Home to Heaven - March 28, 2011

John, Mary and Ilava Gray

The following is a synopsis of my battle with my cancer.

Let me take you back to the beginning of this journey....

Our daughter Ilava graduated from the 12th Grade in December, 2005. In the preparations for everything (including my parents coming for the celebration) I did a lot of cleaning. I began to experience pain in my chest and felt it was only a pulled muscle. When the pain persisted, I flew to the city during our April school break. I had a mammogram and a tumour was found in my left breast. It was removed and found to be only fibrocystic.

But, the pain persisted and I was persistent as well knowing something just wasn't right. In September I went back to the same doctor for another mammogram. When the technician requested a scan to follow, I knew they had found something. A tumour was surgically removed and sent to the lab for analysis. I returned home to wait for the results to be faxed over. I can still remember watching the fax roll out and sighting the word "malignant."
Just a few weeks before, the Lord sent a new doctor to work at the Kerema hospital. I know the Lord sent him to be there for us. He came that afternoon to explain the medical terms of the fax. He rang the cancer surgeon at PNG's General Hospital and arranged for my consultation. The next month I had a mastectomy of my left breast. The tumour was referred to as DCIS (ductual carcinoma in situ) which means it was just in that sight of the breast duct. They felt they had removed it all taking a large amount of lymph nodes with it.
At the end of December I began a low dose of chemotherapy there in PNG under an oncologist from Hong Kong. With the cancer being "in situ" chemotherapy and radiation weren't necessary, but they did this as a precaution. I was also placed on a daily hormonal therapy in case it was estrogen/progesterone related.

Things went well until I went back for my checkup the following September when another lump was found in the same site and surgically removed.

When the first tumour was found we were much more disturbed, but this time we felt an overwhelming peace with calm emotions. While at the same time our families and friends were over-anxious, we experienced an abundance of God's Grace!

The end of October I was referred to Brisbane, Queensland, Australia for six weeks of daily radiation treatments. John was able to go with me to get me settled in then he returned to PNG. I began treatments in November. Being alone to face the unknown was a life-changing experience for me. It was a wonderful experience with a daily fellowship with the Lord. There was such a new bond I'd never known before.
John and Ilava were able to come spend the holidays with me and I was released to go home in January.

I returned for a review in May with no new findings. The Histology Dept. in Brisbane had finally reviewed my last tumour and found it was not estrogen/progesterone related. I had been placed on a different hormonal replacement medicine in January, but with these results the radiation oncologist took me off of it. For the next six months I experienced pains throughout my body settling in different areas for a few days or weeks at a time. They felt this was a result of coming off the drug "cold turkey." I had blood work done in the city in September and my ESR was elevated which relates to inflammation in the body and can even point to malignancy. I had severe hip pain in December and went for scans in the city in January (09). The conclusion was a pulled ligament, but they suggested a bone scan the next time I went for my review in Australia.

I wrote my radiation oncologist to schedule my review in June and requested a bone scan to be done as well as a CT scan of all other organs. These tests were done the day I flew in. The following morning I had my annual mammogram/ultrasound scan. The lady said, "No new findings. See you next year." But following my visit with her I had an appointment with my radiation oncologist to review the scans from the previous day. The findings were a shock.

There was a tumour on my sternum and one small tumour in each lung. I then began 5 days of radiation followed by a course of weekly chemotherapy for 12 weeks. In September the scans showed the tumours had reduced in half. I continued for 8 more chemo treatments. Then I was given a six week break, so I returned home to Kerema. It was great to be there, especially for the holidays.

I returned on my own to Australia, 20 January, for a CT scan and review. The plan was to return to PNG for six weeks then come back to Australia for another scan/review. But, the results of the scan were shocking (even both of my oncologists were shocked). The cancer has spread to the liver. There are two tumours - one 8 x 5 cm and the other 6.3 x 4.1 cm. The latter is in the center of the liver; surrounded by blood vessels; thus, surgery is out of the question. The tumour on my sternum is unchanged and the ones in both lungs are still there. I am presently having an aggressive chemotherapy given every three weeks for a total of four treatments. After the fourth treatment I will have another scan/review.

Our lives are in God's hands. He is in total control. His grace and strength have been abundant and constant. We serve an unfailing God. He has met our every need through the lives of others. Especially through the folk of Good Shepherd Baptist Church. He is faithful! Our faith is in His plan for our lives. He is Able!