Coping With Hope

Dedicated to helping people better cope with Cancer
through education, information, and outreach

 Inspirational Testimonies

This section is dedicated to survivors and their families who have learned to "Cope with Cancer." It is here that you will find stories of strength and determination, as told in their own words, of how faith has played a major role in their ability to Cope with Cancer. If you have such a story to share with others, please email us by clicking on the following link Coping With Hope.

How Karen Has Coped With Cancer

My name is Karen and my breast cancer story started in 1991 at the age of 30 when I was diagnosed stage III with a lump 7cm.  I had a right mastectomy, a year of chemotherapy and six weeks or radiation followed by three years of Tamoxifen.  I thought I was “cured”, I lived a good life for 12 years. 

In September of 2002 I began noticing changes in my left breast.  A little dimpling, an inverted nipple.  The knowledge in my head knew that it was breast cancer again, but I was in denial.

I waited until I could barely walk in April of 2003 when I was having a hard time breathing, I finally went to the Emergency Room. I always wondered why being 41 was so hard!!

The thought of cancer back again never dawned on me in reality!   I was admitted and was so anemic that I had to have four blood transfusions before they would discharge me.  I was diagnosed right away at stage IV with mets to my bone marrow, spine and hips.  This cancer was a new primary and not connected biologically to the previous cancer, so I have had cancer twice.

I immediately started Taxol chemotherapy and Aredia to make my bones stronger.  In May of 2003 I woke up one morning and could not lift my head.  I talked in a whisper and I was scared to death!  During the night I must have turned my neck or whatever and the mets in my bones compressed and crunched the C4-7 vertebrae in my neck.  I had an emergency MRI and then started radiation to help this.  The radiation got me better movement and I still wear a neck collar today because I am basically walking around with a broken neck!  Thankfully I am able to drive and have a lot of mobility in my neck.  My oncologist is wonderful, she and I made the decision to then take a “chemo break” and try Femara.  This did not work for me as I developed skin mets on my left breast, we then switched to Aromasin and that did not help either.   I knew that I had to live for my son.  In May 2004 on a yearly Petscan liver mets were discovered.  I started Taxotere and the liver mets shrunk very nicely.  To take a break from IV chemo I started  Xeloda, a chemotherapy pill that kept me stable for a year!  In September 2005 a CT scan showed two new little liver tumors, my tumor markers had risen and a new lumbar spine compression at L2 . I got a port implanted to help with my new chemotherapy of Navelbine. I am also getting Zometa, a monthly bone strengthener.  I am now embarking on that journey until these liver tumors are gone. I am hoping to do this until late November, and praying that scans will show that I am able to take a chemo "vacation" for the holidays. Overall, I am so blessed, my life is full and busy being a Mom to my 12 year old son and staying alive! Having Jesus as my Savior and Healer has brought  me here to 2005! There was a time back in 2003 that I did not think I would live.  Today,  I look forward to seeing my son grow up into a strong Christian young man. When God is for us, who can be against us? I am hopeful for a bright future! 

I am now on Medicare and have been on disability for two years now. I never thought that I would be so happy to see a Medicare card in the mail at age 43! There are some things in life due to my back mets and neck that I will never be able to do again, like bicycle riding with my son.  I have limited energy.  I cannot see the moon at night unless I am sitting down, when standing I cannot get my head to that position to see the night sky. I do have great times when my son and I are quiet playing a board game or watching a movie together. I also have special times that I surprise him, on random days after school we go for ice cream or to his favorite skateboard shop for some stickers.  I have great faith in God and know that without Him, I would not be where I am today. Trusting God on a daily, sometimes hourly basis is knowing that He has everything under control and I do not have to worry. He knows what will be happening to me next week. I am confident that He knows my heart's desire is to be alive and as active as possible in raising my son as long as I can. 

The knowledge that many women face Metastatic breast cancer is the reality.  I want them to know that they can live each day loving God and their family. I want them to have real hope in the future of research, knowing that God is the author and finisher of our faith.. I have great faith that God has given someone the  knowledge for a cure!

November 5, 2004.  I was diagnosed with stage 4 liver cancer.  It had started from my breast.  I had gone to church with my parents all of my years until I left home.  Saved at 14, baptize, and knew what it felt like having the Holy Spirit with me. Then as a teenager I fell away from my Lord.

Married with 4 children went to church (not often) but did send my children to church.  My husband never wanted to attend church with me so I use that as an excuse not to go.  I get cancer and who do I see reading the bible? My husband!!  Every morning when I would walk in the den.  There he was reading the bible. Then one day he said I have accepted Jesus into my heart.

It blew me away.  I felt like yelling "I have the cancer. What right do you have to have the peace"?  But I told him I was so happy for him and went on my way. My husband has drank beer for the last 20 of our 29 years of marriage.  He was a very heavy drinker.  2 to 3 cases a week.  He knew I hated it; but he was not a mean drunk.  So I did not say much. He just up and stopped.  Has not had a drink in a year.  Told me he knew how much I hated it and he did not want to add it to what I was going through now. Some one gave me the book The Purpose Driven Life. I started reading it.  I came to a place where it said "God put me here on earth because he LOVES me.  It just hit home.  I asked for Jesus to come back into my life.  I know he never left it was me who turned away.  I felt love and life instantly.  I feel so much love and peace within me.  I have so much love for Jesus, for what he did so I can enter into heaven.  I am so blessed that he loves me so much that he has given me the time in my life to say my good byes.  To have a marriage so full of love of each other that others see it as soon as they meet us.  To be able to tell my children how much they really mean to me.

For them to be able to tell me of their love for me. To be able to make wrong thing right.  I can now meet new people and if I find something I don't like about them.  I tell myself. "God put them on this earth because he loves them. Find that love also.  My heart is so full of the Love from my Lord.  I find it hard to tell others how I feel.  The peace and Love he has given to me and my husband is beyond any words I can express. Dear Father why did I miss all the wonderful years without you in my life?  I know I am the blessed one, because when Jesus calls me home.  I will hear his voice and take his hand.  Not many on this earth has he given this to.  Cancer is something in my life I have to live and deal with it.  I have peace with this.  What is hard is watching my family.  I pray every day that they also will find peace with my cancer.  My Doctor said he can not cure me, but can give me quality of life.  He also said God can intervene and I can be cured.

He has seen it many times. And I have had a great 2004 year.  So I know at any time my Doctor may say "We find no signs of cancer". Or the Lord may say "It's time to come home Diane". Either way I'm cured.  As long as I have life on this earth. I will use it for the Lord.  We now attend a wonderful church.  If I am to sick to go my husband goes.  How can anyone be so blessed?  So many people tell me I have dealt with this cancer so well. It's not me.  It's the Lord holding onto my hand, telling me "He is with me every step of the way".  I wanted to tell my story because I want others to know that with Jesus in your heart you will know of love and peace that you can not believe you have gone a day without him. Thank you Jesus for all that you did for me. For all that you done for my family and what you did for mankind.

Blessing from Arkansas

Diane

…And we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God. Not only so, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance, perseverance character; and character, hope. And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us. (Romans 5:2-5)

People often ask me how I have dealt with having pancreatic cancer so well. The above scripture tells that our hope is God and not circumstances. This scripture also shows us how problems help build the character of Christ in us. As we have learned in our 40 Days of Purpose Study at church, one of our goals on earth is to grow to be like him. We must look at problems in our lives as opportunities to grow closer to him.

For many years I had trouble being able to say with Paul "I want to know Christ and the power of the resurrection and the fellowship of his suffering becoming like him in death, and so, to attain to the resurrection from the dead" (Philippians 3:10) I did not want to suffer as Christ and Paul did. But after my experience with cancer I realized that it was another step I needed to take in growing closer to Christ. I have been able to fellowship with him on a different level than ever before.