A Year Ago Today

A Year Ago Today

On October 16^th of 2013 I was rushed to Upstate Medical Center in Syracuse NY.   I had lost the ability to walk or feel anything from the chest down. 

Two months prior I had been struggling with what I thought was a pinched nerve in my back.  I initially went to a chiropractor who had made things worse.  Then a friend of mine recommended her chiropractor so I switched to him.  After the first visit I did find some relief, but my ability to walk kept decreasing.  Around the 2^nd week of September I had difficulty with my balance, the third week I decided to use a cane so that I wouldn’t fall down, by the end of  the month I was forced to use a walker just to keep my balance and take to additional burden off my legs.   Also during this time I was having difficulty sleeping because I would have massive leg tremors that kept me up.   This went on for two more weeks until I needed to use my father-in-law's wheelchair to go anywhere.

 On the morning of October 16^th I woke up and found that I could not walk at all.  I had numbness in my body from my chest to my feet.  I called the chiropractor again.  Scott took me in and I could barely make it up the steps to his office.   Scott was taking on all my weight to get me in the office.  The chiropractor took one look at me and told me to go to the hospital.  He said I needed an MRI that day.  

To this day I don’t know why I chose to go to the local Urgent Care instead, but I did.   Scott wheeled me in, the nurse asked me a series of questions, then said we’re calling an ambulance to take you to the emergency room.   Once I arrived at the emergency room,  I was tested with every machine possible, CAT scan, MRI, Nuclear something or other, bone scan, etc.  It was after midnight before I was admitted and put in a room.   I was given morphine for the pain and leg tremors. What a relief!  I slept like a baby that night. 

The next morning Dr. Benjamin introduced himself and gave Scott and I the diagnosis.   He told us that I had Stage 4 breast cancer that had metastasized to my bones.  He said that I had lesions on my skull, sternum, ribs, tibia, pelvis, neck and throughout my spine and the reason I could not walk was due to a tumor growing on the cervical area of my spine.  It had grown to a point where it was pushing against my spinal cord.  This was causing all the numbness and weakness in my legs.

At this point, I became misty eyed, but in an odd way was relieved to finally know what I had been dealing with.  I asked Dr. Benjamin, “What’s the plan?”  He told me that they were going to do radiation on my spine to shrink the tumor so that I could walk again, test the tumor in my breast to see what kind of cancer I had and go from there.

I wasn’t afraid or discouraged.  I had a medical battle plan, but I needed more.  Scott and I talked.  We decided we were going to hit this thing from three angles…medically, naturally and most importantly spiritually.   My husband has been a big proponent of keeping your body in a healthy state so that it can fight disease with its own immunities.  We also believe that above all else God is good and he wants people well.  When Jesus walked this earth he extended healing to all he encountered.  I immediately thought of Psalm 103:1-4 “Bless the Lord Oh my soul and all that is within me, bless His holy name.  Bless the Lord Oh my soul and forget not all His benefits, who forgives your all sins, who heals all your diseases. Who redeems your life from destruction. Who crowns you with loving kindness and tender mercies.”

I could write a book on all the miraculous things that happened while in the hospital and the amazing presence of the Lord’s Spirit with me.   I’ll name just a few here.   One of things I prayed is that I would not have any side effects from the radiation treatment.  The morning before my first treatment I was reading the Bible and came across Isaiah 43:2  that states when you walk through the fire you shall not be burned.  So I prayed that the radiation would do its job and not harm me in anyway.   I had 10 treatments.  After the first treatment I was able to stand with a walker and walk to the bathroom with assistance.  I also had feeling back in my stomach area. The tumor was shrinking.  After all the treatments, I had almost all feeling back (minus the sides of my knees and under my toes) and the ability to walk with a walker without assistance.  My muscles had atrophied so it would take some physical therapy to get them back to full function.  I had no side effects from the treatments, except a scratchy throat for a few days.

Besides the positive reactions to medical treatments and the Lord sparing me from ill effects, I had a phenomenal nursing staff.  They were so encouraging.  I could see those who had a true call on their lives to be nurses.  What a blessing.  They care for you in a way that no other human can.  I am very grateful to the staff on the 10^th floor of Upstate.  I was treated like a queen.  I was also blessed by the many friends and family members who prayed for me, visited me, gave me gifts, called and sent cards.  I didn’t know how much that meant to someone in the hospital until I was there myself.  Those acts of kindness mean a lot.

I was released from the hospital after the treatments were completed on October 30^th.   I would like to say that going home was easy but it was not.   Looking back I should have stayed and had physical therapy at the hospital.   My muscles were still weak and I needed a lot of help, which we did get at home.  I had a nurse, a PT and OT coming to the house a few times a week.   I needed help showering, dressing, going to the bathroom, etc.  When the nurses weren’t there, Scott was.  He was a rock.  He did everything!  He became mom, dad and caretaker of me.  Sickness is time consuming. 

Not only was I dealing with weak muscles, but I also had this turtle shell brace that was ordered for me by the neurosurgeon.   It was precautionary.  After radiation, he was concerned that my bones would be brittle and one wrong move would paralyze me.  I was not a good patient regarding this contraption.   I was pretty faithful wearing it for about 5 weeks, then I wore it when I felt like I needed it.   The brace was limiting and made it difficult to move.  No bending, twisting, lifting, reaching, blah, blah, blah!   See...not a good patient. :)

During this same time, Scott had started me on an herbal tea called Essiac tea.  It is well known for its tumor shrinking properties and over all fight on cancer cells.  I take it twice a day and probably will the rest of my life as a preventative.

There’s so much to share regarding this past year, including a major set-back in November where I was rushed to the hospital again and almost died from a saddle pulmonary embolism, meaning giant blood clots had pooled in both lungs.  That’s a whole other miracle story.  But the short of it is…I survived and I’m thriving.

Now the good news....Last week, I went in for my routine monthly oncologist appointment.  My cancer maker numbers are all in the normal range.  Meaning, if a non-cancer patient had their blood tested, my numbers would be in the same range as theirs.  My last bone scan showed no new lesions and significant healing on all my bones.  I walk. I ride my bike. I drive the car.  I’m pretty much back to all regular activity.  I still have a little issue with balance which will get better with more activity.   My lungs are fully functioning.  I’m off blood thinners.  Even though I did not receive chemo treatments (which is another miracle) , I did lose a lot of hair during the past year due to hormonal changes.  Now all of that has grown back with added curl and thickness.  Most importantly I feel good.  

 I continue to stand on Psalm 103 not only for myself, but for anyone struggling with disease.  I hate sickness.  There is no good thing in it.   Yes, people can grow through any difficulty, but it is not God’s plan for you to be sick so you can grow.  Actually, my growth came from seeing the wonder of God’ provision for me in every area including healing.

 We live in a fallen world full of sickness and trouble….BUT GOD will deliver you out of your troubles. Psalm 91:15  “He shall call on Me, and I will answer him. I will be with him in trouble, I will deliver and honor him.” He is the good news.   Jesus is the good news.   Whatever may come our way, whatever trouble you may fall into, whatever sickness tries to attack your body, God is the one to run to for help.  I have experienced immediate miracles and I have received healing over time.  Both are miracles!  If you’re struggling with anything today, I encourage you to start your healing process with the Lord Jesus Christ.  When you go to him for help, he will lead you out.  He loves you more than you can imagine and he’s waiting for you to come to him.