Pam Padgett, member of the body of Christ
In September, 2022, I was diagnosed with bladder cancer. The cancer was considered "high grade".
Being a high grade cancer, the urologist in Colorado Springs referred me to a specialist/surgeon in Denver. That specialist recommended 4 rounds of chemotherapy followed by bladder removal. I asked what the prognosis was if I didn't do this and was told that I could expect to be dead in 1 or 2 years.
The specialist arranged for me to receive chemotherapy in Colorado Springs, but I would have to spend 3-4 days in Denver for the surgery. I was fine with having chemotherapy, but having my bladder removed and dealing with another way for my body to function for the rest of my life was very troubling to me.
So I turned to God and asked if there was any way I might be spared having my bladder removed. I didn't immediately hear anything from God on this, but then I was shown an alternative in an interesting way.
Prior to beginning chemotherapy, it was required that I meet with a pharmacist in the oncology department who went over the drugs to be administered with expected side effects and what might be done to minimize the side effects. He gave me several documents about these drugs and also included a single piece of paper about bladder cancer written by the American Society of Clinical Oncology.
The evening before the first day of chemo, I reviewed the documents about the various drugs to make sure I had on hand what might be needed.
When I finished, I casually started reading the paper about bladder cancer. The following statement jumped out at me: "An approach using chemotherapy with radiation therapy may provide the same benefits as bladder removal." I could hardly believe what I was reading and re-read it multiple times!
Certainly I was very interested in radiation therapy instead of bladder removal, but didn't know how to go about making this change in treatment. So I prayed and asked God how to do this. I kept being reminded of the specialist in Denver.
Fearful thoughts came to me about contacting this doctor, such as "She might get upset that I want to go a different way than she recommended and block me from making this change". So I prayed about these thoughts, and was reminded of:
Hebrews 13:5-6 Let
your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such
things as ye have: 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.
I sent a message to the specialist one evening and the following morning was contacted by her office to setup an appointment with a physician assistant. This physician assistant told me why bladder removal was recommended for me instead of radiation. But then, surprisingly, she offered to refer me to a radiation oncologist here in Colorado Springs who was highly trained and respected.
A few days before meeting with this radiation oncologist, I had the following dream ...
In this dream I was talking with the radiation oncology doctor. There was a man sitting next to me as though he was there to support and help me. I was telling the doctor that the previous doctor who removed the bladder tumor last September told me that he had not been able to see the area where the kidney emptied into the bladder, and that no CT scans of that area had been done since the tumor had been removed. The doctor in the dream didn't say anything, but left the room.
After I woke and was thinking about this dream and the man in the dream, I was reminded of some of the scriptures I've been given over the previous 2-1/2 months in which God says that HE is with me and will help me.
💥 Hebrews 13:5-6 Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: 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 ... For I the Lord thy God will hold thy right hand, saying unto thee, Fear not; I will help thee.
💥 Philippians 4:13 I can do all things through Christ (the Word) which strengtheneth me.
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When I met with the radiation oncologist, she told me that I was not an ideal candidate for chemo with radiation and why this is the case. But she went on to say that if I chose to go that way, she would make arrangements for this treatment.
When I told her I wanted to proceed with the chemo & radiation treatment, she took care of getting this setup. She never argued with me nor tried to pressure me in any way.
When I met with the chemotherapy doctor, he seemed surprised that I wanted to change treatments. I told him I had prayed and asked God if I might be spared bladder removal and that, after praying, the option of chemo with radiation strongly stood out to me when I read what the pharmacist had given me.
That I had prayed about this seemed to stand out to this doctor and he asked me if I'm a Christian. I told him I am and he said he is as well. He then asked if I had peace about changing the treatment plan to chemo with radiation and I told him I did have peace about this decision.
He immediately started scheduling the chemo recommended for this treatment. As we talked he said the chemo used with radiation is harder on one's body than
what I had been receiving previously and that I might need blood transfusions, and that he would monitor me carefully.
I completed chemo with radiation in January, 2023. I had very few side effects when receiving the chemo with radiation, mostly just fatigue. A blood transfusion was never needed.
Followup tests have been scheduled in April and, interestingly, without my asking, these tests have all been arranged with doctors in Colorado Springs. The radiation oncologist told me they were trying to keep me from having to go back to the specialist in Denver.
When considering that I have chosen to go in a way not recommended by those in the medical profession, its amazing to me that the doctors have been willing to go along with my decision without pressure or lectures.
It is so clear to me that God has led, helped, and supported me in dealing with those in the medical field. I marvel and am in awe of God as I review how HE has worked in this matter.
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