Marcy's Story

Marcy’s Story

By

TOMMYE W. HAYDEN

Copyright © 2023 by Tommye W. Hayden

All right reserved

No part of this book may be reproduced, or stored in retrieval system, or transmitted in any form of by any means, electronics, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without express written permission of the author.

Cover design by: US BOOK PRESS Printed in the

United States of America

Dedication

This book is lovingly dedicated to the Lord, and to those in the medical profession who also serve our Father, and mankind.

Dr. Martin R. White, M.D.

Dr. Ira Emil Carroll, M.D

Dr. M. Vestal Caperton, M. D.

Acknowledgements

My thanks to the many magnificent prayer warriors at First Baptist Church, Conroe, Texas, and Marshall Ford Baptist Church, Austin, Texas, who daily remembered Marcy’s needs in prayer throughout her illness. Also to the many friends and relatives who lifted Marcy in prayer before the throne of God.    

My thanks to my beloved husband, Brian, who lovingly allowed me to care for Marcy, as we as a family, with God’s help, journeyed through their storms.

My thanks to my son, Wallace, who continually helped me because of my inefficient computer skills.

DISCOVERING GOD’S WILL

CHAPTER ONE

Where do I begin? So much has happened, the logical place of course, at the beginning. It is November 1988.

I had been grocery shopping and decided to make a quick stop by my daughter Marcy’s house. She is my one child who took up my habit of drinking coffee, and since it was a cold, damp, raw day, coffee with her was just what I needed.

Marcy was a tall vivacious blue-eyed, brown-haired beauty, always with a ready smile, and a happy laugh... yes, coffee and laughter...That would be good.

While sitting at the kitchen table, I noticed a lump on her upper left arm.

Marcy, what’s that lump on your arm? 

Mother, I have been meaning to show it to you. I found it a few days ago.

Honey, you need to have it checked. Do you remember injuring it in any way?

Glancing down at her arm she answered, No, Mother, it just appeared.I walked to the phone and called the clinic where I had worked summers a few years ago. Marcia, Dr. Caperton’s nurse, said to send her over and they would work her in. Dr. Caperton ordered an x-ray, and after looking at it, he sent her on to the hospital for a MRI. Diagnosis: probable cancer. We discussed it and he felt we should move quickly.

That evening, I called her brother, Wallace, and explained what had been happening. They are reasonably certain that it’s malignant, and they are talking eventually doing surgery. What do you think, son?

I could hear the shock in his voice as he answered. I had done a rotten job of breaking the news to him about the probability of his big sister having cancer.

After thinking a minute, he answered, Mother, we live next to one of the best cancer centers in the world. I think that she needs to go to Houston for a consultation appointment.

That evening, after a family conference, we all agreed. The next morning, I called my husband Brian’s doctor, Dr. Martin R. White, and asked him what we should do?

He wanted to see her MRI. Brian and I went to the hospital, picked up the MRI and drove to Houston. Dr. White and some colleagues looked at it, and he recommended that we take her to see Dr. Richard Kearns, an orthopedic surgeon who specialized in soft tissue tumors.

The next afternoon, Marcy and I went for a consultation appointment, and we immediately liked Dr. Kearns. He wanted a needle biopsy to determine for sure whether the lump was malignant, and also to see with what type of cancer we were dealing.

On the day of the biopsy, Brian and I drove Marcy to Methodist Hospital in Houston, Texas. In the car, she was apprehensive. In fact, we all were.

Mother, do you think it’s malignant?

Honey, I don’t know. Surely not, Brian is just now getting well and hopefully, we have had enough sickness for a while... We’ve had our share.

Brian, my husband, had a rare blood disorder called TTP, and during the past four years, we had been in Methodist Hospital half of that time. We had literally taken up residence in the hospital.

Smiling, I answered, I have had enough of hospitals to last me a lifetime. Let’s not worry until we have to. Whatever happens, remember Honey, in hospital terminology, God is the responsible party for your life, and He has a plan for you. We will leave it to Him.

As I reassured her, I was thinking please God, please let them be wrong...don‘t let it be malignant.

We arrived at the hospital and checked in at day-surgery. A short time later, they took Marcy to surgery. I had brought Dr. Charles Stanley’s book HANDLE WITH PRAYER, to read while we waited. I needed to re-adjust my anchor in God so it would hold whatever the outcome. A short time later, Dr. Kearns came to talk to us.

Everything went well! We have sent the tissue sample to M. D. Anderson Hospital, and we should hear within a week to ten days. Meanwhile, she can go back to work. I’ll call when I get the test results.

The next few days seemed like an eternity. Every time the phone rang, I jumped a foot, and my heart pounded in my chest. The thought of Marcy having cancer was overwhelming. She was entirely too young... Heavenly Father, please, not cancer! Each day seemed unending.

Finally, a week later, Marcy called from her office in Houston.

Mother, Dr. Kearns called. My test results are in. He wants me to come over on my lunch hour to talk to him. 

What time is your lunch hour?

"It’s from one to two, Mother. You don’t have to come.

The freeway’s a zoo at this time of day…I’ll be O.K."

I’m coming, Honey. I’ll meet you there.

We both arrived at Dr. Kearns’ office at the same time, and we were taken immediately to his office. A short time later, he came in. Looking at him, I knew what he was going to say. The long grueling days and sleepless nights without end had passed... the dreaded moment had arrived.

Marcy, there’s no easy way to say this, so I’ll just come right out with it. You have cancer. It is called alveolar soft part sarcoma. It is a very rare deadly form of cancer generally found in the leg. I don’t know why the tumor is in your arm, but the treatment will be the same. Shaking his head, he continued, I’m so sorry!

For a moment, we were too stunned to speak...we felt trapped in a sense of hopeless despair. There was both shock and terror in our hearts as we both began to cry softly. I could think of nothing to say…no words of comfort, only my tears to add to hers. I felt as though the world was standing still, and my brain had ceased to function. This simply could not be happening. Not cancer! Not Marcy! Why was this happening?

After a few minutes, I was able to speak. What comes next? What’s the plan?

He sighed and answered. Marcy, first you will need chemotherapy. We need to shrink the tumor. After chemo, we will do radiotherapy. When your tumor has shrunk from walnut size to pea size, I will operate. How does that sound?

After a moment, it all began to sink in. Marcy smiled, I guess we leave it up to you, Dr. Kearns. You know best. Whatever you say. However, I have to tell you, this was not the answer for which we have been hoping and praying.

Dr. Kearns smiled a gentle understanding smile as he nodded his head. I understand, Marcy. I would like for you to see an oncologist at the Medical Clinic of Houston. She will handle your chemotherapy. I will call her and make an appointment for you. Do you have any questions?

Sadly, Marcy shook her head. NO, not at the moment! I will probably think of a million when I get back to my office.

Marcy, if you think of something, call me. In fact, call me anytime you feel you need to.

For a mother, being told that your daughter has cancer is overwhelming. I turned and gave Marcy a big hug. Honey, why don’t you take the afternoon off? This has been quite a shock.

I really can’t, Mother. This is my third week on a new job, and I simply can’t ask for more time especially after taking the day off for the biopsy.

O.K., Honey, you go on. I will make your financial arrangements. You barely have time to get back. I’ll come down tonight, and we will talk when you get home from work.

As Marcy stood to leave, Dr. Kearns gave her a hug. Marcy, we are going to make the best possible fight. I will call you about your appointment with the oncologist. We want to start your treatments as soon as possible.

As Marcy left, my thoughts were jumbled with questions. Turning, I said, Dr. Kearns, you said her cancer was very rare and deadly. Would you please tell me about it? What is her prognosis? Sighing, he answered, Bad! They did a case study a few years ago on alveolar soft tissue sarcoma, and out of one hundred cases surveyed, they treated half with chemotherapy and radiation, and they treated the other half with chemotherapy, radiation, and amputation. They had all died in about the same time frame. As far as amputation is concerned, I don’t feel it is an option. The tumors are usually fast growing, and it’s difficult to shrink them. We will use two of our biggest chemotherapy drugs. If the chemo doesn’t do the job we will have to rely on radiation. Any other questions?

No, I answered, I wish we had met under different circumstances, but with God’s help, we will make our fight. Marcy is a tremendous Christian, and she is firmly anchored in God. We will ask Him to guide your decisions you will be making for her. Thank you for everything. I guess we will be seeing you soon.

Two days later, we met with the oncologist, and she explained the treatment. There was a possibility Marcy might not survive the chemotherapy. One of the possible side effects of one of the drugs was heart failure. We would not dwell on this. We would make her fight one day at a time. No heart failure allowed!

Three days later, we returned to Houston for a Hickman catheter to be inserted into her subclavian artery...they would access it each for her chemotherapy. Her chemotherapy would begin in one week. She would receive chemotherapy for three days, and then remain in the hospital for an additional two days for observation to make certain her heart and kidneys were functioning properly.

The past few days had seemed as if they were happening to someone else. I had difficulty concentrating on anything. We went through the motions of living our lives daily. I found myself hoping that the phone would ring, and they would tell us it was all a big mistake. Surely, this could not be happening. Not cancer! But it was!

Total Dependence Upon God

CHAPTER TWO

It was time for her first chemotherapy. While staying with her in the hospital, in the middle of the night, the tidal wave hit. Marcy had cancer...a cancer so deadly that the patient usually died within six months to a year! I began to pray.

Heavenly Father, how can this be happening? I have been caring for Brian for nearly four years, and now this! What’s going on? I was angry, frustrated!

"In everything give thanks for this is the will of Christ Jesus concerning you.

1 Thessalonians 5:18

The Holy Spirit placed this scripture in my mind. Thank Him for her cancer? I can’t! Yet, I knew that I had to do this. Through my tears I prayed, I placed Marcy into God’s loving hands; the outcome was up to Him. Five minutes later, I found myself pleading with God to take me instead. My children were grown and established, Marcy had a ten-year old daughter, Kristine. What would happen to her? My next thought was Lord, I can’t stand this...it’s too much. First, Brian, now Marcy... too much! I knew as I sat there pondering the situation, that I would need a mindset of trust in the person of Christ. Even though I did not understand why this was happening, I would trust Christ to see us through it all. Again, as I sat there, scriptures flooded through my mind.

"There remains then a rest for the people of God; for anyone that enters God’s rest also rests from his own work, just as God did from His.

Let us therefore, make every effort to enter that rest, so that no one will fall by following the example of unbelief.

Hebrews 4:9-11

Let us therefore the throne of grace with confidence so that we may receive mercy grace to help us in our time of need.

Hebrews 4:16 (NIV)

By faith, I would turn the situation over to God for His solution, and I would trust Him for her healing. I would faith rest it... otherwise it would be unbearable. As a family, we would have to enter God’s rest.

I began praying. Lord, she is your child... Your way not mine... I give her to You... Your will be done. I felt an immediate peace... this time I would hold on, no matter what.

When we faith-rest a situation, we must seek God’s peace.

If we become like leaves being blown in the wind, we cannot glorify God.

God is our refuge and strength, ever present help in trouble. Therefore, we will not fear.

Psalm 42:1-2a

I sat there thinking...without God how could we handle this? He would truly have to be our refuge as we journeyed through these next months.

Marcy was becoming restless.

Mother, I’m really feeling sick. Can you call the nurse for me?

I pushed the button for the nurse and explained that Marcy was nauseated. She came in a few minutes later with a syringe of decadron, and she slowly injected it into Marcy’s catheter.

A few minutes later, the nausea passed and Marcy went back to sleep. The next morning, she began drinking gallons of water. The nurses explained to us that water would help flush the chemo from her body, and it would help her to not become nauseous. She finished her chemo without any big nausea problems. We discovered that if she forced liquids and ate, regardless of how she was feeling, the nausea was bearable. God was good!

Marcy resigned from her job. The doctors wanted her to get plenty of rest between her chemotherapy treatments. This would also benefit her heart.

I thanked God for the spiritual growth I had been experiencing during Brian’s illness. For months, he had not been expected to live, and as I looked back through my prayer journal, I saw God’s continual presence, moment by moment, as He had answered prayers on Brian’s behalf. I began to realize that Brian’s illness had been my training ground for Marcy’s cancer.

Journey of Faith...the Anointing

CHAPTER THREE

One morning as I was fasting and praying about Marcy, I knew in my heart things were not looking good. Each month after her chemotherapy, the tumor would shrink, but because the tumor was so fast growing, by the end of the month it would be back to its original size. She wasn’t making any headway at all.

During my quiet time, I asked the Holy Spirit for some words of assurance... something about living. As I began reading my Bible, the following scripture spoke to my heart, and I felt I had God’s answer.

Deal bountifully with thy servant, that I may live keep your word.

Psalm 119: 7

I felt God had answered my prayer. Marcy was going to live. I typed this scripture on a card with some others concerning fear. These scriptures would be a part of her survival kit, a part of her healing. She would use these promises, always remembering that whenever we take a step-in faith to achieve something, everything in heaven is behind us to help us accomplish it. These scriptures would be her mainstays when