We had met a doctor in our Sunday school class, Dr. Stephens, who was interested in helping to diagnose Tom’s illness. We made an appointment and five days prior to the appointment, Tom woke up coughing blood. Dr. Stephens sent Tom to the emergency room for a chest x-ray. The technician told us to wait until she heard back from the doctor. As we sat in the waiting room, full of anxiety, the doctor called us, to tell Tom he was going to be admitted. I was scared! At the same moment I knew God had a plan.
Tom continued for the next nine months to fight the fatigue and continued with night sweats which wake him up in the middle of the night. Tom began to get more tired and had to stop working in the afternoons to sleep.
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We had two daughters, who were nine and eleven and I was six weeks pregnant. We had our own business, I worked with Tom and also worked part time for Gordon Brothers
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My husband was admitted and we were told that he had a baseball size tumor next to his lung and further testing would be necessary. I remember standing next to his hospital bed and thinking how can I encourage him and stay encouraged myself. Having faith in God is all I had. I had a miscarriage that evening in the hospital, due to the stress and anxiety.
Tom was diagnosed with Hodgkin’s disease, stage 3 and he would need aggressive chemo and radiation. He chose be part of a clinical study with some experimental drugs. The purpose of the study would give him several doctors along with his oncologist monitoring him closely through the treatment and years to follow. And it would help someone else in the future with Hodgkin’s disease, if his treatment was successful.
My husband could not work and we would not have any income .We did not have health insurance or a savings account to fall back on. We have always lived comfortably and never needed to depend on others.
Tom was blessed with an oncologist, Dr. Belette. He would see Tom without insurance through his clinic. God was already working the details out for us. The Lord placed a social worker in my path immediately that helped with the paperwork for Medicaid to pay for Tom’s cancer treatment. The Lord began to work on my pride. I had to apply for food stamps, without income groceries would be impossible. After many interviews, we received Medicaid, food stamps and God provided a monthly check from the state to help us with other expenses. I applied for financial aid at my children’s school, so they could complete their school year.
Our church rallied around us to help us in more ways then I could ever imagine .Our church paid our mortgage, electric, water and power and our business expenses for the next nine months that my husband was unable to work. Friends from church and strangers were bringing meals, cards, monetary gifts and encouragement to our family during this difficult time. The love was over whelming! We had prayer warriors from around the world.
My husband spent two weeks in the hospital for testing and preparation for his chemo and radiation treatments, which would begin in a month. The night before Chemo, we had our last chance to conceive a child. And God allowed us to conceive Thomas Jr. after I had a miscarriage six weeks prior. Another blessing, we could again see God working through Tom’s illness.
Tom’s chemo was very aggressive and the drugs made him very sick. Thank goodness for Zofran, it helped settle his stomach so he could eat. I tried to distract our daughters from seeing their father so ill. I did not know how much Tom’s illness would affect our daughters until later.
I went with Tom to every chemo appointment and doctor appointment, always having a notebook full of questions for the doctor.. Tom received his treatment at Broward General Hospital and the care was wonderful. Tom was hospitalized twice when he caught a cold and his immune system was to weak to fight it off. We had to be careful not to have any illnesses brought into the home while Tom was completing chemo. We used a lot of Purell.
After chemo ended, a pet scan was done and the tumor was shrinking. Praise God! Radiation would follow and it would totally exhaust Tom, he would have to sleep and rest more.
Our church family continued to help us. And the monetary gifts from people we knew and didn’t know continued... We were never without! Again God was providing for us.
Tom completed radiation and he was scheduled for his pet scan for the final results. THE TUMOR WAS GONE AND TOM WAS IN REMISSION! God chose to heal my husband and I know it was through all the prayer that God heard. I give him all the glory! And thank him everyday!
Six weeks later, Thomas Jr. was born and what a miracle!
Tom was able to reopen our business and we had some customers that were faithful.
I began to pray that God would give Tom an opportunity to change occupations, so he would not be around chemicals, which might of caused his cancer. Three years later, God opened the door to a new career for my husband. He is no longer working with chemicals and God provided a good job. God was there with us through out every step and moment of Tom’s illness. He guided us and taught us and brought us both closer to him.
Tom just celebrated six year in remission. Praise God!
As Tom’s wife and caregiver during his illness, God was preparing me for the special friend, Brenda that he would bring in my life in the next year that would have cancer and need encouraging.
God was also preparing Tom through his illness to know how to encourage a long time friend and coworker, Eric who had bone cancer.
WHY DO I TELL YOU MY STORY?
I want to encourage you whether you are a family member or a friend of someone that has cancer. Encourage them with your time, help and resources.