My Faith Cured Me
I believe “Your Faith should be greater than your Fear.”
It was exactly after 2 years that I had gone for yearly medical check-up at a cancer research center in Ahmedabad with my friend cum colleague. During my previous check-up, I was given a clean chit with almost no health concerns. I was quite affirmative even this time, as I hardly had any signs of discomfort concerning my health, apart from a 2 month old ache in my right arm, which i thought was a casual muscular pain. However, this was certainly one of the early signs of suspecting cancer that I shouldn’t have neglected, as informed by my doctor later on.
However, my anticipations were wrong. This time things were a bit different. After 2 days I was asked to collect my mammography reports and was informed that I would require going through sonography test to make things clearer, as they found my mammography reports doubtful. Soon after the sonography reports arrived, I was informed and called to collect the reports. I was pretty sure at the very moment when they asked me about the person accompanying me. My husband is here with me, I said, but tell me what it is!
I was informed that there is a small cyst in the breast which seems to be cancerous and I will have to consider further investigations, operation, and post treatment that included chemotherapy and radiology.
Yes, this news shook me. But, the very next moment my faith in God grew even stronger and I asked Him to have mercy upon me and my family. And let me tell you, from the very moment He gave me enough strength to deal with this situation. Only because, if I failed to remain strong, I knew my husband and my two daughters will be shattered. Being a wife and a mother, I simply couldn’t think of stepping out of my responsibilities, no matter what! Even today, my daughters overwhelmingly tell me, Mummy it is your positive attitude that has kept us strong till date.
Considering further process, I was glad to have my friend and other colleagues help us find the right doctor who could guide us ahead. She is the same person who had made sure I accompany her to get my yearly medical check-up done along with her. Based on further investigation reports and as informed by the doctor, the cancer was detected at an early stage. I cannot thank her enough. God really does send angels in the form of humans. And, now I understand the importance of yearly medical check-up.
Biggest encouragement–
I was operated in October, 2013. 20 days later I was asked to meet the concerning doctor for my chemotherapy sessions. I had no idea what this therapy would make me go through. All I had to do was following the given instructions and anticipate some not so pleasant side-effects. Yes, the first two chemos ended up being the most difficult phase of my entire treatment. I hardly knew what my body would accept or throw out. It was indeed difficult. I could feel my body was going weak. But that wasn’t all. You always learn from your experience, good or bad, right? I gradually figured out my diet on the days following chemotherapy. Sometimes, all I could have at a stretch of 3 days were fluids. Again, I was glad I had found the right technique to deal with the side-effects. It was a period of 5 long months as I approached the 6th and the final chemotherapy session. It was then followed by 28 radiation sessions. This was almost the end of my cancer treatment.
And guess what! Something that I had always looked forward to all these months was joining back the office.
My biggest encouragement to fight back this disease was my Faith in God. And to make my determination stronger I had my husband and daughters on my side supporting me at every phase. Also I have grown up in an environment where I had my parents discussing the aftermath of each surgery they dealt with at the end of the day. They had apparently served in the hospital all their lives. In a way, I was always prepared to face this.
Blaming God for what I had to go through was not even a question for me. I firmly believe that why should we expect only good things from Him! We should be ready to accept sufferings as well because it is His choice to make us even stronger than what we are.
My strongest pillars are my husband and daughters. They took the minutest care during the entire treatment. My family and friends were equally supportive towards keeping our spirits high.
Yes, I ditched breast cancer and I am alive and kicking today. It has exactly been a year since I resumed the office and have been living a Normal life. Even today, my daughters overwhelmingly tell me, Mummy it is your positive attitude that kept us strong.
My message to people who have been recently diagnosed with cancer or have been fighting back is, Do Not Panic. Have Faith in Almighty. Face it. Kill it. All you need to overpower this disease is a positive attitude with a strong belief that you will be healed. Yes, you will be.
Also, a regular medical check up is the key to fight back cancer completely. Hence, make sure you get your medical check-up done every year. You will indeed thank yourself one day for doing so.
I am now again running errands to maintain the work-life balance that I have been looking forward all my life.
This post is written by Joyce David and her daughter Aparna David.
