My Testimony of God's peace sustaining me through my cancer journey
I was diagnosed with breast
cancer sometime end of May 2020. I had surgery to remove the tumour and the surrounding tissue & lymph node on
the 10th June 2020. Even with the initial GP visit, I had an inkling that this was a little different from a
previous fibrous tissue lump I had a few years earlier—but even in those thoughts, God's peace was filling me. On the 16th June, the
results from the samples of the tissue & lymph node came back and were found to be negative of cancer, which was
a real relief to know it hadn't spread. The tumour itself, however, was a 'grade 3' tumour, which is a fast-growing
tumour. I can't help being so thankful to God that we found it as early as we did. It could have been a very
different outcome had we not discovered it, because I still felt my normal self—perfectly healthy. My thoughts
often turned to that and I still find myself being so incredibly thankful to God for allowing us to find it early
on, and also for the quick action from the medical profession that followed—and it was pretty quick, from the GP
visit to surgery. I give all praise to God for His peace, which sustained me throughout this whole journey. There was only one time,
that I can recall, when I felt a little anxious and that was when I was in the waiting room, waiting to receive
the results of the surgery (to see if the cancer had spread), but as I quickly turned it over to God, I fell into
His peace once again. I remember asking God why the diagnosis didn't seem to upset me or cause me to feel anxious
or fearful, the answer He gave was just one word, "sustain". I believe His peace was sustaining me through the
whole process. Prior to getting the diagnosis, I was meditating on the theme of God's peace in my quiet times. I
believe, spiritually speaking, God had positioned me in His peace so that when the diagnosis came, His peace
remained! During this time, I was
also dedicating my body to the Lord as a living sacrifice—every organ, cell, tissue, bone and muscle, praying for
healing, wholeness, restoration and protection for every part of my body. I believe He created us, every part of
us (body, soul & spirit), so He knows our bodies and is well able to heal (Romans 12:1)! I started chemo on the 15th
July (1st round of 4). The path of chemo, in particular, is not one that's easily walked—you can feel nauseated,
tired, have a really bad taste in your mouth (which taints everything you eat and drink), and may suffer from
reactions to the drugs given. I thank the Lord that He was there with me, each day, walking this journey with me.
And because of this, I continued to be completely at peace. One of the key scriptures I
had while going through this season was John 10:10: "The thief comes only in order to steal, kill and destroy. I
came that they may have and enjoy life, and have it in abundance [to the full, till it overflows]." I have often
made this scripture my prayer in many different life situations. Concerning radiation therapy,
I was a little apprehensive at first because of the long-term side effects. But it was strongly recommended, due
to the fact that I chose not to have a mastectomy. I prayed about it, asking the Lord for His guidance and consulted
the oncology nurse regarding it—I then felt reassured and at peace, knowing that it was an important part of my
cancer treatment. I chose to trust God in the process, knowing that He can protect me. On the way to the hospital
one day, my son reminded me of the scripture "…having done all, to stand…". We need to stand in God's truth with
unwavering faith, taking up our shield of faith in one hand and the sword of the Spirit in the other—and having
done all that the crisis demands, keep standing! During this time, I was also
meditating on Psalm 23. God used this Psalm to reveal to me how He was my Good Shepherd, leading, providing and
protecting me. I saw Him then, as I do now, as my Good Shepherd. Hormone Therapy/Endocrine Therapy: Because my tumour was ERP
(oestrogen receptor positive), I needed to undergo "hormone Therapy" which is just a tablet taken every day over
a period of 5 years. This is the last of the treatments, but doesn't come without side effects, including menopausal
symptoms and bone thinning. However, taking vitamin D and staying active (exercising regularly, which I am always
keen to do), can diminish these side effects as it's beneficial for overall bone health—so hopefully, by being diligent
in this, it will reduce the bone and joint symptoms I may otherwise experience.  We don't always know why we
go through the difficult seasons of life, but we do know, and can be absolutely sure, God walks with us through
those challenging times and gives us the victory—because He is victorious. We can't allow the enemy to kill,
steal and destroy. We have the victory over Satan and his minions already because he has been defeated by the
blood of the Lamb and through His resurrection power. Therefore, we mustn't buy into his deceitful tactics or
give in to his lies, but declare instead the goodness of God—giving thanks and praise to Almighty God. Remember,
God's presence is always with us through life's difficult seasons, even if we are unaware. And as we put our
trust in Him, His sustaining peace anchors us in His love, fills us with confident hope and strengthens our
faith—and this is our Testimony!
© By M.S.Lowndes
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