God Knows OUR Pain

God Knows OUR Pain

posted by David K. Sumrell on May 19th, 2013 at 6:01 PM

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Pain Can't Discourage My FAITH!

As many of you already know, I have been battling melanoma cancer, since a tumor was discovered in my eye, in 2002. After receiving a radioactive plaque being placed on the back of my eye, in 2003, the cancer spread throughout my body, including all my organs, brain and lymph system. In 2004, I was sent home to die, because the doctors at Duke said there was nothing they could do for me. I was told the cancer had already gone to my brain and there was no chemotherapy that would have any effect on the cancer cells. The doctors told me they would keep me comfortable until I was gone, and I was told I only have less than two months to live, due to the aggressive nature of this cancer. I was told that even experimental chemotherapy would not help to get ready to die. I knew what my doctors were telling me was true, based on the science of melanoma cancer. I was a stage IV cancer patient with less than two months to live. To most people this would have been devastating; however I knew that God was in control of life and death. I made a covenant with God in order to stay alive. I never asked God to let me live, only that it He would give me the opportunity, I would write three books in His honor. I have had some very trying times and have had to go to surgery, radiation, scans, and I even had a needle stuck in my eye in order to try and relieve the pressure. In most people, the normal pressure is around 16 in the eyes. In my left eye, where the cancer started, the pressures anywhere between 60 and 65. That is more than four times the amount of pressure that should be there. I have lived with this for many years after going blind in my left eye, approximately 18 months after the radioactive plaque was attached to my eye to kill the tumor. Not only do I have an intense pressure in my eye, but I have the worst case of glaucoma a person could have, due to post radiation treatment. I have suffered pain in my left eye for years, with the understanding that it was because of the tumor that was in the eye, even after the radiation did its job. I have always accepted the fact that I was going to have pain in my life, because I lived. Not only did I have to pressure in my eye, after the radiation treatment, but for almost 4 1/2 years, I also bled in my lungs and coughed up blood. In 2010, I had radiation treatment again, this time it was called stereotactic radiation and it was designed to kill the tumor in my lung that was growing, and bleeding. Living with pain, made me aware that I was still alive and all that I had been through, because God had given me the ability to have miracles in my life. I've never questioned God as to why I am still alive; however I have accepted the pain as part of living. Even though I have the drugs like morphine and others in case I have intense pain, I never use these drugs, due to the side effects they create. Last week was different; I did not use any drugs in order to stop the pain, even though the pain was so intense that it made me cry. Over the last few months, the pain in my has been more intense, but still tolerable. On Monday of last week, when the pain became so intense, and because my left eye has always been my dominant eye, I had a hard time even opening my left eye. I guess I have known the pain has been getting worse over the last several months, but never experiencing the level of pain that I felt on Monday, I called my doctor on Tuesday morning and left word about my condition. She called me back within 15 to 20 min. and asked me to come into her office so that she could check me out, in order to find out what was causing my pain and my eye watering like it was a water faucet. Hoping, that it was going to be caused by pollen or any other outside source, I knew in my heart and in my mind that I was in trouble. After my doctor examined me, she told me that my I was going to have to come out and that she wanted to remove it as soon as possible. She told me that she would prefer me having it done at Duke, because they knew more about removal of when eye with a cancerous tumor in it. I already had an appointment set for May 28, 2013, for my annual checkup at Duke with my Doctor. We decided that I would talk to him about nucleation of my eye, because as my Dr. told me my eye is very unhealthy. She told me that the pain would only get worse, but as long as I could stand it, we would try medicine first to take the pain away. She was not talking about pain pills, but eyedrops that would numb the eye from this level of pain. I was excited that there was a medicine that could deaden my eye from the pain and allow me to keep my eye for a while. This was not the first time that the medical doctors wanted to remove my eye. Nucleation was the first option, when they discovered the tumor in the eye. I went around the country to the best doctors in the world, only to find out that there was a 20 year study which showed, the eye could be preserved with the radiation plaque being applied to kill the tumor. It had the same results as nucleation, and mortality rate was the same. Possibly, by having the radiation plaque put on my eye, instead of nucleation, it allowed the cancer to metastasize throughout my body. If I had had nucleation, the cancer cell still could've metastasize throughout my body and I would've died, because my body would've been fighting the cancer, and trying to recover from the surgery of having my eye removed. I take every day that I had been given to live, as a day of opportunity given to me from God. I have shared my medical history, diagnosis, prognosis and all the details given to me by the doctors and scientists working to help keep me alive. To them I am a walking miracle and a testimony to God. Every time I go to one of my doctors, they are still amazed that I am still here. I know that miracles happen from God; however, the doctors have God's gifts and are able to understand and utilize technology today, which has not been available in the past. This means that every day we stay alive, with a disease like cancer that may be one day there will be the technology to take it a step further, like in my case. I thank God every day, for accepting my covenant and allowing me the opportunity to live, when I have watched so many die, due to the same thing I have. If you are suffering from any illness, only to find that the doctor’s advice doesn't sit right with you, remember, just because the Dr. tells you that your condition is grave, doesn't mean it is your time to go. God is in control of life and death, and miracles do happen every day, if you have the faith to believe. I know that God kept me alive to give hope to others and to share the blessings that God has bestowed in my life to others. I have been blessed, throughout my life, even with all the trials and tribulations I have faced. I do not know how bad my situation is at this point in time. I do know that the pain that I am experiencing is not just in the eye, but possibly back in my brain. I do know that no matter what is going on, God gave me 11 years to live and be loved, while sharing my testimony and God's love for all of us to others. I hope and pray that your faith will sustain you through the most difficult times that you will have to face. I will be back at Duke at the end of the month and because of their advanced equipment, I will know more about what my situation is and whether or not my pain is due to my eye or whether it is worse and the cancer is attacking my body again. I have comeleted my fourth book, and it is at the publishers, being processed for publication. I am currently working on a book of poetry, which I hope will bring and share hope to others who are either in a similar situation or can bring comfort to someone they know through the publications and stories that I have shared with you. Once I know what the prognosis is from my doctors at Duke I will repost a blog and share with you what is going on and what my condition is. I would like to thank you for reading this report and ask you to never give up on God, and always be careful what you ask for, because you may get it. God has blessed me through my life and I hope he will bless you and yours through your faith and love for Him.

last edited on May 20th, 2013 at 5:59 AM

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