"You Have Six Months to Live"

Some previous X-rays, in 1996, showed that I had, a "cyst" on my left kidney. I wanted it removed, but my oncologist, and urologist both said, "we will just watch it".

That gave me a sick feeling, because I felt that it was a tumor and I should not wait for really bad news. In 2005, I was told that I needed a PET scan, because the cyst got so large.

After the scan, I was told that I had stage 4 cancer and had six months to live. I asked what came after stage 4 and was told death, but that there was a new drug on the market for renal cancer called Sutent. I was told it would cost $10,000 a month for 14 pills, and I would stay on it for life. I was upset and said I waited 10 years for this. When I had asked for the kidney to be removed, they just wanted to watch it. All the doctor's visits were for nothing?

I was in shock, then I was told that I could get a grant to help buy the drugs. They took care of the paperwork, but I came face to face with death. At that point, death seemed like a peaceful state to be in. My family took the news badly, and a good friend of my wife worked for a Catholic church in Franklinville, NJ. I went to the church, and was anointed, and prayers were said for me.

Six months came quickly, but for having cancer, I felt great. I was sent for another PET scan, and was told that they got strange results. They wanted to do another one, but insurance would pay only for a CAT scan. The results backed up the PET scan results: I no longer had cancer.

Now, I had cancer in the kidney, liver and the bones. My rib cage was loaded with it, and so was my pelvis. It was all gone, but the doctors said they could see where it was, and now gone. But I was placed on Sutent for 7 years, until it gave me a colon burst.

No one expected me to live, but I walked out of the hospital after a week. It was a shame: my urologist died of pancreatic cancer, and oncologist died of stomach cancer. I'm now 73 years old, and my cancer never returned. I believe that my God cured me, and prayers by everybody helped more than the drugs.