Friday, April 2, 2010

My testimomy

Phil.4:4 Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice!
Indeed, a smile in our face is the manifestation of joy brought by God in our heart. We smile because we see the beauty of His creation. ” And behold! all things are beautiful.”
What if, someone or something snatched our smile away? Would we still enjoy these beauty? or walk through His path?
It happens to me, when my oncologist positively diagnosed me as having a Stage 4 lung cancer. The pain and agony of being in chemotherapy treatment crushed my heart and put my faith in vain.
But who am I? Trials come for every person believer or not. At least I have a fellowship with Him, through His word. Always a pinnacle of worship is through listening of His word.
Romans 8:18 I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us, and in R0mans 8:37 No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us.
Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new. 1 Corinthians 5:17. Believe me…It cures.

Tuesday, March 30, 2010

The horror of chemotherapy.... The goodness of God

Romans 8:18 I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us.

There are times, cancer patients like us sit together, and discuss each other experiences on dealing with chemotherapy side effects. Each one of us has a different version of the story. But one thing in common which all of agreed upon. We are all victim of HIV, not the virus but “Hair is vanishing”.
Luckily, I have doctor who always give me instruction, and prescriptions to treat with those expected side effects. She also orients me about the possibilities of acquiring different side effects on each chemotherapy treatment and the ways to cope it.
For me, the first two cycles are the most difficult. I have vomiting, nausea, mouth sores, among others which cause my loss of appetite. My wife says I have a palatable tongue; I eat almost everything. But, when loss of appetite struck me, I cannot able to eat even my favorite dishes was on the table. I lost 10kilos and becoming pale and thinner that time. My friends beg at me and look me with compassion, but with all my heart I know, I still have a strong spirit.
I shave my head on the next chemo session and that’s no problem with me because it is already receding. What worrying me about is my WBC and RBC it decreasing below critical level. It brings my immunity to fall which also causing the delay of my 6th cycle for one week; I also need to double my ferrous sulfate intake to bring it back to normal. Some of my co-patients also has their platelets depleting and subjected them for blood transfusion. I was very lucky indeed. All these things including skin and face rashes, malaise, bone weakness, and others are symptoms a cancer patient may struggle when they have their chemotherapy treatment.
It’s hard but we have to accept it. All we need is to understand that it is on the plan of God to us. All has trials because all has inequities. All we need is to accept Him, serve Him, and enjoy the fullness of his presence in our lives, and all will come to an end…believe me it cures.




How to manage chemo side-effects?

Monday, March 29, 2010

My Doctor.......My Healer

Matthew 10:28 Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse the lepers, cast out demons. You receive without paying, give without pay.

After my operation and was biopsied, I was referred by my surgeon to an Oncologist. A physician specializing cancer diseases like my case. She was Dr. Francisco, and instructed me to undergo ultrasound first before our scheduled consultation just to make sure that my cancer cells does not yet metastases or spread thru other organs like liver, spleen and pancreas. Also to determine what kind or mode of treatment she will be given to me.
I still remember our first encounter. I was very nervous and anxious then. Always envision what will be the next step or what to expect. I’ll give credence by the presence of my brother and sisters, and of course my wife, there are always there to support me. They never leave me with this difficult time.
She discussed to me all the facts about my disease and the kind of therapy or regimen that she will introduce to me. It’s a 6-cycle chemotherapy and a radiotherapy should be given when there is mass left after the 6-cycle. Worst of all, I’ll will need around 50 to 80 thousand pesos for every chemotherapy cycle. I become desperate when I heard this. How will I get this amount of money, I’m only a government employee, and my salary does not even enough to sustain our family needs. So I cry again and beginning to lose hope. I practically told to myself, “did I need to write my last will of testament now, even when I have no properties to distribute”? I feel very helpless. All I do is to utter some prayer, to seek His guidance and understanding. To my amaze He answers my prayer immediately, and touched the heart of Dr Francisco. She gave me other option. Praise the Lord!.
She transfers my case to Dr Guia Ladrera also an oncologist. She was the head of a clinical study program called. “The FastAct ll.” A program of Lung Center of the Philippines and was sponsor by Roche Philippines. The aim is to test their cancer drug that will be introduced in pharmaceuticals and to help the less fortunate cancer patient. It is totally free of charged provided that you will be pass the interview and physical check up. I was easily entered the program. Praise the Lord.
I describe Dr Guia Ladrera for her being nice and very intelligent. She answers all my queries with no hesitation, not like other doctors I encounter. She attends the needs of her patient with care and full of understanding. I remember her during one of my chemotherapy session; she need to rest for a while because of fatigue, by skipping her launch that day. I’m very proud of her and hated the American actress who belittled our doctors in their sitcom the “Desperate Housewives.” There are as good as they are.
There is also one doctor I’ve known. He is the greatest of them all. He is the Healer and the Redeemer. He was the creator of all things. Not even their knowledge can surpassed His power, His compassion, and His love for one of us. I believe…He will cure me
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Sunday, March 28, 2010

The Power of Prayer

Psalm 4:1 Hear me when I call, O God of my righteousness: thou hast enlarged me when I was in distress; have mercy upon me, and hear my prayer.
Honestly, I cannot imagine myself to get back from the pain and agony of my disease. But, I need to share it with you, so you can find the mystery evolved in prayer.
First, let me show you picture of my disease: Bronchogenic Carcinoma of the Lung. Stage 4
My tumor, which is a size of a golf ball, embedded in my right lung, and occupies the intermediate lobe. It compresses my air passages or the bronchioles which tends to constrict and resulted for the collapse of my right lung due lack of oxygen supply. Therefore, the symptoms are disastrous. I experience chest pain, shortness of breath, nausea, vomiting, and coughing without ceasing. But what fears me the most is my coughing. It put me in total distress. I cannot recall how many sleepless night that lambasted my body, tortured my mind, and put my spirit into its weakest because of this cough. It almost buries me 6ft below the ground. Worst during night, when everybody was already sleeping, I was the only one making noise disturbed them like a dog barking at night. I can even lie down my back because when I do that I feel like I’m drowning. In the morning I found myself sitting beside my bed. I am seeking help that time but nothing can put me out of this nightmare even expensive medicine the doctor prescribes. But of course there is….the power of prayer.
The month is August 2009, we are preparing for our Church Anniversary, and also I was about to start my chemotherapy treatment. There is a Doctrinal and Spiritual Empowerment, but unfortunately I was unable to attend due to my condition. I know Bishop Dodoy Ferriol, our church coordinator in Laguna, about his mysterious gift of healing. He was a speaker in one of the service. After his message, he called all sick brethren especially those with cancer to walk in front. My sister, teacher Cecille was there, and asked the bishop if she can be able to replace me for the healing prayer. Bishop Dodoy refuse her, instead he gave her formula of healing prayer. We must both pray simultaneously in 7 nights, and pronounce 7- hallelujah. We do it thru texting because we are far from each other. We start this the same night she talked to bishop Dodoy. She sends me a text and I reply with a song to begin and kneel down to start our prayer, my wife join us.
7-nights. 7- powerful hallelujah. I cannot even pronounce the word, because when I do that, I begin to cough profusely. 7-nights 7-hallelujah I cannot raise my hand. I’m holding a plastic container; I vomit when I cough, and when I try to utter the word. 7 long nights, I fight, and not willing to surrender. 7th nights, and before I knew it, my cough is gone. Praise the Lord!
Since then, my foremost desire in life is to look for bishop Dodoy because I strongly believe that whenever he’ll touch and pray for me the spirit of the Lord will come upon me, touch my spirit, and heal my disease.
The day has come when we celebrates our International Convention in Malagasang Cavite. Delegates of our church around the world gather together for the revival of their spirit. I was on my 3rd cycle of my chemotherapy then and I need to cut my stay there in one day. As soon as Bishop Dodoy finish his massage, I immediately come to him requesting his prayer. I cannot figure what my feeling when he prayed me. When he raised my hands, I almost electrified. I thought there was a hot object or something rushing down my body. When he said “In faith you are healed by the Lord”, I accept it in my whole spirit. And the Lord heals me.
2-weeks after the convention, something happens to my system. I heard a wheezing sound when I breathed especially when I was lying in bed. There is a hemoptysis. I spit blood. I caution my doctor, and told me to have my chest x-ray. Two words I cannot forget come to her mouth. It is “unpredictable and favorable”. What she means is the tumor in my lung was cracking and in the form of crushing. Well, that is true because when I have my C.T. Scan again after my 4th cycle, my tumor regressed in size. I supposed that the unpredictable and favorable words that the doctor cannot explain, God done it! That is by the Power of Prayer. It cures me.
Jeremiah 33:3 'Call to me and I will answer you and tell you great and unsearchable things you do not know.'

Saturday, March 27, 2010

Accepting The Truth

John 8:32 “And you shall know the truth and the truth shall make you free.

We always hear this in an interview especially when there is a calamity or a tragedy. The victim is always asked by the same question, “How would you accept the truth?”
When the result of my C.T. scan was released and handled to me, and I read the finding of the radiologist, I did not expect the attitude I presented that day. I am terribly shocked! I’m not expecting this would be happen to me. I’m concluded that I was only human. Imagine a 6.5 cm x 5.0 cm malignant tumor clearly stated on my C.T. scan result was very depressing. Yes, I cried, I went to the room with my wife and I cried there also. I talked to my sister on the telephone, and I cried like a child which prompted her to get panic. I cannot imagine myself. I thought I was strong. I thought I am a man of faith. Why is it that suddenly, and without hesitation, I put my faith in vain, and throw it away from the wilderness. Why is it that in this very moment I believe much what the radiologist say rather than God Whom I serve for almost 20 years. Is he much credible than Him?
Oh God! ……please forgive me.

The following day, I found myself lying in an operating room to perform my bronchoscopy and extract some lymph node for my biopsy only to complete my C.T scan result. Thus, confirmed my disease: Bronchoscopic Carcinoma of the Lung.
By then, I am already beginning to accept the truth regarding my disease. I thank the guidance of our local pastor Francis Miciano and our flock leaders who supplement me with the words of God and with prayer to boost my spirit high in accepting the truth.
Do not fear, for I am with you, do not anxiously look about you, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, surely I will help you, surely I will uphold you with my righteous right hand. Isaiah 41:10 Believe this….it cures.



Tuesday, March 23, 2010

The risk factor


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John 15:5 "I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.

The truth is, I have no idea, but getting involved with this life-threatening disease, teach me to do a research.

The risk factors for lung cancer include—

  • Smoking and being around others' smoke.
  • Things around us at home or work, such as radon gas.
  • Personal traits, such as having a family history of lung cancer.

SOCIAL HISTORY:

Well, I will be lying if I will tell you that I did not taste cigarette. Yes I do, during my teenage life, maybe because of curiosity. I’ll do it outside our home, or when I use the toilet; I got no license to smoke from my parents. In my time, you can only seek a permission to smoke or drink wine, if you have already a job and earn money. I remember one time I was caught by my sister, she said “why is it that whenever you get out of the toilet, there’s a smoke following you.” jokingly I replied,“ maybe there is someone cooking inside the toilet”. That’s really end my smoking. I even don’t like the taste of cigarette anyway, and perhaps it was on God’s planned that I am already baptized then when I got my first job. Praise God! He saves me from those vices.

Is that my risk factor? I doubt it.

MY FAMILY HISTORY:

I’ll take a glance on my family history. Yes indeed, there is, my uncle on my mother side. He was also afflicted with lung cancer and succumbed to death on November 2007, months after his operation to the same hospital where I was going through. “The Lung Center of the Philippines.”

Is that my risk factor? I suppose.

MY HISTORY AND PHYSICAL EXAMINATION:

I am a 49-year-old male came to this clinic complaining of coughing, chest pain, and shortness of breath. The symptoms that can traced even in my childhood. Having diagnosed and treated with tuberculosis twice. One when I was 12-years-old and another when I was 23- years -old. Since then, my x-rays always reveal calcification if not a primary complex. Yes, I have weak lungs.

If this my risk factor… please tell me.

WORK HISTORY:

Working my way to the disease? I am a government employee, and a meat inspector by a profession. My place of work is the slaughterhouse and in public meat market where I inspect slaughter animal to ensure their wholesomeness, and fitness of meat for human consumption. By doing this, I’m exposing myself in the danger of getting Zoonotic diseases and infections brought about by the diseased animals. Not excluding the environment and bad sanitation of the market.

This is also my risk factor. Isn’t it?

Did you know the real risk factor is? Yes it is “Jesus Christ” our Savior and Lord, accept Him and we shall not perish.

Nevertheless, I laid my hand to God Who fills me with all the joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit I may abound in hope. Romans 15:13. Believe me…it cures.