On Friday, September 22, I was told I had tonsil cancer, and it had spread to the lymph nodes under my chin. By the favor that only God can give, a door was opened to Dr Harishanker (Dr. Hari), a renowned Ear, Nose, and Throat Specialist at UAB Medical School in Birmingham, for an exam and consultation. After the meeting, surgery was scheduled for October 24. From September 22 until October 24th was the longest month I’ve ever spent in my life. So many things happened, and so many battles were fought that I don’t have time to get into in this newsletter, but only by the grace of God and the power of the Word of God did we prevail. I hope one day I will be able to share it in its fullness.
Finally, the surgery day came, and it lasted well over four hours. They removed the tonsil, 39 lymph nodes, and a lot of tissue in the throat, tongue, and tonsil area. So much tissue was removed that they placed inside my throat a synthetic substance called a “myriad,” which was intended to help keep down infection and help the healing process. They also placed a feeding tube in me, which I absolutely hated, but it kept me from starving to death. But, praise god, I’m down almost 20 pounds. Pam likes my schoolboy figure.
On November 15th, Pam, Megan, and Missy met with Dr. Hari for a follow-up appointment to remove the feeding tube and get his advice on what we should do going forward. Before the surgery, when people would ask me how I wanted them to pray, I told them specifically what I wanted God to do: give the doctors wisdom to do everything they needed to do while they were in there, that God would localize the cancer to ONLY the tonsil and the lymph node that was protruding, and lastly that there would be no need for any follow-up radiation and chemotherapy.
When he started the meeting, he said the words I’ve been asking so many of you to agree with me on:
“The cancer was limited to the tonsil and ONE lymph node. There is no evidence it spread to any other tissue surrounding where it was located. There is NO NEED FOR ANY FURTHER TREATMENT, NO CHEMO AND NO RADIATION!!
TO GOD BE ALL THE GLORY!!!
I can’t lie. While I was standing on the Word to hear those words, it stunned me so much that I missed it. I interrupted him and said wait! Say that again!
“The cancer was limited to the tonsil and ONE lymph node. There is no evidence it spread to any other tissue surrounding where it was located. There is NO NEED FOR ANY FURTHER TREATMENT, NO CHEMO AND NO RADIATION!!
I then told him I had a trip planned to Kenya on the 28th, and before I could finish telling him, he said, “I see no problem with that; I want to hear about it when you get back!”
To. God. Be. All. The. Glory.
Thank you, thank you, thank you to everyone who has stood with us in prayer, special giving, texts, messages, cards, and letters. I will NOT be preaching while I am in Kenya because I am still restricted from speaking due to the reconstruction they had to do in my throat area. I will also have to limit my speaking into the early part of 2024 to make sure my throat heals correctly. I do NOT want to go through this again!!
Thank you for everything everyone has done in walking with us during this season. To the thousands worldwide who prayed for me, thank you. Special thanks to Pam, who has loved, nursed, and several times laid hands on me and prayed for me when she thought my faith started wobbling a little. Thanks to my whole family for their love and support and to Megan & Missy for swapping out nursing duties that first week after surgery. Megan has become a very nice driver for us, transporting us back and forth to Birmingham for doctor visits. I could get used to that.
I cannot explain to you the joy and flood of tears that came when Dr Hari said, “There is no more cancer!”
For the Copeland family, this will be a Christmas to remember!!
