Thursday, June 21, 2012

What Do Cancer Cells and Bed Bugs Have in Common?

Bed Bugs and Cancer Cells, really?
Embarrassingly enough, last January we found out we had bed bugs.  Did you just start itching when you read that?  I know!

Bruce had traveled to a not so glamorous hotel (although you can get them anywhere) and came home with a critter or two.  We never saw them until they took up residence in our home.  We had never researched bed bugs or thought much about them.  We would come home from a trip (and we do like to travel) and throw our luggage on our bed to unpack and then store the luggage under our bed until the next trip.  Well in the world of bed bugs that is a big no-no.

At first, I was the one getting bit all the time and Bruce just thought I was imaging things because he was untouched.  Until the night, he killed one on his face at 2:30 a.m.  He tore apart the whole room and cleaned them up, showered and slept downstairs two hours later.  Unfortunately, this scenario played out a couple of times and for a few months before we found them in the kids rooms.  That was the last straw!  We hired the pest exterminators next.

The big guns came in and heated the rooms to 138 degrees to kill the little suckers and then they spray.  They come back a few weeks later and spray again.  We hired an eco-friendly non-toxic company because of the chemicals we did not want to encounter.  So we did this and we felt pretty sure they were gone, but we had a 30 day warranty just in case.

A couple of weeks later, the girls were bit again and so was I.  Danika actually found one on her decorative pillow on Saturday morning.  We are so glad she did so that we had proof that "they were back" and scheduled for them to come and heat up the place again.

I am telling you all the logistics, but then behind the scenes Bruce is convinced this is all spiritual warfare.  He had just accepted the role of training to be an associate elder at our church, Mariners.  He was certain that these little creatures were here to irritate us.  I will have to ask God what their purpose in life ever was because I really don't see how they fit into the circle of life, but that would be another blog . . .

So around the same time in January, my holistic body scans began to show that I was making cancer cells again in my bone, breast, ovaries, and lungs.  In the smallest minute forms, but over time they would create into larger masses (million of cancer cells) and we would see them in an ultrasound in a few years.  So I have been going a couple times a month to combat this.  I have done mud baths, lasers, biofeedback. supplements and other crazy remedies, but nothing seemed to be working.  For five months, I struggled with this along with the anemia and it was tiring, overwhelming and discouraging.  I was beginning to give up hope (as I shared in my last blog), but then we went to Forest Home Family Camp for Memorial Day.

Up at Forest Home, God shared many things with me.  One of the moments, we as a family were praying for things in our lives, we had to make a "sculpture" to represent it.  As the kids and we were making the sculpture of beg bugs and cancer cells, we realized how similar they looked.  Cancer cells and bed bugs are similar in that in the beginning it is not that big of a deal.  Most of us, don't even know when we start making cancer until there are so many of them - they show up - just like bed bugs.  They feed on us and devour us - one from the outside and one from the inside.  They are both extremely difficult to get rid of.  They both consume your life as you are trying to get kill of them.  Both of them effect your kids (and you!) in profound ways that frighten and leave us feeling vulnerable.

After showing me the similarities, God shared with me that the timing of the two were no accident.  When the bed bugs were gone, then my cancer cells would be gone.  So I began to hope that they would all be eradicated some day and trusted God in what he had shared.

Just last week, I went in for a routine check up with my oncologist and she said that my iron counts (while still low) were back in the normal range AND I had brought my estrogen from 400 down to 83! Now these had both been big prayer requests!  I was beaming with happiness from ear to ear!  Could I be healing?

The next day we had the bed bugs heated out of home again and sprayed.  It slipped my mind about what I felt God said about the bed bugs and cancer cells, as I walked into the scanning biofeedback appointment the next day!  And yes, did you guess it?  I am no long making cancer cells!!  Amazing and truly a blessing that I am grateful for each day!  I feel stronger and more myself each morning!

I continue praying that the bed bugs and cancer cells stay gone . . . will you join me in that prayer?  Thank you faithful friends!  Now be careful when you travel . . . don't bring home any unwanted guests because they definitely overstay their welcome!

Ps. 103:1-5 "Bless the Lord, O my soul, bless His holy name.  Bless the Lord, O my soul and forget not all his benefits - who forgives all your sins and heals all your diseases; who redeems your life from the pit and crowns you with love and compassion; who satisfies your desires with good things so that your youth is renewed like the eagle's"




3 comments:

  1. Wow! We are continuing to pray for you! I do believe the enemy is roaring Jeanna! We must stand guard and resist the enemy! We must stand firm in all spiritual battle gear! Love you sweet friend and believing that God is using our health trials for His good and glory far than we can ever imagine!

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  2. Rejoicing with you over this good news and praying for increase of energy and return of joy. You are a blessing dear Jeanna :-)
    Hugs, Elizabeth

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  3. I can relate. We have bed bugs and haven't had the funds for an exterminator and have tried home remedies. Need some more DE. And I now have lymphoma. Any tips on getting rid of them? About how much did it cost?

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