(Comments by Joan Boney) This is the best example of seeking help from God that I have ever heard or experienced in my years as a Christian.
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Pam Padgett, member of the body of Christ
I was diagnosed with bladder cancer in September, 2022, after surgery to have a tumor removed.
As I drove into the urologist's parking lot for an appointment a few days after surgery to learn the pathologist's findings, a very terrifying fear came over me. I called out to God, asking for help. The Holy Spirit immediately reminded me of Romans 8:28 And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to HIS purpose. As I focused on this scripture I was greatly calmed and comforted, even as the urologist presented the pathologist's report.
The urologist told me I had cancer and that the cancer was "high grade, muscle invasive". He referred me to a specialist/surgeon in Denver.
(I live about 50 miles south of Denver in Colorado Springs.)
This specialist told me that without treatment, I would be dead in 1 year, maybe 2 years at most. She prescribed 4 chemo treatments, 2 weeks apart, then wait a month, then have surgery to remove my bladder at the end of December, 2022, or first part of January, 2023.
Chemotherapy wasn't a concern to me, but having my bladder removed troubled me a lot! Needing to deal for the rest of my life with some way for my body to function without the natural bladder was a big concern.
I didn't mention to anyone that I didn't want to have this bladder-removal surgery, but I talked with God about it, laying all my concerns out to HIM.
And I asked God if there might be some way I could be spared this surgery.
I didn't know what God's will was in this, so I just waited to be shown if I should do anything different than what the specialist/surgeon in Denver recommended.
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About 10 days later I was given a dream. In this dream I was considering not having bladder removal. (When I was given this dream, I had no idea there were any treatment options other than bladder removal.)
The following evening I was reviewing some information the chemo pharmacist had given me about the various drugs that would be administered and their possible side effects and what I might do to minimize side effects. I wanted to make sure I had everything on hand that might be needed before the chemo began the following day.
When I got through all the drug information, there was one piece of paper left. It was a sheet the pharmacist had included from the American Society of Clinical Oncology about bladder cancer. I was casually reading this when the following jumped out at me ...
"An approach using chemotherapy with radiation therapy may provide the same benefits as bladder removal."
I felt this might be an answer to my prayer about being spared bladder-removal surgery and asked God to please show me if this was not the case. I was not shown anything.
But I didn't know how to go about changing my treatment plan, having no idea who to talk with about radiation therapy. So I asked God how to do this and kept having the specialist/surgeon in Denver brought to my mind. I sent her a note.
The next morning her nurse called to setup a time the following week for me to meet with the physician assistant who works with this doctor in Denver.
A few days before this appointment, I woke in the night with the words "virtual meeting" going through my mind. I didn't know why I had been awakened with those words, but the following day I found out. When I took our car to a mechanic for a wheel alignment, he determined that the car had damage which made it unsafe to drive! It would take about a week to get the needed parts to fix car.
I immediately thought of the appointment in Denver and began considering how I could get there. Then I was reminded of having heard the words "virtual meeting" in the night. I called the doctor's office and was able to easily change the meeting with the physician assistant to be a virtual meeting. So much easier than driving to Denver, yet totally sufficient for what was needed.
Most of all, it was very comforting to see this example of God watching over my situation and helping me, even before I knew there was a need.
(Isaiah 65:24 And it shall come to pass, that before they call, I will answer; and while they are yet speaking, I will hear.)
During the virtual meeting, the physician assistant told me that I'm not a good candidate for chemo with radiation and reasons this was the case. But interestingly, she then said she could make a referral for me to talk with a radiation oncologist in Colorado Springs where I live. She said she had heard very good things about this radiation oncologist who had been trained at the Mayo clinic. I asked the physician assistant to please make that referral.
A few days before meeting with the radiation oncologist I had a dream. In this dream a man was sitting next to me as I met with the radiation oncologist. It was as if the man was there to support and help me.
When I woke from the dream I was reminded of various scriptures I had been given in which God says HE will be with me and help me and never leave me, such as:
Hebrews 13:5-6 .... for HE hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee. So that we may boldly say, The Lord is my helper, and I will not fear what man shall do unto me.
Isaiah 41:10, 13 Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of MY righteousness.
13 For I the Lord thy God will hold thy right hand, saying unto thee, Fear not; I will help thee.
When I met with the radiation oncologist she said that I'm not an "ideal" candidate for radiation with chemo and told me why. But she went on to say that if, after considering these things, I decided to go this way, she would set it up.
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Then I met with the chemo doctor. He warned that the chemo given with radiation therapy for bladder cancer is harder on the body than the initial chemo I had been given and that I might need a blood transfusion and possibly need to be hospitalized.
(By the time appointments with the various medical people had been scheduled and held to change the treatment plan, I had had 3 of the chemo treatments initially recommended in preparation for bladder removal.)
The chemo doctor then asked if I had peace about making this change in treatments. I told him I had prayed and asked God if there was any way I could be spared bladder removal. After that, I saw the information provided by the pharmacist about chemo with radiation, and I felt this was an answer to my prayer. He asked if I am a Christian and I told him I am. He said he is as well. He then said since I had peace about making this change, he would setup this kind of chemo and coordinate it with the radiation oncologist, and that he would prescribe things to help me get through this chemo as easily as possible.
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After meeting with the various medical people, we stopped the first kind of chemo and the doctors started setting everything up for chemo with radiation.
The chemotherapy with radiation therapy began in mid-December, 2022, and was completed in January, 2023.
Interestingly, the chemo with radiation turned out to be easier for me, not harder as the chemo doctor expected. I had no serious problems, mostly just fatigue. But even the fatigue wasn't as much as with the first chemo. And radiation was no problem at all.
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After the treatments were completed, two procedures were scheduled to be done in April, 2023, to see if there were any signs of the cancer.
Everything seemed to be going fine. But then not long after these procedures were scheduled, fearful thoughts suddenly came, such as "What if the tests show more cancer?"
I was very shaken and turned to God for help, and was given the concept of resting in having done what I had been led to do by God, resting in HIM, in HIS word to me in this matter. For God will work everything according to HIS purpose for me. I just need to go in the way I believe HE is leading me.
Hebrews 4:3 ... For we which have believed do enter into rest,
Romans 8:28 And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to HIS purpose.
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I was also given a dream in which I was at the urologist's office to have a scope procedure. At another point in the dream there were 2 bags with what looked like yard waste in them. The bags were being examined by scientists or doctors who were looking for disease. No disease was found.
When I woke from this dream I prayed about what this dream might mean to me and especially what the 2 bags represented. The next morning, I was reminded of the 2 upcoming procedures and felt God was showing me that no disease would be found during the procedures in April, 2023.
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The first procedure was done on Friday, April 14, 2023, by the urologist looking inside my bladder using a scope.
The urologist started out by saying that his understanding is that I had gone to see the specialist/surgeon in Denver and it sounded like I wasn't "keen" on having my bladder removed. I laughed and told him that was correct.
He went on to explain that with the scope he would be checking to see if the chemo had done what was needed, but that if he found a problem it could probably be taken care of with a more minor surgery than was needed the previous September. (I felt he was trying to prepare me for him finding a problem.)
But as he looked at my bladder, he said "This looks great!" He said this at least 3 times as he checked various things in the bladder. He did find a small red area, but said nothing needs to be done about that at this time. He'll just "monitor" it.
Overall, he seemed surprised as he said "This looks great!"
The second procedure, a CT scan, was done on Wednesday, April 19. No sign of cancer was found.
I kept being reminded of the dream I had in which the 2 bags of waste were being examined by doctors or scientists. They were looking for disease but found none.
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Another "word" about the outcome of this cancer was an open vision given by God to Joan Boney in September, 2022. In this vision she saw something like a lumpy mass on the wall in the corner. But it shrank with a "swooshing" sound, and suddenly, it was gone. She felt this had to do with my cancer.
Open Vision
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All along the way, God has been helping me, especially when I have turned to HIM with fearful thoughts.
I am especially grateful to God for showing me a way to be spared bladder removal surgery!
It is amazing to me that God worked it out for the various medical people to go along with what I believe HE showed me to do in changing from "chemo with bladder removal" to "chemo with radiation therapy".
Although five medical people felt this was not the best way for me to go, they all agreed to this change in treatment.
And as I recall the urologist saying "This looks great!" as he looked at my bladder, I am thankful to God for all HE has done in this.
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Updates:
Tests were again done in August-September, 2023. No cancer was found.
Tests were again done in February-March, 2024. Again, no cancer was found. At that time the urologist, who had referred me to the specialist/surgeon in Denver in September, 2022, told me that choosing to not have bladder removal surgery was obviously the right decision and that bladder removal would have been "life changing". I agree!
Tests were again done in September, 2024. No cancer was found. After these tests, the urologist said that everything looked very good so the next scope procedure could be done in a year.
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