Cancer Survivor Story

I believe there are nobody wants to have cancer. It can come to everyone, women, men, children, young person, old person, rich people or poor people.

One day I got a sad news from my friend, Eko. His mother, Mrs. Yossey would lose her one right side of her breast because of the cancer she had. I was shocked hearing that news. I could also see from his face how sad he was. He and his whole family were like my family. He and his brothers were like my brothers and her mom was like my aunt. Since I got that sad news I never saw her Mom again until the surgery was done.

I didn't want to imagine seeing her face when I would like to visit her after several weeks of her surgery. I heard from him that his Mom was so strong even she didn't look very down. When I met her, I saw her smile purely. It made me feeling good. I said to her that I was sad about what had happened to her. With my simple sympathy, she told me long story how she faced and fought the cancer.

She was so shocked when the doctor found that the little pain of a lump around her upper right breast after mammogram was a cancer. I didn't ask more why the doctor finally had to make a decision to take it through a surgery but I was sure the doctor had to do the best for his patient. The following days after she heard that really sad news, she cried and prayed, asking God to give her great strength in facing it. She wanted to do it because she wanted to live longer to accompany her children and keep to serve God.

After so many days she prepared it spiritually, she felt ready to have the surgery. Seeing her like that, it helped her children feeling better especially after they lost their lovely father. He passed away several years ago. That was why she wasn't afraid, she was ready to lose a breast as long as it could be only one way to save her life.

Her sons drove her to the doctor office by turns several times to prepare everything before the surgery time came. She shared something very impressed me. In the waiting room every time of her visiting, she never saw the happy or smiling face coming from the patient except hers. When she saw that condition, she came to them and gave them the encouragements, showing that they weren't alone in fighting the cancer. She was the one of them. She shared that from its condition, she felt it was God's will so when she gave the encouragement to the cancer patients, it would hit deeply in their heart because they heard the encouragement words and got the support spiritually from someone who had the same condition like them. I also heard from her sons how impressed they saw their Mom acted like that to other patients in the waiting room.

The second time when I met her, she used something to wrap her head. She said that her hair was falling down as the result of having the chemotherapy regularly. She had no hair at all but she wasn't worried because someday her hair would grow again. I was so impressed with her strength. But something bothered her every time before she got the chemotherapy because it gave her a lot of vomit and made her so nervous before having it. She was really struggled in having chemotherapy in the certain period. That was why she always remembered, every time she got one chemotherapy, it meant she would have less of it in the future. Through this concept it helped her feeling confidence in facing it.

Couple months had been passed, I heard from her son, Eko, that she had completed all the therapies. He and her brothers just drove her to the doctor office to check up regularly. They were so happy seeing their Mom could through her difficult times. They were so proud of her having a strong Mother. It stimulated them to have strength during those difficult times they were facing together.

Around One year had been passed after the surgery, I met her one day and I was so happy. She didn't need something again to wrap her head. Her hair had grew normally and I heard from her, that everyday she never stop to serve God. She met many people and shared to them to show how great God's work had done to her life in facing the cancer. Although she had lost her one breast, it didn't mean she would lose her confidence to serve God and meet the people, even she had more energy and more enthusiasm in doing God's work. I also heard from her sons that their Mom was busier after that. Many people needed her to support her through her visiting and her praying. She met many people who were sick spiritually and physically. She was happy she could do it to the others through a Christian Group who served God in many ways.

Last year after many years the story above happened, I heard a very good news about her from my relative, Mutiara when I called her. Mrs. Yossey didn't need to be afraid of again because the doctor stated her cancer was gone so she just needed to check up every year to make sure everything was fine and she never stop in serving God. Thanks God, I was happy hearing it although I was so sad because my call to Mutiara, I was condoling of her Mom who had passed away because of breast cancer several weeks before.

I believe, our life are in God's hand. Survive or not, it was God's will, as the human being just does the efforts. I know it isn't easy but I am sure through Mrs. Yossey story above, great efforts physically and spiritually are needed to fight the cancer. I know the cancer survivor can be one of tens cancer stories we hear. But let it spread to be the a witness that there are always a hope in our life in facing something even the difficult time that might be so hard for us in facing it. The joy of Mrs. Yossey is one of the joy of the cancer survivors I ever see in my life and think I need to share it and hope this story can give the blessing to every reader especially those who are struggling in facing and fighting the cancer. (*)

Published at Helium Network, August 29, 2008