He made me strong

Written by Olga Corpuz

58 years old. The verdict was handed - you have breast cancer.  I could not believe my ears. ME? A doctor, an anesthesiologist afflicted with cancer? Yes, that was the most dreadful news I’ve heard. I thought being a doctor who advocates good health; I would be spared this affliction. CANCER unfortunately is not selective. It can afflict anybody, rich poor, young or old, DOCTOR or not.

The impact stayed for several days… I cried, I prayed and I asked why… Why God has to give me this illness?  It took me days to realize that God has a purpose for everyone.  As he said in Romans 8:28 - “We know that all things work for good those who love God who are called according to His purpose.” I have accepted His will and I have surrendered everything to him.

I had my surgery - right modified and chemotherapy later.  I was hopeful that God would grant my wish to be under hormonal treatment instead of more radical chemotherapy. But He thought otherwise - He preferred chemotherapy when He gave me an estrogen receptor negative tumor. Again, I accepted His will and tolerated the effects of the treatment. Baldness taught me to be humble. The vomiting, the body weakness and the other complications of chemotherapy made me strong - these are after all trials He’d allow me to undergo. As God has said in1 Corinthian 10:13 - “No trial has to you but what is human.” God is faithful and will not let you be tried beyond your strength but with the trial, He will always provide a way out so that, you may be able to bear it. This as my guiding light, I was able to overcome cancer! Lord, thank you for everything. I am now a cancer survivor and have resumed my career as a doctor.

Philippine Cancer Society keeps Cancer Survivors in touch with each other.