We are close in age. Both men. Both fighting the same enemy.
He was famous for portraying Spartacus, a solider condemned to fight as a gladiator. We both fight the same opponent in real life: cancer (non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma). He lost. I’m still in the ring.
Lots of news yesterday on the death of actor Andy Whitfield. I had never heard of him until reading the news stories. As a stage IV cancer survivor, when I read of someone dying of the same cancer I have, it jars me awake.
Andy Whitfield was diagnosed in the spring of last year. I was diagnosed in the spring of 2009. He came out of remission only two months after being declared cancer free. I came out of remission only eight months after being declared cancer free.
After surgery, I remain in remission 29 months after my diagnosis. Andy Whitfield made it only 18 months after diagnosis.
I live my life as a dead man walking. I know this cancer is still inside me. I fight it with all I have, through further treatments, eating right, exercising and managing stress.
But I have hope. It’s not just about living longer. It really comes down to my faith in God.
God says the hairs on my head are numbered. Still, I get a small wave of fear when I read how fast the cancer I have can overtake me. But, I soon get over it. I’ve been living with death for two years now.
God will keep me alive according to his perfect plan. In an amazing story in the Bible, Hezekiah was told that his number was up. He would die.
But he prayed that God would keep him alive. And God gave him 15 more years.
I read that story while undergoing chemotherapy in 2009 and it gives me hope. Hope that I can pray to live longer and maybe influence YOU. You who are reading this. Maybe you will realize that we all will die some day.
You have to make a choice now. Do you believe in God? Are you ready to face God when you die? Jesus offers a great choice: you may die but you can have eternal life. You will live forever.
I challenge you to buy a Bible today and read it. You might be surprised at what you find. That’s my challenge from this dead man walking!
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God bless you and May the Lord continue to lengthen your days and year to be witness for Him. There is no disease that the Blood of Jesus can not heal. Will pray for you.
Thank you! Check back on my blog because I’m about to release a book on Amazon.com that outlines a lot of the content on this blog on how Christians can make it through a crisis.
Hey there! congrats on the battle so far! Question..how were you diagnosed? What symptoms and such….from what I hear he was diagnosed by accident during a routine exam!
Thanks, Chad. I went to the doc thinking I probably had pneumonia but instead, cancer. My symptoms were classic for non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma: night sweats, weight loss and loss of energy. (I had a terrible cough/congestion but that is not a symptom.)