About 10 days after asking God if there might be some way I could be spared bladder-removal surgery, I was given a dream.
In this dream I was considering not having bladder removal surgery. (When I was given this dream, I had no idea there were any treatment options other than bladder removal.)
The following evening I was reviewing some information the chemo pharmacist had given me about the various drugs that would be administered. I wanted to make sure I had everything on hand that might be needed to manage possible side-effects before chemo began the next day.
When I had reviewed all the drug information, there was one piece of paper left.
It was a sheet the pharmacist had included from the American Society of Clinical Oncology about bladder cancer. I was casually reading this when the following jumped out at me ...
"An approach using chemotherapy with radiation therapy may provide the same benefits as bladder removal."
I re-read this statement several times. Did this really say what I thought it said? It was hard to believe that right there, on the piece of paper in front of me, was an alternative to bladder-removal surgery from an established, recognized medical organization.
I felt this might be an answer to my prayer about being spared bladder-removal surgery and asked God to please show me if this was not the case.
I was not shown anything.
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But I didn't know how to go about changing my treatment plan, having no idea who to talk with about radiation therapy.
So I asked God how to do this, and kept having the surgeon in Denver brought to my mind. I sent a message to her through the healthcare system's internet portal.
The next morning, Nurse Donna from the surgeon's office called to setup a time the following week for me to meet with the physician assistant who works with the surgeon.
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A few days before this appointment, I woke in the night with the words "virtual meeting" going through my mind. I didn't know why I had been awakened with those words, but the following day I found out.
When I took our car to a mechanic for a wheel alignment, he determined that the car had damage which made it unsafe to drive! It would take about a week to get the needed parts to fix the car.
I immediately thought of the appointment in Denver and, in a panic, began considering how I could get there.
Then I was reminded by the Holy Spirit of having heard the words "virtual meeting" in the night.
I called the surgeon's office. Interestingly, the woman who answered the telephone had had a similar car problem just a few weeks before and completely understood my situation. She put the call on "hold" and, in a few minutes, had taken care of changing the meeting with the physician assistant to be a virtual meeting.
Meeting virtually with the physician assistant would be so much easier than driving to Denver, yet totally sufficient for what was needed.
Most of all, it was very comforting to see this example of God watching over my situation and helping me, even before I knew there was a need.
Isaiah 65:24 And it shall come to pass, that before they call, I will answer; and while they are yet speaking, I will hear.
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During the virtual meeting, the physician assistant told me that I was not a good candidate for chemotherapy with radiation and gave reasons this was the case. I asked some questions trying to make sure I understood the situation correctly, for the many the reasons she gave made this option sound hopeless, as though the door was closed.
But then, surprisingly, she said she could make a referral for me to talk with a radiation oncologist in Colorado Springs where I live. She said she had heard very good things about this radiation oncologist who had been trained at the Mayo clinic.
I didn't know what was going on. Was she was just trying to pass me on to someone else to explain why this couldn't be done in my case?
I told her that I didn't want to waste anyone's time discussing this if it couldn't be done. But she insisted that it wouldn't be a waste of anyone's time and that she could make this referral.
I silently prayed and felt I should meet with this radiation oncologist, so I asked the physician assistant to please make that referral.
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A few days before meeting with the radiation oncologist I had a dream. In this dream a man was sitting next to me as I met with the radiation oncologist. It was as if the man was there to support and help me.
When I woke from the dream I was reminded of various scriptures I had been given recently in which God says HE will be with me and help me and never leave me, such as:
Hebrews 13:5-6 .... 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.
13 For I the Lord thy God will hold thy right hand, saying unto thee, Fear not; I will help thee.
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When I met with the radiation oncologist, she said that I was not an "ideal" candidate for radiation with chemo and told me why. But she went on to say that if, after considering these things, I decided to go this way, she would set it up.
After meeting with the radiation oncologist, I prayed about what had been discussed, and was convinced I should proceed with changing my treatment from chemotherapy/ bladder removal to chemotherapy/radiation therapy.
So I called the radiation oncologist's office and said that I wanted to proceed with chemotherapy with radiation therapy.
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Then I met with the hematology (chemo) doctor.
(By this time I had had 3 chemotherapy infusions prescribed by the surgeon, for it took a few weeks to schedule appointments with the various medical people I needed to talk with in order to change my treatment plan.)
Initially the hematology doctor was surprised and puzzled that I wanted to change my treatment plan. He asked "You don't want to have your bladder removed?"
I laughed and said that was correct. I did not want to have my bladder removed.
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He asked if I had peace about making this change in treatments.
I told him I had prayed and asked God if there was any way I could be spared bladder removal. After that, I saw the information provided by the pharmacist about chemotherapy with radiation, and I came to believe this was an answer to my prayer.
When I mention having prayed about something, most people ignore this. But this doctor's response surprised me. He said "You said you prayed about this. Are you a believer?"
I replied that yes, I am a Christian. I asked if he was also a Christian, and he said he is.
He warned that the chemo given with radiation therapy for bladder cancer is harder on the body than the initial chemo I had been given and that I might need a blood transfusion and possibly need to be hospitalized.
He asked again if I had peace about making this change. I told him I did have peace about this.
He then said since I had peace about making this change, he would setup this kind of chemo and coordinate it with the radiation oncologist. He also said he would prescribe things to help me get through this chemotherapy as easily as possible.
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After meeting with the various medical people, we stopped the first kind of chemotherapy, and the doctors started setting everything up for chemotherapy with radiation.
God made a way for me to not have bladder removal surgery, showing me another option.
And HE kept me in this way, and made a way for each of the medical people to agree to changing the treatment plan, although their medical training had taught them this wasn't best in my situation.
What God did in this is truly incredible!
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