SILVER LININGS 2008
September 6
Atlantic Hall, Waterfront Hotel, Lahug, Cebu City
Speaker : Melissa De Leon-Joseph
Topic : Stories Of Hope
Host  : Dr. Karen De La Cruz

Hi I am Melissa de Leon-Joseph.

I started my mamogram check ups the year 2004...

In 2005, I had a lump on my left breast, it was taken out and tested and turned out, it was benign. On the same spot in August of 2006 I had a mammogram and I was asked by a doctor to have a needle biopsy which I ignored, thinking what the doctors had seen was just the scar from my previous operation. I went to a cancer doctor instead, this time I was given options, 1. to observe or 2. to do a needle biopsy, of course I chose “observe”. The lump was getting bigger so four months after, in early December of 2006, I had that needle biopsy. The night the phone rang, it was my doctor telling me the bad news. I was diagnosed stage 2b breast cancer. It took time for me to find my surgeon I could be comfortable with. Finally, I found Dr. Samuel Ang, I underwent a mastectomy right after New Year’s and needed 6 sessions of chemotherapy 3 weeks after. The diagnosis of the cancer was that it was of the aggressive type so the treatment was equivalent to a stage 4 patient. 

I was completely blown away by the sad news. My world turned upside down... it was devastating and painful.  Fear, worries and questions entered my mind...like...

Would I be able to handle this? 

Will I see my children grow up? 

Will I be a capable wife? 

Will my husband and children be able to go through this?

At that point, I had only 2 choices. Panic or pray? I chose to pray and surrendered all my questions to God. I prayed for Him to take over.       

It was tough accepting it.

“But you know what, in a situation like this, or in a crisis like this?”

“Its going to be be just you and your God” … no one else”

      I chose to keep my eyes on the Lord. 

      The questions that came into my mind was

      “Lord how will I go through this?” 

      “How do you want me to respond to this?”

I couldn’t question God “why me?”

I know that even before this all happened, God knew how my faith is, and that’s absolute.

At this point, after doing a lot of thinking, I finally told myself, this is an opportunity for me to glorify God. I realized that this trial is not about me but all about Him. I prayed like a child, cried myself to sleep but focused on HIM and drew strength from HIS WORD.

I underwent 6 chemo therapies. Under Dra. Belen Tamayo. Each session was tough but I knew at that point the Lord was carrying me through it. My body was so weak I could only lie down and be oblivious to my surroundings. I couldn’t even pray long. The only prayer I could pray was, “Lord hold on to me.” And He TRULY did. HE pulled me through this and it’s just so amazing. 

In the middle of the treatment, to be sure, my doctors had my mass extensively examined. The results revealed that my cancer was not as aggressive as previously reported and that I wouldn’t have to go through the additional and costly treatment after chemo. Because in the beginning, I was suppose to take Herceptin, another costly treatment, but it ended up, I didn’t have to take it because apparently, my first pathology test was an error  

Now I live each day at a time. 

At this point I was certain that God was my true comforter, my sanctuary, my rescuer, my strength, my rock eternal, my healer. I said to myself that this trial will not go to waste. I have learned to be still so that He could take over.  

Now I believe that the Lord allowed this trial in my life because He is molding my character and has great plans for me. I believe that when we respond to God correctly, the healing process begins.   

Now I can stand here and say to all of you that, in my entire life, my best times with the Lord were when I was going through my treatment, and even up to now as I share what I went though and am going though, I find joy in it. My prayer now is, Lord let me do talks like this until I grow old 

I encourage all women here to take time and have yourself checked. Listen to your doctors, the Lord blessed us with all this good doctors and advanced technology. Have a yearly mammogram, remember the cure for breast cancer is early detection.

Now I would say that I am even more blessed because I found new friends who also went through the same battle. From the wonderful group of ICanServe, Carewell Center Community and since we, in the South do not have a regular support group, I and 4 of my friends put up one called Project Pink. It is affiliated with Carewell Cancer Support and Wellness Center based in Makati City. The vision is to create a cancer resource center and support network for those currently battling cancer, survivors, their caregivers and loved ones. Today, the home of Project Pink is in Asian Hospital. 

With this journey, I would like to take comfort on God’s promises. My faith grows and as I choose to apply them in this stage of my life, I believe that maturing in tomorrow’s challenges is storing up faith in times ahead. So whatever it is we are facing, any difficult situation, we must remember that we are there by God’s appointment and that His plan is always good. 

-end-