Stella's Story

In May of 2006, I found a small knot on my head.  It was as if I had bumped my head on something.  I mentioned it to my hair dresser, who checked it out and said, “Stella, you have more than one of these.” 

Okay, it was a problem.  I made an appointment with my primary care doctor, whose name is Holly.  Her observation was that it was ‘interesting’.  Appointment number two discovered several more ‘knots’.  It was ‘bizarre’, and I was referred to a surgeon who described it as ‘bones moving in my skull – nothing to worry about’.  I returned to see Holly and told her that I’d been praying about it, and that I wanted to investigate further.  She said ‘okay’, and off I went to see a dermatologist.  He referred me to an ENT – Dr. Goldfarb – who I credit with saving my life. 

I had seen a total of eight doctors, and I’d had numerous blood tests, CT scans, X-Rays, and MRI’s.  It seemed that each doctor wanted his own set of tests.  It seemed as though I was going for a different procedure every day.  Dr. Goldfarb collected all of the test results and had his radiologist read all the scans.  He told me he didn’t know what was causing the growths, but he said, “If you bear with me, I will find out.” 

He did four biopsies.  Each came back ‘inconclusive’, but the fourth one was done as a frozen section and sent it to a laboratory in Washington.  Six months had passed since I’d found the first small bump.  A short time later, the results came back.  It said I had ‘large B-cell non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, stage 4’.  Dr. Goldfarb sent me to an oncologist, who explained the treatment, and the prognosis.  I was in shock. 

When you hear the words ‘You Have Cancer’ your mind goes numb.  It was simply overwhelming.  I’m a Christian, with a very strong faith in the healing power of God.  He is my Jehovah-Rapha – the God who heals.  So, I prayed that God would walk me through the days ahead, and He did! 

When it was announced in my church that I had cancer, the members rallied around me.  One woman created a ‘needs’ list.  I simply had to call her and she found someone who would help fill the need.  It was amazing to see God at work.  The Lord not only blessed me with those who would speak words of love and encouragement, but also with people who went out of their way to demonstrate God’s love for me.  With each kind word and deed, I felt the Lord walking with me.  There was an out-pouring of prayers; laying on of hands by friends, the choir, and the elders of the church; an anointing with oil by the Pastor; and a ‘prayer shower’ by my ladies bible study group.  People came to visit me, and provided rides to hospital treatments.  I never went anywhere alone.  Several friends paid their cleaning person to come and do my house work, and others came to do it themselves.  Everything was taken care of, so that I could concentrate on getting well.

’Thank you’ seems so inadequate.  Only God can make people love in this way.  As it says in 1 John 4:17, “Whoever loves is born of God and knows God.”

I constantly felt sick and weak, but after seven months of massive Chemo therapy treatments, my cancer was ‘in remission’, and I have now regained my strength.  Praise the Lord, I am alive to enjoy my first grandchild, Jenna Lynn, who was born in April of this year, because God is good. 

I was given the Healed by God pendant, engraved with Ps. 30:2, by very dear and loving friends, and I wear it as a testimony of what God can do in an ordinary life such as mine. 

Ask me, and I’ll tell you my story.

Stella

St. Petersburg, Florida