April Witkowski Breast Cancer Questions

How are you coping?

Near the beginning of my cancer journey, both Peter and I were studying the Bible and came to realize that we weren’t looking at life the way God wanted us to. Matthew 6:27 says, “And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life?” Anxiety is a futile pastime that accomplishes nothing. Jesus says, “…do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble” (Matthew 6:34). So we have been striving to live one day at a time. We do not do this perfectly! But it is very comforting when I’m having an anxious moment and Peter reminds me “you are here today.” I need to live in the today. And I can take comfort that I am indeed here today.

My thoughts may turn anxious, depressing, or angry some days. Usually, they are small portions of my day but sometimes they can last a day or two. There are times when something as little as a television commercial about retirement can fill me with anger over my diagnosis. I know I will probably not live long enough to retire with Peter. I blame my cancer for limiting my life and the ability to enjoy many things I want to be able to do (travel, shopping, cooking, homeschooling, ministry, etc.).

When I find myself despising the affliction God has allowed in my life or fearing what the future holds, I turn to prayer. Jesus died on the cross so I could have my sins forgiven. This gives me confidence to talk to the Creator of the Universe, the Most Holy God, about all my cares and concerns. All my sins and weaknesses are before Him and He still loves me. I am covered by the blood of Jesus and can find help in my time of need (Hebrews 4:14-16).

So this is my hope. God’s steadfast love never ceases and His mercies never come to an end (Lamentations 3: 21-26).

I discuss more of the way I approach my “mental health” in another post. You can read it here.

April Witkowski Discipleship

What About This……Treatment?

Please know that all treatment options for breast cancer are not appropriate for me.  We have genetically sequenced my cancer tumors twice.  So we know which treatments are best suited to combat my specific form of ER+PR+HER2- breast cancer.  We have been sent information from many friends with treatment ideas. We do discuss many of them with my doctors, but most do not address my cancer and therefore would prove either less effective than my current treatments if not completely ineffective.  For instance, immunotherapy that has had success in other cancer settings is still not an option for me because the genetic makeup of my cancer is resistant to the treatment. For a drug to be effective it must target ER+PR+HER- breast cancer and the particular subset within that larger group which contain the ERS1 mutation.  

April Witkowski Breast Cancer Questions

Will You Run Out of Treatment Options?

The short answer is no. Most likely my body will wear out before we can exhaust all the various treatment options which continue to multiply. The doctors cannot predict how my body and my specific type of cancer will respond to treatment now or in the future.  I am thankful for God giving me a wonderful medical team through the University of Virginia and the Mayo Clinic. But even with brilliant doctors who care for me well, my life is in God’s hands.  He determined the number of my days before I was ever born.  So I must rest in His sovereign purpose for how and when my cancer responds to treatment.