Our First 2010 Miracle! First Breakthrough!

“He moves in ways we cannot see, He will make a way for me…”

There is truly sunshine after the rain. If you’ve read my previous posts, you’d know what my wife and our entire family went through this November-December of 2009. The biggest blow was the diagnosis of my wife with breast cancer.

After my wife’s surgery, histopath biopsy results was read as Invasive Ductal Cancer, associated with extensive Ductal Carcinoma In Situ. In fact,the pathologist commented that 80-90% of the 5x5cm mass was Carcinoma In Situ, and that only a small portion was invasive. As such, the stage was stage IIa. If it was purely In Situ, it would be stage 0.

Now, for non-medical peeps, when we say “IN SITU” it means the cancer is CONTAINED and carries a better prognosis than INVASIVE cancer. After surgery, invasive cancer needs chemotherapy, In Situ does not.

So after a lot of tears shed, Joann and I have submitted to the will of God and had peace and joy in our hearts. We prepared for her chemotherapy, which was supposed to be started today, January 8. Part of the preparation entailed sending out the histopath slides for receptor testing (estrogen ER, progesterone PR and HER2) receptors that would influence what type of chemo drugs would be used. We consulted with an oncologist already and prepared ourselves for the possible side effects, such as hair loss, etc.

What would be better was to have ER positive PR positive and HER2 negative results, which is relatively easier and cheaper to treat.
As such, as I called up the lab for results, it came out exactly the opposite/ ER and PR negative, and HER2 positive. This would require a more toxic chemotherapy regimen, and an extra drug, Herceptin, which would cost around Php 90,000.00 per vial. It would have to be given every week for 1 year.

Still, in all things we praised God, and gave thanks to Him, and committed to Him our future.

I went to the lab to get the official result, As I read the result, it stated ER negative, PR negative and HER2 positive. But after HER2 positive, this was written…(IN SITU). I was a little baffled. What we needed was the HER2 status of the invasive part, not the In Situ part.

So I called up the pathologist, who, i didn’t know at the time, was a previous president of the society of pathologists. I asked him what was the HER2 status of the invasive cancer was. He told me “I didn’t see any invasive portion. It was all In Situ.”

My ears popped up. Long story short, I sent him additional slides for review, and still he gave an official report )just this wednesday) DUCTAL CARCINOMA IN SITU.

Joann and I were stirred up. Could this be true? If this was true, she WOULDN’T NEED CHEMO TX at all.

To settle our anxiety, we sent the slides to a 3rd pathologist, also a senior and respected doctor in the medical community. As I drove to the pathologist today, I prayed to God “Lord, let it be that whatever reading this 3rd pathologist says, be the true reading. Whether it be invasive or In Situ. But our hearts desire o Father, let it be In SItu!”

Long story short, I gave the slides (all 25 of them) to the pathologist this morning. I saw him browse through the slides. One by one he looked at them. He looked at me. He told me, “all I see is In Situ. I’ll give you an official result tomorrow but to me it’s In Situ.”

Hallelujah! Praise God! Praise Him! Praise His most holy Name!

I’ll be talking to the oncologist later, but all medical guideline show there is no need for chemotherapy for Carcinoma In Situ. The surgery done was enough management. All we need to do is close monitoring.

God STILL answers prayers. He STILL moves mountains. He STILL parts the waters of the seas. He STILL does the impossible.

This is our first miracle for the year. This is our first breakthrough. And we are expecting more from our Great and Almighty God!

The Hope and Cost of Healing

As we continue to believe, affirm by faith, claim and declare that God’s healing has indeed come upon us, and healed every bit of trace of disease in Joann’s body, the devil keeps on taunting us “is it really that simple?” Just pray for healing and healing will come? Is there no price? Is there no cost?

As we ponder about this, there are times seeds of doubt arise. Sometimes, faith falters. As doctors we have seen how this disease courses through. We have seen the agony of patients. There is even more suffering seen in the treatment modalities… surgery, chemotherapy, radiotherapy…is this the cost of healing?

I continued to pray today…that God will continue to increase our faith. “Lord, help my unbelief!” is my prayer…God give me the strength and faith to hold on to YOUR PROMISES!!! Strengthen our hearts O God! We still continue to pray that God will crush and dissolve the tumor, and that surgery is no longer needed. God increases our faith and strengthens our hearts.

My brother told me about another doctor he worked with in one medical mission. She was diagnosed with stage 4 cervical cancer, with lung and liver metastases. She was ready to die, and was even trying on cotton balls on her nostrils to see what she’d look like. But God had plans for her. She didn’t undergo surgery, and was seemingly resistant to chemotherapy. But God’s awesome hand healed her. GOD HEALED HER STAGE 4 CERVICAL CANCER WITH LUNG AND LIVER METS COMPLETELY!!!. She is disease free up to this day…and her healing came almost 8 years ago.

As if THAT testimony wasn’t enough assurance from God. Awhile ago, my classmate, Monica, from way back highschool asked me how i was doing via facebook chat. She and her family are bible-believing christians. She’s now based in Singapore. I have asked her to pray for Joann. As we were chatting, I told her that we believe God’s healing has already come upon us. Then she began to share.

She told me her dad was diagnosed with lung cancer. He didn’t undergo surgery or chemotherapy. HE IS COMPLETELY HEALED! He was healed more than 25 years ago, and is now still strong enough to regularly go to the gym.

Her younger brother, at the age of 2 1/2 yrs old, was diagnosed with Leukemia. He underwent chemotherapy but never lost a strand of hair. He is now 24 years old, a young professional, DISEASE FREE and COMPLETELY HEALED!!!

Her aunt was diagnosed with colon cancer. She didn’t undergo chemotx. She is now ok and living in the U.S. SHE IS HEALED!!!

Her mother is now with a ministry called MORE THAN “C”; more than conquerors, more than cancer. They are ministering to those afflicted with cancer. I was able to talk to her on the phone and she left me with this message;

Believe in the power of God! Try to have communion daily at your home, break bread with the family. And everytime you break bread, remember that this, the body of Jesus Christ, was broken and bruised…that WE MAY BE MADE WHOLE!!!

God told me that “Yes, I have the power to heal you. Yes, pray with faith and you shall be healed. Yes, I am the God that healeth thee.” But God reminded me that it didn’t come at no cost.

The cost is this; Jesus Christ, the Only Son of God, left the heavenly realms, was born in a lowly, dirty manger, was raised up by a carpenter, lived the life of a carpenter. At the opportune age, He preached, He HEALED, He cast out demons, He forgave sins, He changed the lives of fishermen, tax collectors, a prostitute, a pharisee. He fed 3000 people, and again 5000 people. He raised up the dead. And then, after all this…

He was shackled in chains, pulled on a leash like a dog. He was beaten up, bruised, spitted on, whipped and lashed at, shouted and cursed at. He was stripped down, and a crown of sharp, long, penetrating thorns was forced down unto His head. He was made to carry a large plank of wood, which would require multiple med to carry. He was made to walk around the city bearing this cross, stumbling at times, and receiving whips at every stumble. He climbed up a hill, and there He was nailed to the cross. The cross was raised up, and He was given a sponge of vinegar for His thirst. Still, it wasn’t the nails but His love for us that kept Him hanging up on the cross. He died. And then, after all this…

JESUS CHRIST ROSE FROM THE DEAD! AND IS NOW SEATED AT THE RIGHT HAND OF THE FATHER! And HE SHALL RETURN SOON!

This is the cost of God’s healing, the victory of Jesus in His life, death and ressurection. God’s healing comes at the most expensive, most unaffordable price; His only Son. But God doesn’t require us to PAY. He only requires us to BELIEVE and have FAITH!

Lord, Thank you for the healing that we now have! You are the God of wonders, and wonderful are Your ways O God!!!

what cancer can’t do

It cannot cripple love

It cannot shatter hope

It cannot corrode faith

It cannot destroy peace

It cannot kill friendship

It cannot suppress memories

It cannot silence courage

It cannot invade the soul

It cannot steal eternal life

It cannot conquer the spirit

copied from http://www.pinkribbonshop.com/survivor_stories/breast_cancer_survivor_leitha.htm