As a cancer patient, you may at some point have to change your medication. The disease might progress forcing you to move to the next line of defense. If all available medicinal treatments are exhausted, you might have to consider a clinical trial. Each of these scenarios, and many others, is difficult and scary. But a new drug might prove to be exactly what you need.
My first cancer drug worked brilliantly. After just one year, the gulf-ball sized tumor in my right lung was essentially gone. The side effects had been minimal and manageable. Unfortunately, the same set of scans showed forty new tumors in my brain. Talk about having good news and bad news!
After whole brain radiation, which proved ineffective, my oncologist switched me to a new drug. As he explained its benefits and side effects, the 1980s hit song by Huey Lewis and the News', "I Need a New Drug," streamed through my mind.
Changing drugs was hard. The more intense side effects required dosage adjustments, time, and therapy. Fortunately, the new drug did what it should. In less than 3 months, it had kicked cancer's butt to the curb!
In my book, How Cancer Cured Me, I wrote about some of the challenges related to the cancer medicines. Being patient with the gradual shrinking of my tumor challenged me. I wanted it gone NOW! Of course, I also wrote about the miraculous healing that can happen with God's help and the right medicine. Here’s a short excerpt from the chapter entitled "Healing.
“I’ve got good news for you. They are all gone. All the tumors in your brain are gone.”
We looked at each other in stunned silence, shocked by the young doc’s abruptness and the awesomeness of the results. Without wasting any time, he showed us the images of my beautiful, cancer-free brain and lungs. He showed us the difference between these scans and the ones taken at my previous visit three months earlier. The contrast floored me— especially seeing my brain, peppered with little white spots only three months ago, now solid black.
We all grasped for words to express our joy. Praise God! To God Be the Glory! That’s amazing! How wonderful! Thank you, Jesus. I believed you!
I stood and hugged Amy. I wiped away the tears of joy. I hugged my mom and dad.
In our elation, Dr. Crawford entered and expanded
on the good news.
“The radiologists call this ‘near-complete resolution of disease.’ We are going to call these images cancer-free.
Congratulations!”
Many of my fellow cancer companions are searching for the right medication. Often their journeys are far more difficult than mine has been. These words from scripture come to mind.
“See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland” (Isaiah 43:19 NIV).
You may have stopped one medication, but God hasn’t stopped caring for you. God is doing a new thing in your life…right now. You may not yet perceive it, but God’s up to something. He’s making a way for you. Believe it and you will see it.
Ask God for the cancer drug that will work for you. With God nothing all things are possible (Luke 1:37). Look to God for strength, hope, patience, and all you need. Lean on his word, prayer, and faithful friends. Jesus is the “Healing Balm of Gilead,” the medicine and the Great Physician (Jeremiah 8:22). Hold on to him, and there will be healing.
Here are a couple song that may encourage you: "Way Maker" by Leeland.
For a free read of the entire “Healing” chapter, click here.
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