Do You Believe In Miracles? The story of Kim Parker
During the month of October we are celebrating Cancer Awareness by celebrating the miracles we have seen God perform through his many cancer warriors. They are survivors, caregivers and prayer warriors who want to share what God did and continues to do in the life of others. Do you believe in miracles? We do!
Today it is my extreme pleasure to share this space with Kim Parker.......
I am by no means a writer. But who or what would I be if I didn’t share the miracles we experienced as God wrote our story.
Curtis had been having back pain that we assumed was a pulled muscle or possibly a ruptured disc due to some work he had been doing at our school's baseball field. He was seen by his physician and an MRI was ordered. He was 45 and healthy, but on March 31, 2015, and to our complete shock, Curtis was diagnosed with Stage 4 Renal Cell Carcinoma (kidney cancer). We would soon learn that it had already metastasized to his lungs, bones, lymph nodes, and liver.
While Curtis only lived 54 weeks after diagnosis, I was able to see the hand of God woven throughout the tapestry of our cancer journey. The first instance occurred on the evening when we sat our boys down to tell them about their dad’s diagnosis. There was thunder. The loudest thunder I’ve ever encountered. God was there in our den when we told our boys about the cancer. Obviously there. And strangely enough after asking those who live close by if they had heard the thunder, no one else had. He’s so good.
Several months later it had been determined that Curtis would have to apply for disability because he would be unable to return to work. I was hearing horror stories about how long it takes for decisions on disability benefits to be determined. Like possibly up to two years for a decision to be made and many times an attorney has to be hired. It took me almost 8 hours to fill out the online application. I held my breath and whispered a little prayer as I clicked submit. Can I just say the application was approved and there was money in our bank account in two days? He is so good.
In the fall of 2015, Curtis’ oncologist determined that the drug, Opdivo, would be his best course of treatment. This was an oral cancer medication that was the newest going thing in lung cancer treatment and was not yet approved by the FDA and was extremely expensive. The doctor looks at us directly and says “it’s so new that it may not be covered by your health insurance and it could be upwards of $10,000 per bottle.” What? I was an absolute nervous wreck as I walked down the hallway to the pharmacy to get the prescription filled. I slid the prescription towards the clerk. He took it and asked for Curtis’ date of birth. I took a seat and literally shook with nervousness. OK, God. Here we go I thought. This is where it gets hard. This is where I have to tell him we cannot afford the meds you need. The clerk came back to the window and slid the prescription across the counter to me and said “that will be $40.” I nearly fainted. Again, God provided. He is so good. While these instances may seem insignificant to everyone, they were huge to me. My God, over and over, relayed to me that he was right there beside me when my world was falling apart.
I have been asked how I stay so upbeat and positive when God didn’t answer my prayer for Curtis’ healing. It’s simple. God did answer my prayer. He healed my husband of cancer in the most perfect way. He took him to Heaven and now he is perfectly healed.
When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze. Isaiah 43:2. The cancer journey was and still is hard, but God was and is there every step of the way.
God does not call the equipped. He equips the called.
Kim Parker