Philippians 4:4-7 (EASY)
4 Always be happy because you belong to the Lord. I will say that again, ‘Be happy!’ 5 Be kind and patient in a way that everyone can see. Remember that the Lord is near. 6 Do not worry about anything. Instead, pray to God about everything. Ask him to help you with the things that you need. And thank him for his help. 7 If you do that, God will give you peace in your minds. That peace is so great that nobody can completely understand it. You will not worry or be afraid, because you belong to Christ Jesus.
On Friday, November 15, 2024, I am planning to have my first CT scan since my radiation and chemotherapy treatment that I had at Johns Hopkins Medical Center over the summer. Besides my first scan that identified tumors in my lungs, this test is perhaps one of the most important CT scans. It will determine if my cancer cells are once again responding to the targeted therapy medication, known by its brand name Tagrisso.
Though the development of lung cancer is unique with everyone as well as quite complex, involving a variety of unknown variables, this is my simplistic view of my cancer and its growth.
I have been diagnosed with the adenocarcinoma type of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Genetic testing has revealed a common mutation that contributes to the growth of my cancer cells known as the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) mutation. EGFR is the protein that helps all cells to grow and divide. Apparently, this protein does not shut off like it should in some of the cells in my lungs creating cancerous cells that are developing faster than my current immune system can handle.
Fortunately, the type of targeted therapy for this mutation has been around for a long time with Tagrisso being the 3rd generation treatment, meaning that the drug is more effective, more potent, or has fewer side effects. So I take Tagrisso as a daily pill to limit the rate at which my cancer cells grow and divide. On the average, this targeted therapy has proven to be effective in controlling this particular lung cancer growth for 18-36 months before the cancer cells mutate to a form that the Tagrisso can no longer control.
The CT scans in November 2023 had demonstrated that the Tagrisso was working very effectively in controlling the growth of my cancer cells. The report stated that there was no evidence of the tumors. However, in February 2024, the CT scan showed the large tumor next to my heart had returned, and after working diligently with an increase in the dosage of Tagrisso, the oncologists in Baltimore had determined that this tumor was no longer responding to the targeted therapy. The cancer was once again growing at a substantial rate.
The fortunate thing was that the Tagrisso was still effective in keeping the other tumors from growing and just the large tumor next to the heart was made of those resistant cells. These cells had not yet spread anywhere else in my body. So in July and August 2024, I went to Baltimore for 6 weeks to get intense treatment on that one tumor.
As with all treatments, there are always a lot of risks. With intense radiation treatment, there is a risk of developing radiation pneumonitis. Also, there is always the chance that some cells from that tumor had escaped the destructive forces of the radiation and chemotherapy treatments so if any of them are present, they could begin growing again.
Despite the reality of these risks, these past few months have been so refreshing. So many times, God has shown me how he has pulled me through my many anxious moments over this past year:
The Holy Spirit has helped me to identify and change my inaccurate image of God. Now when things don’t go “my way”, I do not automatically see him as the playground bully taunting me or holding out on me. I spend more time talking to God about how I feel, begging him to help me process my emotions and thoughts about the different instances.
God has also exposed some of my rotten attitudes toward different people and various situations. The Holy Spirit has been leading the way in my repentance. He has created within me more of the heart of gratitude and love so that I can serve with a genuine smile.
Even as things have been exposed, the Holy Spirit has been right there with me to help me embrace the process. He is peeling back the veil from my eyes so that I see God graciously and gently allowing difficulties to occur to shape me as I trust in God’s process of my emotional and spiritual growth.
He has strengthened my trust in him as he helps me to continually surrender my all to him.
So though currently I am not worried or afraid because of the joy and confidence that God has given me since I belong to Christ, I will continually need your prayers. Undoubtedly, I would love for the tests to show that I do not have radiation pneumonitis and that all my cancer cells are responding to the Tagrisso. Who doesn’t want to live a long life?
However, I believe it is far more important for me that regardless of the results of the scans that I always choose to just live my life as God has intended it. Afterall, our lives are but a mist:
James 4:13-15 (ICB)
13 Some of you say, “Today or tomorrow we will go to some city. We will stay there a year, do business, and make money.” 14 But you do not know what will happen tomorrow! Your life is like a mist. You can see it for a short time, but then it goes away. 15 So you should say, “If the Lord wants, we will live and do this or that.”
Therefore, for me to have the opportunity to live my life to the full, I desperately will always need prayers that I will completely surrender my all to God, totally submitting to whatever he has planned for me during my temporary stay here on this earth. Afterall, the caterpillar must die to be transformed into a beautiful butterfly. To God be the glory! Amen.
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