Healing From Cancer: A Testimony
In sharing my testimony, my intention is to give you hope. No matter what sickness you are facing today or how long you have been suffering, God knows and He is able to bring you to the other side of it. So, hear of the goodness and faithfulness of God through my story. God’s will is for you to be healed too!
At 29 years of age, I was working full-time, had been married to my husband for just over 8 years, and we were raising two young boys ages 4 and almost 2.
In January of that year I went to see my primary care doctor for a problem I had been having for a few months of not being able to breathe out of the right side of my nose. My doctor suggested allergy medicine and nasal sprays. I tried them for several months, but nothing worked. Eventually, when I started to have nose bleeds as well, my doctor directed me to see an Ear Nose and Throat specialist.
In May I went to an ENT who was able to look up into my nasal cavity and see that there was “something up there.” From there things moved quickly. I had a biopsy done and in June was told that I had cancer. The diagnosis was Ewing’s Sarcoma, typically a Pediatric cancer that was usually found on the bone of the leg or a rib.
I was quickly referred to treatment at the cancer treatment center in my city. I had multiple tests and scans done; MRIs, CTs, PET scans, bone marrow tests, you name it. Then I met with an Oncologist and a treatment plan was created for me. I had a port installed in my chest that would give an access point for the chemo to enter my body, saving my arm veins from damage.
I began inpatient chemotherapy in July of that year. Inpatient chemo consisted of an inpatient hospital stay for 3 to 5 days every 3 weeks for the next year. The chemo regimen included 5 types of chemo meds.
A few months into chemotherapy, I took a short break and had surgery in my nose and the tumor was removed. I also had a surgery done to remove lymph nodes from my neck as a precaution against cancer spreading to them.
The chemotherapy affected my body in multiple ways. Of course the most obvious was hair loss. However my white blood cells were affected as well , causing my immune system to be compromised. This led to several trips to the emergency room for fevers and infections, It also affected my Hemoglobin which led to very low blood levels in my body causing fatigue and the need for multiple blood transfusions.
As you can imagine, it was a long year. Finally, in July of the following year, I completed the last round of inpatient chemo and I was done! I was so happy and I was just so ready for everything to go back to normal again.
So, in August I had a big party with all of my friends and family to celebrate the end of chemo and the end of cancer. Over the next few months, I regained my energy and strength, and eventually went back to work full-time. Everything was going well and getting back to normal.
I continued to have blood work, MRIs, CT, and PET scans done every 3 months. Everything was looking good and I was feeling good. My hair was growing back and life was back to normal. As things were getting back to normal, I slowly stopped doing the things I had been doing spiritually such as meditating on healing scriptures, spending time in prayer, and keeping God at the center of my life. I also began to fear in the back of my mind that cancer would return.
Then, almost 1 year after I had completed inpatient chemo, I had a severe, shooting pain in my head while at work one day. That pain then turned into a headache that would not go away. I talked with my Oncologist at my next appointment and he ordered more scans. They saw that a new tumor had grown in my nasal cavity, and this time it was pushing into my right eye causing double vision. Of course, I felt devastated and even ashamed. But I believed the Bible, and I knew God could heal me and wanted me totally healed. So, I renewed my faith and persevered through another round of treatment.
A new treatment plan was created for me. This time with different chemo meds. Thankfully, those chemo meds could be given in outpatient chemotherapy. My doctors also recommended 6 weeks of radiation as well. But first, I had another surgery which removed the tumor from my nasal cavity.
Radiation was the hardest part of that time period. It was hard on my body and it was psychologically hard as well. When you have head and neck radiation, they make you a molded hard plastic mask that fits to your head and shoulders. Then each day they bolt you to the table in it. For about 20 minutes machines whir around you and bright lights scan over your body. About midway through the radiation treatments, I developed an infection in my throat and I was unable to eat or drink due to swelling and pain. I ended up in the hospital for two weeks and before I left, they placed a feeding tube in my stomach. However, after my throat healed, I was able to finish the full radiation protocol.
Outpatient chemo was much better than my previous year of inpatient chemo. I could go home each day and did not lose as much time with my family, but it was still difficult. But, the months passed, and I finally completed all 7 months worth of outpatient chemotherapy. My treatment was then completed, again, and I would be followed closely with CT, MRI, and PET scans every three months.
So far I have only told you the hard facts and events of those years of my life. To retell these events, it sounds awful. It sounds hard and it sounds scary. But would you believe me if I told you that through all of this I had peace? Would you believe that through all of this I had joy and I had strength?
Had I relied on myself alone to stay strong, I would have fallen into depression and despair. I would have given up when things got hard, and I would not be alive today. I know that without a doubt.
As I sought him for healing he led me to teachings on the healing accounts in the Bible and books on healing. He led me to specific scriptures that spoke to my heart on healing. And through prayer, believing the promises in God’s Word, and standing in faith: He gave me His peace, His joy, His strength, and ultimately total healing for my body.
Of course I prayed and asked the Lord to heal me immediately after my diagnosis. I asked God to work a miracle in me, to instantly remove cancer so I wouldn’t have to go through all the treatment and surgeries. But to be honest with you, at the time, I really didn’t have the faith for that! I believed in healing and had known people in my life who had been healed, but it was not yet a personal concept.
Sometimes, instant healing happens for people. Sometimes, a miraculous event takes place and God heals quickly and supernaturally. Other times, like in my case, healing comes over time. We see these truths reflected in the biblical healing accounts in the Bible as well. Some were healed instantly, some were healed as they went, some were healed after doing something Jesus told them to do.
As I built my faith in God as my healer, I gained understanding of His will for me to be healed. This enabled me to accept healing into my life in a personal way. Even though I wasn’t instantly healed, God’s hand was upon me and he was leading and guiding me towards healing throughout this journey. And healing came.
So I wanted to share with you how I used prayer, reading and meditating on the Word of God, confessing the Word of God, and some other practices I did to ultimately receive healing and obtain victory over cancer.
Of course, the first thing I did after I received the phone call from my ENT telling me I had cancer was to pray. I called out to God in my shock and desperation. I asked Him to heal me, and to save my life.
I prayed and asked the Lord to lead me to the right Oncologists for treatment. I prayed that God would give the Oncologists wisdom in developing the right treatment protocol for me.
I prayed through every CT scan, MRI, and PET scan; asking the Lord for peace to get through each test and to protect my body from any negative effects from the scans.
I laid my hand on every bag of chemo that was hung on my IV pole and prayed over it. I plead the Blood of Jesus over it. I would ask the Lord to go with the medicine into my body. To help the medicine to seek out and destroy each cancer cell, and to leave the healthy cells alone.
For each surgery I went through, I prayed and asked the Lord to guide the hands of the surgeons, to give them wisdom in what to do and how to do it. I prayed for success in removing the tumor completely with no complications and for a quick healing and recovery. And God was faithful. All of my surgeries went well, with no complications.
Radiation was a time of heavy prayer for me. Before you start radiation treatments, the radiation doctor goes over a full page, with tiny print, of possible side effects that could happen from the radiation. I used that paper to create a prayer resisting those side effects, asking the Lord to protect the healthy cells in my body, and praying that the radiation would be effective. I would pray that prayer daily through that time period. I even gave copies to my mother and other trusted people of faith in my life, asking them to agree with me in prayer for protection against those listed possible side effects. I prayed through every radiation session as I lay there bolted to the table. God gave me peace and strength to go back day after day.
I created a binder that I would bring with me to the hospital that was full of scriptures and prayers that I had written out. I would read through my list of healing scriptures, meditate on them, and pray them. This really built my faith for believing that the Lord could heal me and that he wanted to heal me.
And I prayed for strength. There were times when I was just so tired of scans, tests, appointments, and treatments. Sick of feeling tired, no energy, in and out of the hospital, and missing time with my kids and my husband. But the Lord was faithful to me, he gave me His strength when I had none left. He helped to persevere with an attitude of hope.
And I prayed for joy. Through faith and prayer I was able to stay positive, to keep a good attitude, and to stay strong in faith through all of the ups and downs of treatment.
And I prayed for peace. Peace through each scan and test, peace through each chemo round, peace through each day. And the Lord gave me His peace.
I am a woman healed of cancer. I have life! I get to watch my children grow up and grow old with my husband. Yes, I have some scars, but I am now healthy and whole! Cancer has bowed it’s knee to the Name of Jesus!
Through prayer, I called to the Lord and He healed me. He provided the medicine, He provided the doctors, He gave me courage and led me through it. And I will forever be thankful to Him!
I want to remind you that God is no respecter of persons! I’m not special! I’m just a believer who chose to take God at His Word and not give up on my faith.
I wanted to share with you a few of the scriptures that I took hold of during this time in my life. Scriptures that I would meditate on and incorporate in my prayers daily.
Scriptures:
Mark 11:24 “Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours.
Psalm 30:2 “LORD my God, I called to you for help, and you healed me.”
Jeremiah 30:17 “For I will restore health to you, and I will heal you of your wounds.
Hebrews 10:23 “Without wavering, let us hold tightly to the hope we say we have, for God can be trusted to keep his promises. “
Isaiah 41:10 “ Do not be afraid, for I am with you. Do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, I will help you. I will uphold you with my victorious right hand.
Nehemiah 8:10 “The joy of the Lord is my strength.”
Psalm 118:17 “I shall not die, but live, and shall declare the works and recount the illustrious acts of the Lord”
Isaiah 53:5 “he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed.”
John 14:27 “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.”
I want to encourage you to reach out to God in prayer today. He loves you and wants you well. Call out to God and He will answer.
Healing is available to you today!
Click here for scriptures on healing and scriptural confessions on healing to help you on your journey to total healing.
Also check out this prayer for healing that you can personalize to your situation.
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