Prayer Matters

I am going to be vulnerable here, so stay with me.

I really need prayer during this time and I am asking for your help.

I have been diagnosed with thyroid cancer and I have my surgery scheduled on December 15th to remove the cancer and my thyroid.

This whole diagnosis has been a whirlwind, so my mind is still kind of spinning. It's all happening both so fast while also feeling like it has taken forever to get to this point.

I have three very specific prayer requests that I would be immensely grateful and appreciative if you could pray over. It would mean so much to me during this time. And it will make a difference.

Holy Discernment

The first prayer request is that I make the right decision regarding my surgery.

You see, it's ultimately up to me to decide if I want the surgeon to remove only half or all of my entire thyroid. Protocol says that they should only remove half, because of where the cancer is located and my young age.

However, due to testing that revealed I have a gene mutation that predisposes me to be susceptible to getting thyroid cancer. And considering the fact that both my paternal and maternal grandmothers each had thyroid cancer, my surgeon is suggesting an entire thyroid removal (thyroidectomy). He worries that my cancer would reoccur later in life, so wants to take a more aggressive approach towards preventative maintenance.

This is a very big decision for me, because as someone who likes to stay as natural as possible, having an entire thyroid removal would mean that I would need to be on synthetic hormone for the rest of my life. I would have to take a pill every single day until I die. That, along with the side effects that I have been researching in lieu of having a thyroidectomy, is really freaking me out.

This is a big irreversible commitment if I decide to take the more aggressive route, and I truly need a lot of prayer intercession before committing to a decision.

So before surgery, I have become an amateur researcher, spending hours on end gathering data and information. I am doing as much due diligence as I possibly can before the surgery date and time for my decision. Getting professional opinions from my naturopath, a thyroid specialist in functional medicine and three separate endocrinologists. As I want to make sure to make an informed and smart decision regarding this life-altering matter.

I am also going to God daily, asking for His guidance, help and protection.

"Don't worry about anything, but in everything, through prayer and petition with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God which surpasses every thought, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus."
Phillipians 4:6-7 HCSB

Can you please pray for the Holy Spirit to give me discernment on what is the right surgery option? I really need direction right now and confidence going into something like this. I want to make the smart choice that will enable me to be my most healthy and happy self long-term. I would greatly appreciate your prayer in this matter.

Eradicate Any Metastasis

There is at least a 30% chance that the cancer has spread to my lymph nodes. I have been in a very high amount of pain in the lymph node area of my neck for months now and the tenderness has only increased over time.

This is worrisome and the doctor has already prepared me for the possibility of metastasis, which is the spreading of cancer to other sites of your body.

Treatment begins to look a lot different if the cancer is not only located in the thyroid. That is when treatment becomes more invasive, aggressive and chemical-filled. My hope, goal and prayer is to avoid this at all costs.

Can you please pray for healing in my body?

I truly need prayer regarding cancer only being located in my thyroid, specifically the left thyroid lobe. Please pray on my behalf that the cancer has not spread. That all of the cancer will be removed during this upcoming surgery, no matter which route I choose. That no more cancer cells will exist within me. And that after this period in my life, I will be cancer-free. That I will remain in complete remission and be able to use this experience to help others in need, but not have to endure the invasive illegality of cancer ever again.

“For where two or three are gathered together in My name, I am there among them."
Matthew 18:20 HCSB

It would be such a blessing if you could pray over my body and health before the December 15th surgery. As at this time the surgeons will also remove some of my lymph nodes during the procedure to send off for further testing. The results will come back in a few weeks after that while I am still recovering regarding whether or not the cancer has spread.

Your prayers for healing are much needed. They will make a difference and positively impact me.

Peace and Strength

I will be strong. I will be brave. I will be courageous.

What I am learning is that cancer is just as much of a mental battle as it is a physical one. I know I will definitely write more on this specific topic later on.

But I am not asking you to pray for my emotions or mental health. I am simply asking you to pray for my wonderful husband Jake.

He is such a strong man. He always stays positive and upbeat. Other than Jesus, Jake is my absolute rock, through and through. But I know that he is trying to be strong for both of us. That when I get down, or feel depressed or just feel so exhausted and fatigued that I just want to bawl, he stays steady for me. He is an absolute blessing in my life, but I recognize that it is taxing to be strong all the time.

I know that finding out that Jake had cancer would be the last thing I would ever want to hear. To know that he was sick and hurting. To realize that there was nothing I could do to fix it. News of my husband having cancer would absolutely devastate me. I pray he will never have to experience something like this.

This is how I know that the current time in our lives that we are living through is very hard for him. That Jake cares so much and that he is worried for me. He just wants me to get better, and as my husband, I know it is frustrating to him that he can’t fix this problem himself. That he just has to stand by and watch, having faith and praying for healing.

Jake is the type of man that would take this cancer from me if he could, just so that I didn’t have to endure it.

I ask you to please pray for him. Please pray that his heart does not get too heavy during this time. Please pray that he feels uplifted, loved and supported through this hard period that our family is going through. Because as a married couple we are one, and I know he is suffering also. I don’t want this whole ordeal to be only about me, I want him to be cared for too.

Please ask the Lord to continue to give him unwavering strength and assurance. Ask Jesus to wrap my precious Jake up in His angel wings, so that he does not feel depressed during this hard season.

I would greatly appreciate and value this prayer, as we all need a little extra serenity during this period of our lives.

We Will Persevere

Although its hard now, it will get better.

Life is full of mountains and valleys, and this holiday season just happens to be a valley. Suffering is all around us, but that is just life sometimes. I am not going to let this break my spirit.

I know that I am loved and beyond blessed. I have amazing family and friends that are supporting me through this. I am not going to let this pull me into depression and hopelessness.

This cancer is just another element of my testimony. Another battle that is going to shape and chisel my character.

Thank you for reading this article. I truly value your prayer over these matters. They will make a difference.

We are nowhere near the end of my story, this is just the beginning.