“The Lord will fight for you; you need only to be still.” Exodus 14:14 (NIV)
I remember vividly the moment I heard the news. I was outside my classroom.
I have been a teacher for many years and that morning in particular was another normal day of work. It was a Monday and I had a mammogram and biopsy the Friday before. I remember being nervous but not really worried as I had had another biopsy the year before and the results were “everything is ok”.
That fresh morning in October (Breast Cancer Awareness Month, by the way) I had the phone call from my doctor’s assistant. He said that the Doctor wanted me to go to his office to discuss my results. That didn’t happen the year before. I knew then that he had bad news.
I asked him when there was an available appointment and he said on Wednesday. Are you kidding me? It’s Monday. Do you think I will be ok until Wednesday? I knew it was bad news. Just tell me over the phone, I said. He said he had no authority to give results. So, I asked him to tell the doctor to call me and that I was not going to pay a consultation to receive bad news.
Funny thing is that the Doctor didn’t call me immediately. She called an hour later. I was cold and nervous.
Finally, she called. I ran outside my classroom. She greeted me and said, “Yes, you have cancer.” The words that would change my life forever.
I had kind of prepared in that hour while I waited for her call. I asked her how bad it was? She told me to write down the type and to make an appointment with my Oncologist. Do you have an Oncologist? Yes, I replied sarcastically. I have three. (I don’t know where the sarcasm came from, I am not a sarcastic person), but she then said, I will recommend one to you.
I wrote down her number and immediately call the Oncologist. The oncologist gave me an appointment immediately, three hours after I called. What a blessing!!! Then, I called my husband and told him the news. Right there, outside my classroom. He was very calm and said that everything was going to be ok. He was going to be with me in my appointment in three hours and we hung up.
I went to see my boss. She was so nice and told me to get my things and go to the doctor. I left school right away.
My first of many appointments would start on that day: October 3rd, 2017.
I knew that in spite of this chaos, God was in control, I knew he had a good plan for me. I was shocked, but my soul was trusting him.