Some weeks after I had surgery in June 2022, I
noticed my stomach was bulging. A gynaecologist advised I allow some months and
then do exercises to flatten it. Some folks thought I was pregnant and many assumed
I had gotten married and congratulated me. I was scared but the word of God
that came repeatedly to me that time was “Though
the fig tree does not blossom and ..... Yet I will rejoice.” Hab3:17, 18.Somehow,
meditating on that verse caused fear in me. I was wondering what that fig tree
that will not blossom is. On Monday 16/12/2022 I dashed off to Good Shepherd
Hospital, Enugu to see the surgeon, but he did not know the cause of the
protrusion. He sent me for an ultrasound scan which suspected a ruptured
ovarian cyst. There was much fluid in the abdomen. My right ovary was said not
to be in good shape and its removal recommended. Everything was pointing to
surgery which was really scary especially as I am single. Which brother will want to marry a sister with multiple surgeries?
I did not know that this was still the beginning of the journey! Thank God my
ovaries were not removed hastily. An ultrasound guided aspiration of the fluid
for GeneXpert to rule out abdominal tuberculosis, and a chest X-ray were
ordered to find a diagnosis and what was causing the fluid. At a point cancer was
suspected, and the ascitic fluid taken for cytology. The test revealed it was positive for malignant (cancer) cells. I
was also sent for CA-125 (it came out higher than normal) and CT abdomen and
pelvis which further confirmed cancer. How would I tell my mum? I walked like a
moving corpse back home. Chai, I'm finished.
Is this how my own has ended? My
whole life changed instantly. All I saw and perceived was death.
Several brethren encouraged me, prayed for me and
pointed me to God’s word. At one meeting
I was praying and cancelling the “positive for malignant cells” that was
written on my lab result: I trusted that as I was cancelling it with my biro,
God was cancelling it in my life. After praying, I took the result to the altar
and spread it there. I thought in my heart to leave it there all night for God
to read and attend to it, but in the morning, I decided to leave it at the altar
till after the program. I went for Peace House Prayer Watch on 2/1/2023 - 4/1/2023.
As the word of God kept coming forth, I was appropriating it to my condition.
It was a battle. I kept confessing and believing God, “I will come back here next year and testify.” By 11/1/2023, the
doctors were already discussing the surgery and the urgency of doing it. They
explained the implications of the results and the extent of surgery. My two
ovaries, uterus, and part of my intestine were to be removed urgently before the
cancerous cells spread to other areas of the body. The gynaecologist asked if I was married and done
with childbearing. That was a Bomb shell! Every possible thought flooded my
mind- “So I am now a man, my dreams of
having ejima (twins) are cancelled, no marriage for me again. Did I do wrong to
pray for God's will and want conviction before I say yes?” My mother cried
on hearing these tidings. We prayed together. We called on several people who
joined in prayer.
I went for a job interview the next day, but hardly was myself. In my mind, I went there to distract myself. During one of such break periods, I went on to Peace House Radio, and Bro Gbile was preaching “Behold I will do a new thing..”Is43:19 and later, I had a call with the lead Gynaecologist. During it, he suddenly became uncomfortable with the proposed surgery. He began to question, “What if this is not cancer?” This was indeed the turning point. The possibility of repeating the cytology and some of the tests that I had previously done was raised. That was how the results, which were positive before, started turning negative. During the ultrasound, my right ovary, which was never seen all the while, was visible and fine: both ovaries are fine. “What did you do?” the radiologist asked. It was the same one who did all the scans. What did I do? What did I do that I know? Nothing. All I remembered that I did was that I prayed. I was told to be doing routine monthly scan for monitoring in six months' time. Over 2 years have passed, and I remain healed. Hallelujah! Therefore I tell you whatever you ask in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours. Mk11:24 (ESV)
Chinenye is a lecturer living
in Enugu
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