BY VICKI LOVERN

I recently experienced a cancer scare. The Big ‘C.’ If you haven’t experienced it yourself, you probably know someone who has. My dear mom and two uncles died of this devastating disease. It is a scary diagnosis. And regardless of how much you’re told that it’s not a definitive diagnosis. All you really hear is “Cancer.”

I was first diagnosed with ulcerative colitis and precancerous colon polyps 27 years ago. I had my first colonoscopy in 1998. That’s when my doctor discovered the polyps, which were only one stage away from becoming cancerous. I was only 44 years old. My doctor said that if I had waited even a few more months, these polyps would have been cancerous. Polyps can form quickly and they can grow cancerous quickly.

Of course, not all polyps become cancerous. Some people live with polyps all of their lives that never develop into cancer. My late, precious mother had her first colonoscopy at the same time I did. I know, not nearly as much fun as a mother/daughter trip to a spa. But I never had any luck getting my mom to a spa anyway. And, besides, we thought we might get a special two-for-one rate. We didn’t. Nevertheless, it was certainly a bonding experience.

My mom, who was 67 years old at the time, did have numerous polyps. However, thank our Precious Lord, none of them were cancerous. So, it is quite possible to have polyps that never develop into cancer. But it only takes one bad polyp. Clearly not worth the risk. Particularly since colonoscopies are so effective in preventing colon cancer.

Granted, the preparation for a colonoscopy is much more “distasteful” (pun intended) than the actual colonoscopy itself. However, even the preparation has become a lot easier than it was 30 years ago. As many of you know, if you ever had to drink this torturous concoction, and quite sure that if you did that you will never forget – we used to have to drink a gallon – yes, a GALLON – of, for lack of a better word – CRAP (again, pun intended) in order to sufficiently cleanse our colons for the colonoscopy. After drinking that stuff, the colonoscopy itself is a breeze. Actually, people complain much more about the preparation than the procedure.

Since my polyps had been precancerous, I had to have a colonoscopy every six months for the next two years. You would have thought that I would have gotten better at drinking the preparation, but I only got worse. Six months apart may seem like a long time, but it seemed like I would just get that taste out of my mouth, and it was time to drink it again.

Now we come to the crux of it all. Because of previous complex surgeries, my colon had become extremely “twisted” and nearly impossible for my doctor to navigate through. He always told me that he practically had to stand on his head to get through my colon. My doctor, who was quite proficient, had a stellar reputation and had performed 10 previous colonoscopies on me, could no longer get through my colon. He said it was just too twisted and narrow and he was fearful of perforating my colon should he attempt to proceed. He recommended I have a colon resection to remove the twisted portion of my colon. A colon resection involves surgically removing the “bad” portion of your colon and reconnecting it, kind of like removing a section of kinked hose and reconnecting it. And it often requires a colostomy bag, at least while you are healing.

Needless to say, I was completely overwhelmed and really did not want surgery. So, I went to a surgeon who was a specialist in the field and he said that as long as I was able to have bowel movements, then I could just use the Cologuard test once a year. Fast forward nearly 15 years and after many normal results from the Cologuard test, the last one came back positive for colon cancer. Colon cancer. Probably the thing that I feared most, especially since I knew that a colonoscopy was not possible. Dear Heavenly Father, what was I going to do?

I prayed. And I wanted to give the background of my situation so that you could understand more fully what God did for me. I have always believed in the power of prayer. So I prayed. I prayed privately and publicly. In the moments when words failed, I prayed through tears. At my cherished church, I requested prayer and asked to be anointed with oil so the elders could pray over me. My name was placed on our prayer line, and I sought prayers from all of my precious brothers and sisters in Christ. And they prayed for me. I knew they were praying because I could physically feel the prayers. There is a profound peace that envelops you when you are being prayed for.

James 5:14-16: “Is any sick among you? Let him call for the elders of the church; and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord. And the prayer of faith shall save the sick, and the Lord shall raise him up; and if he have committed sins, they shall be forgiven him. Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.”

I’ve often heard people say they don’t know how to pray. Prayer can take many forms. As long as it comes from your heart – that’s what really matters. You don’t have to have the “right” words – God knows your heart. Many times my prayers were in the form of tears. But God knew. He always knows. Prayer can be just a conversation with God. And remember that a conversation goes both ways. So take time to be quiet and listen for the voice of God too.

I like to always start my prayers by praising God and thanking Him for all of His many blessings. I pray that He will have mercy on me, a sinner. Then I pray that He will be with me and my loved ones. Sometimes, we may jump into prayer with a “to-do” list of things we want from God and don’t take the time to praise, confess or thank Him.

I also pray sometimes through gospel hymns. Many nights I have fallen asleep with “Amazing Grace” in my head. “Amazing Grace! How sweet the sound that saved a wretch like me! I once was lost but now am found, was blind but now I see.” I also love the Lord’s Prayer. If you really contemplate the words of this beautiful prayer, it will bring you immeasurable comfort. Praying the Psalms is also fulfilling. The Psalms are relatable in the lives of most of us as the psalmist expresses both his joy in the Lord and the sorrows of his troubles.

And sometimes I even say the little prayer that my mother taught me when I was a child. “Now I lay me down to sleep, I pray the Lord my soul to keep. If I should die before I wake, I pray the Lord my soul to take. God bless ……” (and then I name everyone that I want God to bless). The older I’ve gotten, the longer the list has become. But I think most of us can remember some version of this simple but sincere prayer.

Regardless of how you pray, the most important thing is that you do pray. Because I promise you, there is really tremendous power in prayer.

I figure that by now you have no doubt guessed that, Praise His Holy Name, all of those prayers did indeed work for me. Not only was my doctor able to get through my previously twisted colon, but he also was able to remove the polyp. And even though the polyp was indeed precancerous, the doctor informed me that it was small and he was able to get it all. Last but certainly not least, he said that my colon was “surprisingly” healthy! That same colon that had been a hot mess for almost 30 years was, to quote my doctor, “Not that twisted anymore.”

So, in closing, though colonoscopies are extremely effective in the prevention of colon cancer and I do highly recommend them, there is nothing more effective and powerful than prayer. There is absolutely no doubt in my mind that our Precious Lord and Savior heard and answered all of those prayers that went up for me. I know, with every fiber of my being, there is an eternal, miraculous power in prayer. And I highly recommend it.