I’m Going To Beat Cancer! It’s A Piece Of Cake
When you have a Higher Power in your corner
Since I let it be known that my body has some serious cancer, I have been asked many questions. “Do you have pain?” “How are you feeling?” “What next?” “Are you being taken care of well?” And similar questions.
I am not going to belittle the effects of cancer on people’s bodies because it is real and horrible.
I wanted to write about my journey so that others in similar situations can see that there is hope but did not know for sure if it was even appropriate.
I asked my Spiritual Reminder, Reverend Stephanie Sorensen, of the Mid-Michigan Life Enrichment Center and she said “Do what you feel called to do.”
I feel that I have had a calling for some time now to spread the word to the hopeless that there is hope.
I was able to do this quite extensively when working in The St, Andrews Soup Kitchen in, probably, the most impoverished, most crime-ridden portion of Flint, Michigan.
As a sign of the times, the soup kitchen had to close a few months ago due to a lack of funding.
I now believe that I can serve the same calling only with a different group of people who have needs that I can help fill. How, you might ask?” Glad you asked.
I was recently diagnosed with Metastatic Liver Disease. Metastatic means that the cancer found on the liver originated somewhere else. I now have been advised that the originator was my pancreas.
I have an Oncologist who I have a great deal of faith in and a team is being put together to help me through this.
How can I use my journey to assist you and others?
I will attempt to write and publish a journal explaining what I am going through — the good, the bad, and the ugly. This way, you will receive your answers almost as soon as I get them.
I do believe in The Law of Attraction, though.
The Law says what you put into life will expand. Call it a mirror of life. Put joy into your mirror of life and you will have joy returned to you. Put a frown or a grimace into this mirror and you will have dread and fear in return.
Since my body was diagnosed with Pancreatic Cancer that has spread to my liver, I have revisited my thoughts on it. It didn’t take long for me to realize that, since my body has cancer, I couldn’t be in better hands.
I had some pain when first diagnosed in the area of the liver and mid-back. This led to several sleepless nights until I talked with a doctor and received some meds that first eased and then ended the pain.
I still have some discomfort but not what I would call pain. I met with the Oncologist last week but it wasn’t until later Friday evening that a PET Scan discovered cancer in the pancreas, as well as the liver.
I met with the Oncologist last week and we were to meet again after he received the results of the PET Scan. He said that this was incurable but treatable.
He did say that he would supply a list of possible treatments and I advised him that my 84-year-old, already much-abused body was not going to be put through chemotherapy.
How did I come up with this decision about no chemotherapy?
I did what I usually do when faced with decisions in life. I said “God, help me,” and then listened. I felt His presence and the first thought I had was “No Chemo!”
Like a champion boxer, my corner is covered by what and who I need. It is guided by my Higher Power and that is why I know that I can believe in the results.
Now what?
I don’t know. Tomorrow is not here yet so I will continue taking this one day at a time, beginning each day as I do now by thanking my Higher Power for all of my blessings and asking “How may I serve?” and “God, help me.”
If you have any questions or comments, please let me have them. I will try to get answers to them but most of what you will see from me is my own experiences, not something that I learned in college or read in a book.
In the meantime, I will continue putting forward a good attitude because attitude is not just important but ATTITUDE IS EVERYTHING!
If I can do this, you can too. Together we will beat cancer!
Thank you, God!
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Thanks for sharing your process, Jim. We have cast such a shadow over the process of dying in the west that it looms like a boogeyman over most of us. And I think that fear takes our power from us.
I'm so inspired by your approach to dealing with this illness. Sending love from Richmond, Texas!