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With the help of chemotherapy and stalwart faith, I was able to receive healing from my leukemia swiftly, with no undesirable side effects. Through my journey with leukemia, I was able to minister to fellow cancer patients in hospital with me. All in all, it was a blessing, with God by my side.

Some years ago, a regular blood test indicated an irregularity in my white blood cell (WBC) count. This revealed the existence of a blood disorder known as Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia (CLL).

In the years since then, I only required regular monitoring. At every appointment, my oncologist reported only a minimal increase in the offending blood count and told me, “Stay boring!”

He further told me that if I didn’t die from CLL, I would certainly die with it. A comforting thought, I suppose. Treatment would only be necessary if there was a sudden jump in the blood count.

Life’s Intermission

Some of you may remember your childhood movie-going experiences a few decades ago. As the screen action neared a suspenseful climax, the scene changed to reveal the word “INTERMISSION” across the screen.

This was a forced interruption to the night’s entertainment. Time to get up, stretch your legs, talk with friends and buy treats from the candy bar. Life also has its intermissions, as mine did two years ago.

On the 26^th of August 2020, amid the Covid-19 pandemic, I was teaching my Year 2 class when my mobile rang. I answered it. It was my GP ringing to alert me to an anomaly in my recent blood test. He wanted to see me ASAP!

There had been a significant jump in my WBC lymphocyte count from 93 to 151 in only a few weeks. This meant immediate admission to the Royal Brisbane Hospital for chemotherapy and stopping work for an indefinite period.

Who Does God Want to Be to You in Your Crisis?

We had a friend who often told us that in new life situations, she would ask God to show her who He wanted to be to her. His answer gave her the chance to trust in another aspect of God’s character.

The Bible contains many examples of God’s people in various life situations, discovering new facets of God’s being.

• to Hagar – You-Are-the-God-Who-Sees (Genesis 16:13)
• to Abram – He was Almighty God (Genesis 17:1)
• to Abraham – He was the Everlasting God (Genesis 21:33)
• to Abraham – He was the Lord Who Provides (Genesis 22:14)
• to Isaac – He was the God of his father Abraham (Genesis 26:24)
• to Moses – He was the great I AM (Exodus 3:14)
• to the ancient Israelites – He was the Lord their healer (Exodus 15:26)
• to Moses – He was the Lord, my banner or victory (Exodus 17:15)
• to David – the Lord was his Shepherd (Psalm 23:1)

Sitting in my hospital bed that night, I asked the Lord what He wanted to be to me during this journey in my life.

He said, “I am with you.” I knew that no matter what happened, God would be with me through it all!

It reminded me of the following Scripture,

“When you pass through the waters, I will be with you;
And through the rivers, they shall not overflow you.
When you walk through the fire, you shall not be burned,
Nor shall the flame scorch you.”
~ Isaiah 43:2 (NKJV)

Over the next ten days, I remained in hospital in the haematology ward in a two-bed room. During the next four days, I had a bone marrow aspiration, was given pre-meds to minimise any side effects of the upcoming chemotherapy and had a CT scan from my neck to lower abdomen to see how swollen my spleen and lymph nodes were. Blood tests in those early days saw the lymphocyte count climb to 380.

God Has Work for Us to Do, Even in Our Crisis

In the other bed was an older man named Terry, who had already spent six weeks in hospital. He had another form of leukemia but had frequently suffered infections, fevers and uncontrollable shaking.

God gave me Terry as my project for these next ten days. I prayed for him that God would keep his body safe and at peace each night. As I prayed for him, the Lord gave me knowledge about his past life.

I shared what I believed the Lord had told me with Terry, that he once had faith, but life experiences had stolen this from him. He told me he had been a Salvo and that his wife still went to church.

We got on well with each other, going for walks around the ward, watching his West Coast Eagles AFL team play, having a night listening to and singing country songs played on my phone, including worshipping with Maroon 5’s Hallelujah, and just enjoying each other’s companionship.

Three nights into my stay, Terry had a high temperature and fever shakes one night. The next morning the same thing happened. I was angry at this sickness, so I stood beside his bed and asked if I could pray for him.

When given his OK, I prayed out loud, “Jesus heal the cause of the infection, bring the temperature down and stop the shakes.” Within five minutes the shakes stopped, and his temperature was almost normal. We then thanked God and Terry sheepishly said, “Amen!” Terry never had these symptoms again during the rest of my stay there.

Some days after I had been discharged, Terry rang to tell me that his blood tests showed no lessening of his cancer. He told me before telling his family, because I was his friend. He was given eight months or so to live. Further chemotherapy could prolong his life. I asked him how I could pray for him, and he said, “To have more time.” I prayed for him and his wife Balda, and put them in God’s hands for His best outcome.

God Can Give us Strategies in Our Crisis

Once my doctor had decided on what treatment I needed, I had the first course of chemo tablets, 15 red lentil-sized tablets. Every time I received the medication, I prayed this prayer,

“I receive this medication through the cleansing blood of Christ.
May it be directed to the correct targets to destroy the immature white cells.”

I continued praying this way for the next 6 months of my treatment.

Nine days into my treatment, my blood test showed the WBC lymphocyte count had risen to its highest level of 520. They would only discharge me if the count headed downward.

The Encouragement of Scripture

After that negative report, I read Revelation 2:10,

“Do not yield to fear in the face of the suffering to come, but be aware of this: the devil is about to have some of you thrown into prison to test your faith. For ten days you will have distress, but remain faithful to the day you die, and I will give you the victor’s crown of life.”

The next day, my tenth day in hospital, I received the good news that my WBC blood test had dropped from 520 to 460. Later that day, I was able to go home.

Before leaving, I swapped photos of each of us with Terry and left him with a text of John 3:16-17. I declared again God’s healing love over him in prayer before leaving the hospital.

There were other Scriptures that encouraged me during this time.

Psalm 25:4 ~ “Lord, direct me throughout my journey
so I can experience Your plans for my life.
Reveal the life-paths that are pleasing to You.”

Psalm 28:9 ~ “Keep protecting and cherishing Your chosen ones;
in You they will never fall.
Like a shepherd going before us,
keep leading us forward,
forever carrying us in Your arms!”

The Encouragement of Other Christians

During the time of my six months of chemotherapy, our wonderful church connect group regularly supported us in prayer. I received a prophetic word from Rob, a pastor friend of ours. It encouraged the rekindling of the ability to tap into God’s supernatural ability to bring healing and restoration to others.

Another pastor, Bill, a fatherlike friend of ours, rang. He was then in a nursing home, and though incoherent at times, kept describing visions of heaven. He could see colourful birds flying around and spoke of the return of Christ. He has since gone to be with Jesus.

While watching a Kathryn Kuhlman ministry video at home, in the middle of her ministry time she had a word of knowledge: “Leukaemia”. I responded by immediately standing by faith to claim my healing.

I also met John, a Pentecostal pastor who was also having cancer treatment. We had good fellowship together on many occasions.

God is at Work!

Over the next month, I continued to receive regular doses of chemo, both IV and orally. Blood tests over this time showed my WBC count continuing to fall.

On the 7^th of October, I turned up for my next outpatient appointment and was met by these words from the consulting specialist, “Your results are OUTSTANDING!” My lymphocyte count had plummeted to 1.1!

On the same day, while I received another immune-boosting IV, a lady in the bed opposite cried out, “Jesus, help me!” She was having her first chemo treatment and began experiencing chest pains. Immediately, about a dozen medical staff sprang into action around her bed.

I was able to pray quietly but fervently in tongues during the whole episode. Eventually, they had her settled and I was able to go across to her and we shared Jesus together. She was encouraged that God had another Christian near her to pray during her difficulties. My wife and I kept in contact with her after this.

Future appointments in the following weeks kept confirming the fact that my CLL had gone into remission. Each blood test report was attended by the following exclamations from the haematologists, “AMAZING!”, “EXTRAORDINARY!”, “ASTONISHING!”

Conclusion

Six months of chemotherapy came to an end in the middle of February 2021. My WBC count remained below 1 and is still there 12 months later! Doctors were surprised by two things.

Firstly, the unprecedented pace with which the chemotherapy destroyed the cancer cells within my body. Secondly, usually with the speedy destruction of cancer cells, this should result in tumour lysis, the remains of destroyed cancer cells passing through my kidneys and out of my body. In my case, there was no sign of this!

I was surprised by two other things. During this whole medical process, I never felt nauseous, and my hair didn’t fall out — instead, it changed from white to a champagne colour!

God was with me as He promised, and helped me in so many ways to cope with the chemotherapy. God’s promise to you is, “For it is God who works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure.” (Philippians 2:13 NJKV)

Whatever crisis you are facing, trust in Jesus’ ability to hold you and to be with you, no matter what comes against you. He will be faithful to you as He was to me.

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Photo by Andrea Piacquadio.