I am sharing with you two things that I have learned through my trial with cancer:
1) We all have a life that is being viewed by the people around us.
2) And prayer is a necessity in every situation of life.

I hope this testimony will be encouraging to you in showing you that God is always with us. We have to go thru the trial but He is with us in the trial.

First Encounter of the Real Kind
My first encounter with cancer was in 1995 when my sister Edna was diagnosed with breast cancer 3rd stage. She underwent surgery then had mastectomies and finally chemotherapy. She lost her hair and had to wear a wig. After chemotherapy she took Tamoxifen for 5 years. On her 5th year anniversary, when she went to her Oncologist, the blood test showed there was a floater. The cancer had metastasized and it was several months before they were able to locate the cancer it had metastasized to her liver. They found two small spots far enough away from each other so that they could not be surgically removed. They would do chemotherapy again, but this time to no avail.
My sister died Aug 1996.I hurt so badly, because although I witnessed to my sister and prayed with her I have no idea if she ever received Christ as her Savior.

In 1997 I received a call from my older sister Dot to tell me that she had been diagnosed with breast cancer. Dot had stage 1. She had surgery, a lumpectomy then she had to go through radiation and chemotherapy. Because of this she lost her hair and some of her fingernails turned black. My sister survived this and was placed on Tamoxifen for 5 years.

Hitting close to home
In November of 2001, I was walking with a friend and I realized I had not had my mammogram and I was 6 months overdue. I remember going back to the office and with the busyness of the day I forgot to schedule an appointment.

It would be December before I actually set up the appointment. I scheduled an appointment for January 2002. The MD had faxed over the orders and I went to the women’s pavilion of Gwinnett Medical Center. When the technician called me into the room for my mammogram she questioned if I had cancer or a problem with my breast. I said, no. She then told me my MD had ordered a diagnostic mammogram instead of a yearly mammogram. She was concerned because my insurance might not cover the procedure. So there I was, already for the mammogram and I suddenly had a financial problem to consider. Silently I prayed, Lord what should I do? I asked how much the procedure was and the technician did not know. I felt the Lord pressing me to go ahead and I thought of my sister and said OK.

After they finished squeezing the life out of you, you have to sit and wait until someone gives you the OK to get dressed. Well they did not give me the OK, in fact they had found something and wanted me to have an ultrasound. So while I was waiting, I called my husband and told him they had found something on the mammogram and they were going to do more tests. He was in the middle of another call when he switched over to me and so he responded OK. As I waited my thought’s went to the Lord all I could think was, “Though you slay me I will trust in you for Lord my hope is in You”

Life is a bed of roses, the thorns do stick.
They finished all the tests and told me I could dress and that my doctor would be in touch with me. I got to work in a daze. As I walked in the door someone told me I had a telephone call. It was my husband he had realized after my call what I was telling him. He told me he immediately got off the call and went to Eastside medical center to only find out I was not there. He went over to Gwinnett Medical Center only to find out he had missed me. I told him I was fine and we would talk when I got home. When I got home he grabbed me in a bear hug and said, “No matter what happens, we will get thru this”.

That Sunday, I asked our Sunday-school class to hold me up in prayer and of course close friends were already praying. Two days later I received a call from my doctor telling me that I needed too make an appt for a biopsy. They then told me that they would schedule it for the next day.

I spoke to my boss because I could not be out of work. It was financially hard time for us and I was hoping that surgery would not be necessary. The next day I had the biopsy, which was a difficult procedure due to the awkward position you had to maintain. About three business days later I received another call from my doctor; the procedure showed that I needed to see a surgeon. The result of the biopsy was that I had an atypical hyperplasia. They recommended the complete excision of any remaining lesions.
I finally could see Gods hand in the MD ordering a diagnostic mammogram instead of a yearly mammogram. I was so glad I chose to have the procedure.

God carries us through the storms
God provides before we ask. He knows what we can handle. My Supervisor, my General Manager and the President of my company prayed with me after I had explained that I needed surgery and then maybe treatments. It shocked me as my supervisor was not a Christian, but the General Manager and President were born again-how amazing is my God. They directed me to HR. They had me fill out forms for family leave so I could continue to work. It was explained to me that other workers could give me their PTO (Paid Time Off) time thru this vehicle. I was not told who they were but it was truly a gift from God and an answer to prayer. This would enable me as my treatments progressed to come in late and leave early. Also, after surgery if this were a carcinoma I would need other treatments. I would not lose any pay!

The day before surgery, I went for my pre-op and was sitting in “Day Surgery” waiting to be called, Phil Gamble the minister at my previous church walked thru. He saw me and stopped and asked me what I was doing there. I told him I was scheduled to have surgery and immediately he asked where Ed was, I told him I was there for my pre-op. He offered to pray and we knelt down and he prayed with me and for me. It was such a God thing. I was so excited God was with me and He was letting me know His Presence.

The surgery occurred on 2/10/02, it went well and I now had to wait to find out if they had gotten all the remaining lesions. When I went into see the surgeon he explained that it was a ductal carcinoma and it was insitu however, it was in the margins.
I was told to make an appointment with an oncologist, radiologist, etc. to see what treatment I would need. After my appt with the oncologist, radiologist, etc I knew I had no choice but to undergo another surgery. No one would treat me unless I had clear margins. I finally learned that this meant that surgery might not have gotten all the cancer. Jeremiah 33:3 says, “Call unto me and I will show you great and mighty things you know not.”

So back I went to the surgeon, who wanted me to go thru genetic testing because of my family history. His thought was if I were positive for Brac, I would have mastectomies and then rebuild both breast. My husband and I thought this was to radical a procedure to even consider. However, he left the decision in my hands it was my body. Talking about Brac, and of course mastectomies reminded me of both my sisters. I did not want a mastectomy and I really did not want genetic testing. I did go for the preliminaries and found out it was going to be costly. So I called my sister and we talked. Then I called my niece who is a doctor, and my daughter who was studying to be a nurse. When I had finished speaking to them, I knew I did not want to go any further down that road. Scripture says: In the multitude of many counselors is wisdom. I decided to have the 2nd surgery it was scheduled for 3/1/02. The 2nd surgery was much harder than the 1st. I was extremely ill afterwards.

The lab results were good they found no cancer cells. However, the surgeon did not want to examine my breast after he looked at it and he told me to let the bandage fall off naturally. At that time Gwinnett Medical was going to have a symposium of MD’s and my MD wanted to bring my history before this group of Doctors. I gave him permission.
At my next appointment he told me that 95% agreed that I should have radiation and then go on Tamoxifen for 5 years. They agreed that since I did not have any lymph node involvement, that chemotherapy should not be used; this way my liver would not be compromised. The procedure they suggested would cut my chances of having another cancer.

Clay in the Lord’s Hands
When I went back to the radiologist they set up my treatment to start April 8, 2002, I would have 30 treatments of radiation. As the treatments progressed into the 2nd week, I was so exhausted, but when I lay down, I could not sleep. I told the doctor that I felt like a whiney baby, an overly tired baby who just could not sleep. He gave me a sleep aid, and the 1st night I took it, I fell asleep quickly but 3 hrs later I was wide-awake. So after trying 2 different medications, I gave up. It was hard to get out of bed by 9:00 and I would go to work and leave about 3:30 PM to go for my treatments. While I waited to be called, I would talk to the women and men around me. I witnessed to one and prayed with another. I tried to encourage women whose bosses were stringent about their hours and I praised God for my workplace. There were countless opportunities to leave a tract with women I spoke to or remember them in prayer. We all had the same problems, but not all the same faith. Many times you just wanted someone to say yes I want this Jesus you speak about. Some were already saved and just wanted prayer, others encouragement and others just an ear to listen to them. I did listen as I asked God to use me where he planted me.

There were other problem’s, which came out of the treatments. I could not use my seat belt because it would hurt my breast. No one really had answers to what to do, so I used it as a lap belt only. If I walked outside the sun would hurt my breast, it was like it was on fire and was extremely uncomfortable. That sensation lasted for at least 5 months after treatment.
I would flake out a lot at work and even the pharmacist offered to help me with filing.

The Lord bears our cares
A friend had given me a soft bear that had a pink bow and tied to its wrist was a scripture verse Jeremiah 31:3 “I have loved you with an everlasting love, and draw you with loving kindness”.

The bear sat on my desk and I guess it became my comfort; it was something tangible to touch. Some days I would sit and just move my hands over it feeling the soft, cushy material. I got thru this time day by day, the scripture that I repeated daily to myself was, “I can do all things thru Christ who strengthens me”. I would picture Christ lying beside me infusing me with His strength. It became my mantra when I was so exhausted, the verse played thru my mind and I continued to make it day by day.
I had people call me that I did not know, offering to drive me to and from work, what vitamins to take, etc. Nurses who knew nurses at my work would call to offer support in any way they could. My husband was always by my side through this trial. I guess he did most everything because all I can remember of this time is at home was I was too tired to do physical labor after coming home from work and treatment. I felt loved and cared for, God is so good. There are so many good people and God will use the just and the unjust to meet our needs. He gave me many opportunities to plant seeds.


I made it to the end of the six weeks and then it took awhile for my strength to come back and the burning to stop in my breast. I started to take the Tamoxifen and took them for 5 years. Last year December 14, 2006 my sister died of liver cancer, a metastasis from her breast cancer. My sister had survived 9 years. That was a very hard time for me. I was there for my sister, but always the realization that I am next was a loud speaker in my mind. While my sister was still able to talk I asked her one last time, “Dot are you born again, are you trusting Jesus Christ alone for salvation?” She said “Yes Sue I am”. I prayed with her and that was the last time I talked to her.

At times like this my mother’s words come back to comfort me. She always said, “Remember Sue when you walk thru trials, slip your hand into Jesus hand and he will pull you though”. He will never fail you nor forsake you and Jesus never has.

I am the last sister in my family. It’s hard to think on these things because I have reached my 5 years. I am off the Tamoxifen, but I remind myself I am not only a survivor, I am a daughter of the King and I walk forward knowing that He holds me in His hands.


Sue