AWARENESS

Breast Cancer Awareness Month 2013

Since this has been designated as Breast Cancer Awareness Month, I feel motivated to finally update this blog. My original diagnosis with Invasive Lobular Breast Cancer occurred in April 2012. It is now October 2013. 18 months have transpired. I have spent the time aggressively growing in awareness of what cancer is and what causes it. I have actively been pursuing a path to impede it, to get my immune system to heed it, and to be sure not to feed it. Entire books have been written on this subject, and perhaps I'll be writing one myself eventually, but for now, I'm going to attempt to be succinct. I know you are hoping I'll succeed! But, I definitely want to speak up at this time to say that I believe there is a far better way to manage cancer than marching in fundraisers for the drug companies, wearing pink ribbons, shaving your head, or hoping the labs will produce a drug that will zap cancer. (For more detailed accounts of what I have discovered read previous posts on this blog).

What is cancer? We are. It is part of our body. It is not a foreign entity. There are many contributing factors to a weakened, suppressed immune system that allows cancer to get a foothold: environmental toxins in our food, air and water, lack of sleep, spinal constrictions, consumption of unhealthy, non-nutritive food, digestive issues, obesity, lack of exercise, lack of sunlight, emotional trauma, debilitating diseases...

I believe with all my heart, soul and mind, that cancer, like any other adversity we face, is a spiritual matter. We should respond to the awareness that we have it growing out of control by asking the LORD how to align ourselves more closely to Him. He made us and He knows us better than anyone, even better than we know ourselves. Giving Him reign/rein over our life is the whole point of our existence. The sooner we toss the reins to Him; the sooner we will find the peace that passes all understanding.

 

Our body is the temple of God. He dwells therein. Most of us are very sloppy with our temple maintenance. I certainly was! Many times I had tried to control my flesh in the past. But, I now have the incentive to do it with unwavering resolve. Earlier posts on this blog detail the lifestyle changes I've made. It took cancer to spur me to trust Him completely. That makes the cancer worth having!

God gives us purpose, reasons to live. In this image are three of those. They have all been ways the LORD has encouraged me. Notice how they are all glowing!

I expected the journey to be like a roller coaster, but truthfully, He has smoothed my path. As in Isaiah 25. There have been steps to take, but He has shed light on each one when I needed to take it.

I have not been alone on this journey. I am grateful for those that have shared their experiences and what they have discovered.

God has been incredibly generous in giving me Kevin. I doubt I would be strong enough to travel this road alone. God has given me an amazing husband who has supported me every step of the way. We are in perfect agreement about how to proceed. He hasn't questioned my decisions because he knows the LORD has been steering me. He knows this because he has been faithfully praying and looking to Him himself, hearing Him himself, then rejoicing to hear me echoing what God has told him already!

Few people appreciate their mates until they see them as God does; in His framing. We are given the one we have because he is equipped for the task of husbanding us.

I have an incredible support system in my family, friends, church, and co-workers. They are  sheltering, steadying, comforting, edifying, inspiring... Just as we have experiences we've collected from our past; so have we people in our lives for a reason. How we embrace them is critical. I think this is the best place to give you the answer to a question that haunted me for many months after diagnosis. Why are so many women I know, who went the conventional way of treatment, surgery, chemo and radiation, doing just fine years after the fact? Since I am totally convinced that the treatments are not what healed them or spared them, what did? First of all it has become clear to me that our bodies are incredibly designed. They can endure far far more than we realize (and they do). But, more importantly, I've read and seen for myself that the most significant indicator of how long a cancer patient will survive is their will to live. When we know we are loved, cherished, appreciated, contributing, serving members of our family, church and community, we survive and thrive. We learn from what we go through and rejoice in opportunities to help others. The ladies I know who have survived have these characteristics in common, they are: generous, caring, nurturing, loving. They have a zest for life; they celebrate it!

Sustenance. God has made it possible for us to raise grass-fed beef, free-range eggs...

We must have an attitude of gratitude. He has supplied moments that salve my soul. That quicken my heart. That strengthen my resolve. These come daily at various hours.

Sunrise or sunset? When you see an image in this glorious light, how can you know without being there whether it was breaking day or after the day is done? 

Inner light. We should be aware we are in His Presence. We should be gazing out upon our circumstances from that perspective.

Rollback. Even the least likely warriors have the wherewithal to maneuver when motivated.

Special provisions for the future. God also has given us evidences that He is preparing us for the future. There is so much to be learned from watching what He does through the seasons.

Life among the graves. Even cemeteries have begun to be beautiful to me. There is life in them.

Going counter to the flow. Many view the way I am going as risky. I have come to see that just as in other periods of my life, I thrive going against the flow. I like that I was shown how to address all the underlying causes of cancer, and given the desire to correct them, before finding those who had taken similar courses of action. I would rather know the LORD has directed my steps than attribute my hope or confidence to anyone or anything else. But, just a couple of weeks ago (after 18 months of not finding a kindred spirit) I was given a book that describes better than all the others I've read and all the websites I've poured over, why I am taking this route. I would still recommend that each individual seek the LORD for direction, not man. Begin with the BIBLE and intense time with Him alone. Then, if He steers you away from conventional treatments (as He did me), you'll find the book: Cancer: Step Outside the Box by Ty Bollinger an amazing resource!

I am not wearing blinders. I am not rushing out of the starting gate spurred by fear and adrenaline.

I see this season of my life as a new beginning. There is much to learn and much to do. There is so much that matters.

In this life there are departures and arrivals. Let us enjoy waiting at the station together.
Amen!