Discussing Breast Cancer

In yesterday’s post I mentioned my silent recitation of The Lord’s Prayer while I laid on the radiation therapy table. I find comfort in The Lord’s Prayer because I’ve had it memorized since I was a small child (yes, I am a cradle Catholic) — that makes it easy to recite during times of duress.

I’ve read, repeated and studied each line of The Lord’s Prayer and always find it the most complete, most perfect prayer there is. (That comes as no surprise because it is the one prayer Jesus himself taught us to pray as told by Matthew and Luke in the New Testament.)

It works for me but it is important for you to know, there isn’t just one way to pray, no right way to pray, no single prayer that is the only prayer you could/should say. (There are countless prayers and types of prayer; see Wikipedia article on prayer).

The important thing to recognized is the strong correlation between prayer and healing. Prayer has been proven to relieve stress and improve one’s spirits and wellbeing. Breastcancer.org, one of my favorite resources for breast cancer patients and their families, has an article explaining the spiritual component of breast cancer treatment.

Here’s a link to the preface (and order form) for a great book of prayers called “You Are Never Alone” published by the Oncological Nursing Society … “a constant companion for the patient with breast cancer.”

If you find yourself wanting to pray right now without a resource like that or other books or your own words … you can peruse this list of belief.net prayer topics and choose a prayer that speaks to you.

Or try repeating this prayer that I wrote tonight …

Dearest Lord, thank you for facilitating our diagnoses so that we can do our part to heal the cancer growing within our bodies. Please bless all survivors with the strength we need to withstand our medical treatments. Grant the medical professionals who treat us the wisdom and skill to cure us if that is your will; and if your will is for us to live with cancer then give us the peace that is necessary to truly say … thy will be done. Amen.