In January 2019 whilst on a skiing holiday in Austria I broke the top of my left arm through an innocuous fall when coming off a chairlift. I was taken to a hospital in Bregenz, where they X-rayed and pinned my top arm. The surgeon said before going into surgery that the fracture looked suspicious and that he would try his best at resetting it all. As I always do before surgery, I prayed protection around me, and that God would use the surgeons as His instruments. They managed to put a pin in it, from the top of my shoulder to my elbow. Unfortunately, a bit of bone had damaged the main nerve to my hand. I had to stay in the hospital for 9 days, as I couldn’t fly home.
Once home I made an appointment with a specialist at the hospital where I work as a nurse, and he looked at the X-ray and told us that that was too complicated for him. He would write and transfer me to a professor at the Royal National Orthopaedic Hospital (RNOH) in Stanmore, London. He could however try to do something about the severe nerve pain in my lower arm and hand. He admitted me and with a pain specialist they managed through the right medication to get the pain under control. All the time I felt very protected by the Lord. It was like a black cloud with a silver lining. That was a picture I kept seeing.
Whilst waiting for an appointment at the RNOH, we managed to see my parents in Holland and celebrate my mothers 85th birthday in February and at the beginning of March go on another ski holiday in France. I walked and sat in the sun, spending time in prayer and waiting. I know now this was a time of preparation.
Isaiah 40 v 29-31: He gives power to the weak, and to those who have no might he increases strength. But those who wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength. They shall mount up with wings like eagles, they shall run and not be weary they shall walk and not faint.
I then got a chest infection and went on a course of antibiotics. I finally got an appointment from the RNOH on the 28th March. I saw a locum Doctor whose name badge had the word Cancer written on it larger than his name. The X-ray taken showed no healing and I remember standing outside and looking at my husband, Philip, and thinking now the fight has started. The fight not to allow fear to enter, to keep my eyes on Jesus come what may. I met with two close friends to pray and take communion.
When two or three are gathered in my Name, I am there in the midst, Matthew 18v20.
I started to claim God’s Word regarding healing, and fear, asking God to expose that what is hidden physically and spiritually so it could be dealt with.
My friend gave me a small book called ‘Healed of Cancer’ by Dodi Osteen, filled with healing scriptures. Reading my bible, standing on the word of God, I laid claim to His promises. I listened to healing scriptures when going to sleep to stop fear entering my thoughts, but if fear did enter, I combatted it with the word of God.
It states in 2 Corinthians 10 v 4-5: “that the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds, casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ.”
I started to listen to faith-filled songs, a favourite of mine is Ron Kenoly’s album “Lift Him up”. There is one song that says, “Whose report do you believe; I will believe the report of the Lord”. I laid claim to this every time I received a test or blood result.
After successive chest infections and three courses of antibiotics my GP, who I had not seen yet, saw me waiting at the surgery in Hurstpierpoint for an appointment with another doctor. She had a cancellation so called me in to see her and said “enough is enough”, it was now time to have a CT scan of neck, chest, abdomen and pelvis. Within days I had that done at the Royal Sussex County Hospital, who then took over my care from the RNOH. The following day an appointment was arranged with a chest specialist, she referred me on to a haematologist, who I saw the following day and then within a further two days my treatment for Multiple Myeloma (a blood cancer) had started. My first cycle of chemotherapy was on the 18thApril 2019. The medication cycle was five weekly, a chemo injection once a week for four weeks, then one week off, but continuous oral chemo therapy.
After two weeks they had to withhold the chemo as I became unwell and was taken to ITU on 5th May 2019 with bilateral pneumonia; they treated me there for six days with IV antibiotics. I remember pleading my case with God, asking Him if he would please let me be at the wedding of my son, and wear the outfit I had bought for this occasion, the following week. The haematologist came to me and said he had wonderful news, the Myeloma cells had reduced from a count of 1300+ to just 30; the chemo was working. After nine days I left the hospital, two days before the wedding. I was at the wedding on the 16th May in my outfit and walked and danced in my high heels all day. God is so faithful.
I had four out of six planned cycles of chemo when the consultant believed that I was ready for stem cell harvesting. That was done in the Royal Marsden Hospital in Surrey in October 2019. They were going to give half of the stem cells back to me in November, after my other son’s wedding at the end of October, and the other half remain stored for a possible second treatment if the Myeloma returns.
In November I had high dose chemotherapy followed by my stem cell transplant. I lost all my hair in two days, but I never experienced any other side effects other than an infection for which I needed IV antibiotics and isolation. I came home after three weeks. This was at the beginning of December 2019. Before Christmas I could go out and mix with others and go to church again and meet friends.
In February 2020, after further tests, I saw the Haematologist for the last time at the Royal Marsden. I am in chemical remission. They say there is no cure for this type of Cancer; I say not yet, as all things are possible with God. A year later and all my blood tests (done bi-monthly) are normal with no sign of the Myeloma cells, or any sign that they were there. Praise God.
I believe sickness is not from God. It is for us to lay hold of the promises concerning healing. There are so many, and all His promises are Yes and Amen. (2 Corinthians 1 v 20).
These are some of the promises that I laid claim to:
Isaiah 55 v 11 So shall My word be that goes forth from My mouth, it shall not return to me void but it shall accomplish what I please, and it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it.
Psalm 118 v 17 I shall not die, but live and declare the works of the Lord.
Isaiah 58 v 11 The Lord will guide you continually and satisfy your soul in drought and Strengthen your bones. You shall be like a well-watered garden and like a spring of water whose waters do not fail.
Matthew 8 v 17 He himself took our infirmities and bore our sickness
Isaiah 53 v 5 By His stripes we are healed.
1 Peter 2 v 24 By whose stripes you were healed. He paid for our sickness, it is in past tense. Already paid for by our Lord Jesus.
Matthew 9 v 35 Jesus went to villages teaching, preaching and healing every sickness and every disease.
Philippians 4 v 6 – 7 Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
Revelation 12 v 11 They triumphed over him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony…
Not once have I felt anxious. That peace that surpasses my understanding has been with me throughout all my treatments and tests; I even fell asleep during one MRI that lasted one and a half hours. It was like I was an onlooker. I am forever grateful for God’s presence in it all. I could not have been through all the treatments without my faith in Jesus, my Healer, and it has made my faith stronger. I am so thankful for the visits and phone calls, communion at home, and my family who were a strong support; for all the faithful who were praying for me in many different churches; I know that their prayers lifted me up. I am so grateful for the doctors and nurses that God provided and who gave me such excellent care. It is so true that God never leaves us or forsakes us.