looking at houses on or near the beach I have been reminded over and over again of a song I learned in children’s church many years ago. It talks about two men. The wise man built his house upon the rock while the foolish man built his house upon the sand. The rains came down and the floods came up and the house on the sand went splat! (Can you picture me doing the hand motions? ) It’s a simple children’s song that exemplifies a very big principle. If our source of strength is built on the wrong foundation, when troubles come our world will crumble and fall. I place my trust in The Rock, which trust me is not an actor in Hollywood.

Psalm 28.7 The Lord is my strength and my shield; my heart trusts in him, and he helps me.

My heart leaps for joy, and with my song I praise him.

My new Birthday

The day I was told I had cancer was not the worst day of my life. January 20, 2015 was the best day and represents a new beginning. It is the day I could start my journey back to health. It opened the door to new treatments and options that have never been available to me in the past. The road that lies ahead of me will no doubt test my perseverance, strength, and determination. It will also provide opportunities for those that surround me to love, help, and support me in heroic ways. It will provide me with healing, either through the hands of a gifted surgeon or at the hands of My Heavenly Father.

Beyond Me

The months ahead are very much beyond me and my abilities. This is the latest song added to my Soundtrack of Life, which is a compilation of songs that speak to how I think and feel as I make my way through my life each day. I leave you today with Toby Mac’s song “Beyond Me.”

Hope and healing,

Christal

CANCER.ORG Cancer Facts and Statistics 2015 | Research | American Cancer Society In-text: (Cancer.org) Bibliography: Cancer.org,. ‘Cancer Facts And Statistics 2015 | Research | American Cancer Society’. N.p., 2015. Web. 13 Feb. 2015.

The information contained on this blog is not intended or implied to be a substitute for professional medical advice. This is my experience and for informational purposes only. Please seek the advice of your physician regarding treatment for any medical condition.