It is breast cancer awareness month. And pink is in! Wanted to give a shout out to all who have heard the dreaded word: cancer. It is a life changer for sure and you are ushered into a club you never ever wanted to be a part of.
Blessings then to all my sisters in pink. I am here to say there is hope in getting a diagnosis due to the fact that the medical field is so well advanced now when it comes to treating breast cancer. I was so impressed with my oncologists that they knew exactly how to treat me and depending upon the type and stage of cancer you have, you can be on a treatment plan designed just for you. Not all cancers are alike in any way with each woman being different.
My post here today is to encourage my pink sisters, but also to give all the glory to my GOD for how HE saw me through and still is guiding me in this cancer journey. I do suffer from the scan anxiety. I really don’t worry about my scans until I arrive in the parking lot and then beg GOD to give me the strength to walk into the office. It is simple fear that grips me because I remember like yesterday, when the cancer was discovered and sitting in the exact waiting room. You know in your heart today that any scan could tell a different story that the cancer has returned and this thought sits in the back of your mind……always.
My prognosis is very good…..only a 4% chance in the next 10 years of a return. It’s comforting to know until it isn’t. But GOD! I do believe with all my heart and soul that HE heals us. Why HE heals some and not others is beyond my understanding. HE WILL however, walk alongside you and never leave you in the battle alone. That has always been my comfort.
JOSHUA 1: 9 “BE STRONG AND COURAGEOUS. DO NOT BE FRIGHTENED AND DO NOT BE DISMAYED, FOR THE LORD YOUR GOD IS WITH YOU WHEREVER YOU GO.”
GOD showed me the above scripture right before one of my surgeries and then it continued to pop up everywhere for me along the way. I would see it in odd places, not just in my Bible. GOD had HIS way of reminding me HE was right there with me and that I was not alone in the battle I was in. HE gave me the armor I needed to withstand 3 surgeries and 20 rounds of radiation. And as of today, I am cancer free.
So my encouragement to someone just hearing the words: you have breast cancer……is to not lose heart. Take it step by step, do your research, follow the plan for you to the letter, make informed decisions looking at the long term. Cancer today is NOT necessarily a death sentence and every woman’s journey is different. If you haven’t given your heart and life to the LORD, do so right now. Ask HIM to come near and HE will. And the best news is that HE won’t let you go because HE knows what you are walking through and the outcome too. So be strong and be very courageous today and if you have not gotten your mammogram, schedule one soon! Encourage the women in your life to get checked. You could save a life that way.
MAY GOD BLESS YOU AND SURROUND YOU IN HIS PEACE.
PSALM 115: 15 “MAY YOU BE BLESSED BY THE LORD, THE MAKER OF HEAVEN AND EARTH.”
