Tuesday, 30 December 2008
Treatment
Cancer chemotherapy: The chemotherapy consists of three elements: Epirubicin; Oxaliplatin and Capecitabine. The Epirubicin and Oxaliplatin is administered intravenous every three weeks through a PICC line. A PICC line is an insertion of a small tube through my veins from just above the elbow to a position close to the main arteries. The PICC line is a blessing as there is no need to search for veins and damage my veins with the chemo. The Capecitabine is taken daily mornings and evenings. It is two large pills but thankfully le Roux manages to dissolve the pills through a daily ritual! Just to let you know that the taste is absolutely vile. Thanks for God's grace I manage!
With the help of Helena, and others and lots of own research we embarked on as much nutritional and alternative treatments as possible. It would have been much easier if I could chew and eat all the food and pills, but low and behold, it must all be liquidised to find its way down. The alternative treatments we are using include:
Natural products
As freshly squeezed juices: Fruits: red grapefruit; oranges; apples, pears; lemon; black berries; raspberries; grapes; honeydew melon; blue berries
Green/Cabbage family: broccoli; Brussels sprouts; cabbage; swede; fennel; leeks
Other: carrots; celery; ginger; butternut (for soups); tomato; avocado Prepared food Soups from the above with double cream Organic Greek yogurt with raw honey and pure sesame oil and /or flaxseed oil. Organic Cream cheese with flax oil & full milk; sesame oil; raw honey Green tea with raw honey
Organic cheese
Organic Brown Rice bread (it dissolves completely)
Supplements:
Glyconutriens: Ambratose: Plant polysaccaride blend (aqrabinogalactan; aloe vera inner leaf gel powder; rice starch; gum ghatti; gum tragacanth; vegetarian glucocamine hydrodoride; wakami algae extract powder.
Extracts: Redibeets of Barley Life: Beet juice powder; solicon dioxide
Barley Life: barley plants; maltodextrin; apple juice solids; acerola cherry; Lo Han; chickory; natural cream flavour; cherry; malic acid; guam gum; natural apple flavour; brown rice; broccoli; carrot; natural cherry flavour; cranberry; grape; lemon; lime; orange; pineapple; rasberry; strawberry; tomato; kale; kelp Proflavanol 90: vitamin C; grape seed extract; ascorbyl palmitate Procosa II: Vitamin C; Manganese; Glucosamine Sulfate; Silicon; Tumeric Extract
Shark Liver oil
Supplements: Poly C: vitamin C; citrus bioflavonoids; rutin; quercetin CoQuinone 30: coenzyme Q 1 0; Alpha lipoic Acid Mega Anti-oxidant: mixed natural tocopherols; rutin; quercetin; hesperidin; green tea extract; pomegranate extract; cinnamon extract; bilberry extract; inositol; choline bitartrate; N-acetyl L-Cystene; Bromelan; Alpha lipoic acid; Coenzyme QIO; Tumeric Extract; lutein; Lycupene; broccoli concentrate Biomega: Vitamin D; fishoil concentrate; Omega-3 fatty acids; EPA; DHA
Getting all of this in is a slow process, and sometimes gets a bit overwhelming. It feels as if my whole life changed into eating constantly or will I say drinking all the foods!!!
The research is constantly uncovering other potential products and treatments that can help. Lately we have been exploring bicarbonate soda, and are keen to find someone that can administer intravenous Vitamin C. This added option is making good progress.
Continue to build up the spirit-man...
I have no words to describe how precious our colleagues support just kicked in. I would like to call them our friends.
As we walked the journey in the business we have seen them grow with us as their new employers through the challenges and good times, they stood with us. They were there for us, even in this time when Le Roux shared with them the news. They spoke to Le Roux not to be worried about a thing and he needs to take time out to be with me whenever. Our people working out in the field popped into the office to give us their support. Their Christmas cards started to hit our tables and their wishes were so encouraging. I want to say thank you for walking this journey with us. You are very precious, much respected and loved.
I will never stop praying for you and your wellbeing.
In my first blog I wrote about our amazing children and their support.
Today I want to take this time and opportunity to say thank you to my sister Helena, André her husband and their children. They live in South Africa. They called us back when our connection was broken, no distance stood in their way to support and encourage us!
Helena and André have experienced this year 2008 as a victory in Jesus with their journey of cancer in their own son’s life. They read about it, made it their business to conquer a lack of knowledge. They sought out nutrition and alternative ways which they passed onto us. They supported us; lead us to find nutrition and supplements which worked for their son and many others.
They prayed with us, and never stopped praying in authority of the Name of Jesus.
They have been writing about healing during the year “Word of Life Healing School” and passed all these lessons to us via the email. What a perspective and blessing this has been to me at this time.
The email André and Helena sent me was also a wonderful teaching and reminder of our position in Christ:
“Jesus says “my joke” is easy. So with this attack from the world we live in, the way to healing is simply to enter His rest as Heb 4 says and this rest is where we sit at the right hand of the Father in position of authority and power because Jesus has overcome this world and our faith also overcomes this world. Faith is not to be mustered up as if we need more faith to face this onslaught. We must understand our position, identity and the destiny.
Our position is that we have received every blessing in Christ Jesus. All that we need had been given to us with regards to LIFE and GODLIKENESS. All the faith, love and power reside already in us. We approach this trial with all the power and faith already within us -that is rest. We have it - past tense!
Now it is to get the resurrection power released from our innermost being. Spiritual power is transferred by words, words of command in Jesus’ Name. Our senses are false witnesses when it comes to matters of faith. We are Spirit beings who must worship God in spirit and we find our way in the Spirit. Walking by the Spirit is walking by the lamp of the Word which is Spirit and Life says Jesus. The Word of God is the light in the Spirit dimension. If the word says so it is so it is in the Spirit. We must just bring it to pass in the physical by calling things which are not as if they are and call life out of death as Abraham did. So cancer is not the death threat. In the natural yes but not to us who are walking in the Spirit. We pull down the lies and the deceptions of the devil. Jesus conquered death, what is cancer to Him?
The faith that pleases God as Heb 11:6 says is an attitude which knows that Father has already given us the healing seed within. So we don’t beg, plead and try to persuade God to do it for us. He has done it already. It’s for us to bring our minds in line with the Word and our emotions in check with the Word. We must only receive what God offered as a gift. So what is left is gratitude, thanks giving and praise. When things seem darker you speak the word from a heart that is persuaded about the Word and its promises. When the mind real under doubt or second thoughts go and spend time in the Word and become convinced and persuaded that there is nothing to big for God. All things are possible thru this faith which accepts what God has already done in Jesus on the Cross. It was a finished work. It’s been done. Now God rewards us with signs, wonders and miracles as He confirms His Word. These are the mercy acts of God. Healing is the bread of the children.
Blessing, the VICTORY will be sweet.”
You are loved so much and we are looking forward to share again after you had a glorious, resting holiday in the great sun of the beautiful Cape area.
Diagnosis
The diagnosis
During the summer of 2008 I had a period of approximately 4 months when I progressively had more and more difficulty to swallow food. Our first reaction was to ask around and search for reasons for this phenomena. We found information on eosophageal spams which emulated the conditions I experience quite well. It appeared that eosophaceal spams have no known cause, and no known successful treatment. However, I could not keep food down and had difficulty to get anything through this massive blockage at the base of my eosophagus. The pain when swallowing was excruciating. I started to regurgitate everything I eat and loose weight - fast. That is when we went to the GP for the first time (I must confess, probably too late - but I have no inbuilt fondness for visits to the doctor).
Blood tests came back positive with no abnormalities, and the GP could not come up with a single suggestion - except to refer me to a specialist. Two weeks past by before I got an appointment with Dr Goggin - the oesophageal specialist. Within 10 minutes in the consultation room he insisted on an immediate gastroscopy and arranged for a visit to the theatre within the next hour. The results was dim - the eosophagus is almost completely blocked with only a very tiny throughway to the stomach. There is a massive growth but Dr Goggin could not see the extent with the gastroscopy. The nature of growth is similar to cancerous growths in this area. A biopsy was taken and I was booked in for a CT scan the following day. Dr Goggin advised to stay completely away from any solids as any solid food will block the tiny hole. We arranged to see him again and the surgeon in two days when the results of the biopsy and CT scan would be available. The news was scary - but we had to wait the outcome.
Friday 6th December in the consulting room of Dr Somers le Roux and I stared at the CT scan results while the surgeon explained the pictures and the implications. There is a thickening of the lower eosophagus at the gastro junction. There are metastical disease in the liver with at least 6 separate 1-2cm lesions scattered through both lobes. There is no abnormalities seen in the biliary tree, spleen, pancreas, kidneys and adrenal areas. The biopsy confirm Eosophageal Adonacarcinoma - cancer of the Eosophagus. The stage is T3NxM1 - in layman terms advanced cancer that has already spread. Surgery is not an option and he suggested we start with chemo therapy as soon as possible. Survival rate for this type of cancer is almost nil, there is no permanent cure. I stared at him, shocked - "so this is the end?" I asked. Le Roux then enquired "So it is only a miracle that can help?" Dr Somers reply: "Yes - only a miracle."
In my mind and speaking to LeRoux in Afrikaans: I said,"so a miracle it will be" and in my mind the Spirit of God quickened His Word - 1Peter 2:24 ...by whose stripes you were (past tense) healed! At this moment the words Jesus spoke on the cross started ringing in my ears..."It is finished!" John 19:30...Jesus kept on saying to me..." I have paid, I have paid!" I did not hear much further as LeRoux and the surgeon was speaking.
Sunday, 28 December 2008
Crafted prayer from God's Word
Marcus, my daughter’s husband released her to be with me as much as she want and is needed. What a blessing so I bathed in the privileged to have our little grandson, Daniel – five months old - to have him around and of cause my fireball of a daughter. Cooking all kinds of new foods to expand my soup diet to more exciting stuff although still pureed!!!
Everyday is packed with the Word of God and actively renewing my mind. When I skip this or do not have that much time my hunger pains quickly appear and it feels as if I did skip eating my daily bread!
Kay one of the leaders in our church prayed to ask God about His heavenly report:
“I have been specifically asking God for the 'heaven's report' Jeremiah 23 v 18 report for Elmien, and this is what I felt.”
PS 103:1 Praise the LORD, O my soul; all my inmost being, praise his holy name.
PS 103:2 Praise the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits
PS 103:3 who forgives all your sins and heals all your diseases,
PS 103:4 who redeems your life from the pit and crowns you with love and compassion,
PS 103:5 who satisfies your desires with good things so that your youth is renewed like the eagle's.
Verse 4 can also mean deliverance from death.
Kay wrote: "As I dwelt upon this I thought of how people can be thrown into prison through no fault of their own, through false accusation, but with intervention [maybe prayers, and legal action, or political pressure] they can be set free.
I am sensing your situation is like that, a 'prison' experience from which you will be set free, and liberated to liberate others.
I feel our response should be to pray this psalm as a prayer in alignment with God's will as a P.U.S.H. prayer. [Pray until something happens]
These prayers collectively and made in unity and agreement will build something in the spirit that will become a force against the enemy and see us through to victory."
God showed this to me that I am surrounded all over the world with a cloud of witnesses praying and supporting me (us), by the powerful Name of Jesus, our Lord and this is to our Father’s glory! You are standing there and cheering me on…”come on girl the victory of the Father is sweet!”
Please feel free as lead by His Holy Spirit to join in with Psalm 103: 1-5 as a prayer.
Amy prayed, a young newly wed blessing of a girl, Kay’s daughter wrote this email:
I prayed for Elmien this morning and I felt two things.
Verse one says: Praise the Lord O my soul, all my inmost being praises the Lord.
I felt like God was saying there was a command to speak over her body in praising the Lord. All elements to her inmost being to be in alignment with God’s freedom and to obey His authority by surrendering to his supremacy instead of trying to fight it. Obviously we know that Elmien hasn’t stopped praising God in her spirit and her soul but the verse says 'ALL my inmost being' and the physical are obliged to conform to the spirit.
Verse five says: Your youth is renewed like the eagles.
I felt like God was saying that an eagle has an unflagging strength and power that will come from the victory of this battle. The eagle is the top of the food chain and nothing preys over it. I believe that God was saying that this disease is like a prey over her, wanting to eat her up - but when this battle is fought and won she will have a strength about her that will be unflagging and that the enemy will not be able to prey over. She
will soar above any threat and be beyond destructive towards to the enemy.
A bit long again but my heart is overflowing to share with you. Amazing God because all align with cards, messages, phone calls, emails, etc.
Tuesday, 16 December 2008
God's word is the ultimate authority
Today's encouraging Word from the Lord. Matt 17:20 what was significant to me, 'Jesus said a small bit of faith and believing in what I say, carries life or death and nothing will be impossible for you if one graps this spiritual law. I confessed God's Word and spoke to my body to receive my words.
I did not join LeRoux early morning to the office.
The enemy came to spread his lies around and I called my daugther. She is a real fireball for Jesus and shared the Word God gave her this morning, Isaiah 41:9-10. 'Give no place for fear Mom, you are chosen by Father God, You are his servant and you have a testimony to share to this world. God says, fear not for I AM with you. Be not dismayed, for I AM your God. I will strengthen you, Yes I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.' She had me confess God's Word aloud and as I heard it the peace of God entered my being. Ps.118:17 I confessed 'I will not die but live and declare the works of God.'
I went to work and enjoyed it came back earlier because friends of the church came to visit. Thank you Elizabeth for sharing Luke10:19; Jesus gave us authority over all the power of the enemy. Hallelujah!!!
I would like to share this song of praise from my friend Lizette, she encouraged me to keep on praising the Lord.
"There is power in the name of Jesus By His name, we shall stand. There is power in the name of Jesus We are saved, we are saved!! By His name, the enemy Will be crushed beneath our feet, for there is no other name, that is higher, THAN JESUS!!"
I would love to conclude using this excellent Scripture.
Romans 8:37 Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. 38 For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, 39 nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Keep God's Word close to you and in your mouth and in heart!!!
Cancer is so limited
Monday, 15 December 2008
Crossing the first hurdle
A story of unseen faith
Do you know the legend of the Cherokee Indian youth's rite of Passage? His
father takes him into the forest, blindfolds him and leaves him alone. He
is required to sit on a stump the whole night and not remove the blindfold
until the rays of the morning sun shine through it. He cannot cry out for
help to anyone. Once he survives the night, he is a MAN.
He cannot tell the other boys of this experience, because each lad must
come into manhood on his own. The boy is naturally terrified. He can hear
all kinds of noises. Wild beasts must surely be all around him. The wind
blew the grass and earth, and shook his stump, but he sat stoically, never
removing the blindfold. It would be the only way he could become a man!
Finally, after a horrific night the sun appeared and he removed his
blindfold. It was then that he discovered his father sitting on the stump
next to him. He had been at watch the entire night, protecting his son from
harm. We, too, are never alone. Even when we don't know it, God is watching
over us, sitting on the stump beside us.. When trouble comes, all we have
to do is reach out to Him.
Moral of the story: Just because you can't see God, doesn't mean He is not
there. "For we walk by faith, not by sight.."
Sent to me by a friend as an encouragement to know that God is always there.
Saturday, 6 December 2008
In the beginning...
My husband, did not stop to care and love me, took me to the hospital and consulting rooms, keeping me close, asking the questions in my place, extracting healthy vegies and friut juices through the juicer. At night he read to me Ps. 91 & 100. I thank God for this precious man he gave to me 32 years ago to be my husband. The kindness of God flows out of him. God even blessed me with His perfect choice for my life. I love you my Angel.
My daughter sent me this email in the morning before the first visit to the consultant.
"Just want to say that I am thinking about you today and praying for you that you will be "Brave and Courageous" just like Joshua in the Bible. Here is a little verse of encouragement: 6 "Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. 7 And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:6-7
After the gastroscopy on Tuesday, the 2nd December 2008 and what the doctor saw looked bleak... a tumour. I knew after I heard the medical side, it is God's verdict which is the most important to me. What does Father God has to say? His Word rose up in my spirit, '...by the stripes(wounds) of Jesus I was healed(past tense)' 1 Peter 2:24. Jesus has finished the work in His body on the cross, I can jump for joy, it is settled!!!
My children arranged to skype and pray with us. The power of God's Word and the anointing released was absolute glorious, truths of God and His Spirit was just showered on me and I enjoyed and rejoiced in it.
While sleeping that night this statement kept on coming to me-"Is there anything bigger than Father God"-my response- "no Father nothing, You are bigger than everything; You are Creator of the heavens and earth, You keep the galaxies and know the stars by name, but most important You formed me and know my name". I believe my Lord and I knew immediatly that I choose to praise Him and receive His Word in my spirit. I cursed and spoke to that ungodly spirit which manifested in my body to steal, kill and destroy in the Name of Jesus.
I woke up and had the urge in me to read Psalm 23... oh! what a glorious time. God's peace just flooded me and I kept reading Ps 24 & 25. God also spoke to me from the book of Hebrews 1.
I was so blessed on the day thereafter, my daughter's friend and my spiritual child from South Africa's days; called me and wanted to pray with me. I was so glad and blessed because of how God is watching over her and taught her to use His Word in such a powerful way - John 14:27.
Friends of our church came and it was such special time of prayer and declaring the Word of the Lord.
Psalm 36:5-9; Proverbs 10:2.
My one son came this weekend from London to be with us all as an extended family together and gave me Ezekiel 37:1-14. My daughter's husband cancelled appointments in London to be with us over the weekend. We have shared the Word and listened to wonderful Word foundation teachings. My eldest son downloaded on my MP3 player powerful Word teachings and the whole Bible.
My family in South Africa took time to call and minister. My husband Mum shared Psalm 34 with me. Family and friends in the UK and USA called.
Word from my SA friend in the UK texted me on 4-12-08 shared Mark10:27. My daugther reminded me God said to her - Be still and know that I am God.
I want to record God's spoken word to me in this manner so I will be reminded and able to speak His life giving Word daily.
Out of all this support, God's message of peace, resting in Him, His greatness, His possibility, Jesus' finished work, became very clear and settled in my spirit.
John 14:1 Jesus said: "Do not let your heart be troubled, you believing in God; believing also in Me.
I want to give Father God al the glory, honour and praise and declare my love for Him.