It was December 11, 2009 when I was diagnosed to have breast cancer.I remember, my husband and I brought our son to school for his scheduled camping, and since the school is near the Mega Mall area, we decided to drop by the mall with the purpose of buying shoes for my son (there was an ongoing sale at the Mega Trade Hall during that time). We almost opted not to go to the mall because my husband had a terrible headache and I was also experiencing pain on my left breast, nonetheless, we still proceeded. A blessing indeed, we chanced upon a booth, at the other Mega Trade Hall (exhibiting possible businesses to OFWs), a video playing facts about breast cancer. It caught my attention. I stopped and watched the video holding my left breast. Never did I notice that the advocated of Gift to Life Foundation was observing me and feeling that I have a problem, encouraged me to undergo a test, further assuring me that I am safe in the hands of Dr. Tina Santos, a breast cancer surgeon. The confirmation I am so much afraid of banged into my ear. Physically, I have breast cancer, Stage IIIB. My husband and I cried, but getting back to reality, I uttered a wish to my husband, \u201cNever question the will of God.\u201d Nevertheless, I felt so lucky that time because before it was too late, God found a way for me to discover my cancer; never did I realize that the simple scar on my left breast would be the start of this very serious illness. All I needed was a written manifestation that, indeed I have cancer. The rest is history, all the right people (families, friends, doctors) just came instantly, offering their much needed help.Before all of these happened, I came to watch Rated K featuring the story of Julius and Tintin Babao. I really felt something inside me that every time we are passing by E. Rodriguez, Jr., Avenue area in Libis, I am hoping that I will find the Chapel, but to no avail. Directions and landmarks were given to me by a friend; just the same. I could not find the place. In His time, after the diagnosis, without much effort looking for it, I found the place. The first time I entered the church, the feeling was unexplainable, as if I\u2019m already in heaven: peaceful, solemn and safe.In one of the anointing of oil, I cried and pour my heart out to the lay minister because I felt something different. I told him that I was diagnosed with breast cancer and he told me, \u201cAno? Stage 3, wag lang Stage 4, gagaling ka. Maniniwala ka ba na dati hindi kita nakikita, pero ngayon, nakikita na kita.\u201d He told me to write down my petitions to St. Pio, to wait and give him my petitions for inclusion in his daily prayers. I was given the opportunity to embrace and kiss the relic of St. Pio every time I visited the Centre, a blessing that I will not forget the rest of my life.I prayed for the guidance of St. Pio during the time I was torn between the opinions of two doctors from different hospitals \u2013 one telling me to undergo Modified Radical Mastectomy (MRM) and total hysterectomy at the same time, no chemo therapy required, only cobalt and 5 years maintenance of Tamoxipen; and the other one telling me to initially undergo 3 cycles of chemo therapy to soften and reduce the size of the tumor and have the MRM later, then continue the chemo. I prayed for signs: for St. Pio to be with my dreams or if I did not encounter any problem in securing clearances with the third Hospital, which is the V. Luna Hospital, my treatment would be done there. He gave me both, I saw him in my dream, smiling at me, imparting a message for me to undergo the operation at V. Luna Hospital. Moreover, despite the fact that the doctors at the said Hospital was on Christmas vacation and no clinics for securing clearances were scheduled, a lone consultation and issuance of clearance was done during that time, giving me no problem in securing the requirements before the operation. The doctor told me that I should be admitted first for me to know the schedule of operation, five days being the earliest. However, the day I was admitted (noon of January 7, 2010), the doctor told me that they had a conference, that even before my confinement I am already scheduled the following morning, January 8, 2010 (first case), an answered prayer, since Dr. Tina Santos told me that my treatment must be done immediately because my tumor will burst open anytime soon, I offered everything to the Lord, that hat is best for me will happen according to His will.The therapy I needed was very expensive (more of less PhP300,000 per cycle) in order to control the aggressive cancer cells found in mu body. I have to undergo 17 cycles of chemo therapy; the first six requires me to prepare PhP1.8 million and the next 11 cycles, PhP 1.65 million. My husband is an ordinary soldier. We are both government employees. How can we go on with the treatment? Praying the rosary and begging for intercessions of St. Pio and the Blessed Virgin Mary, we were able to survive all the medical expenses.There were times that my chemo were delayed due to the unavailability of medicines at the hospital, but I never lost hope telling everybody that no matter how late my treatment will be, if the Lord tells me that I am cured, then I will be cured. Even if the treatment is on time, and if it is not His will, then I will not be healed. Nothing is impossible with God.I felt so blessed, thank you very much to St. Pio and the Blessed Virgin Mary for their intercessions. There were so many answered prayers, from the provisions of my medicines, the complications of the therapy which I did not experience; the tuition fee of my son which we cannot afford, unexpectedly, a benefactor came and answered all his tuition fee, what more can I ask for, everything has been answered. God provides. I remember one time, when my children were fighting and I was so stressed. I told them that it is better when I am in the hospital. There, I will not be able to witness them fight. You know what, I was hospitalized and was I in reverse isolation due to a very low immune system. I asked for God\u2019s forgiveness, that I will not say bad things again. A lesson learned; never to play with words, that there is this one God watching over us. I asked for it, so He gave it to me.On my fourth cycle, I was told that I have to pray more because I am not yet cured completely. I never lost hope. However, after my fifth chemo, I was told that I am not sick anymore, that my hands are not of those with cancer. I cried and prayed for thanksgiving. I believed in my heart that I am already healed and that the only thing I am afraid of is being separated from God. he told me to pray more and ask for our Lord\u2019s guidance.I am so grateful to tell everyone that I never felt so lucky in my entire life than having this cancer because my life has changed tremendously. I never felt so close to God than this moment in my life.<\/p>\nOn October 14, 2010, after the Mass and during the anointing of Holy Oil, the second gift was given to me \u2013 the gift of complete healing. I cried and poured my heart out because all my prayers have already been answered. During that time I felt more obliged to return back the favors I have received, that I have to share this wonderful gift and let other people experience the blessings I have been receiving, much more give hope to the hopeless, that through the intercession of St. Pio and the Blessed Virgin Mary, everything is possible, all we need to do is have faith and offer everything to the Lord, for without Him we are nothing.<\/p>\n
The results of my evaluations are confirmations that I am totally healed of my cancer.<\/p>\n
Thank you very much St. Pio for introducing me to the Centre and all the people behind it, who serve as your instruments in the fulfillment of our hearts\u2019 desires and proclaiming the greatness of the Lord.<\/p>\n
I thank the Lord so much for touching my life, by giving me this cancer, because I not for this, my eyes and my heart will not be opened: That there is this one great God who loves us; that He gave His life for our salvation; that every breath we take in every moment of our lives, we live under his power. I also thank Him for this wonderful gift of life and I am praying that I may continue to me an inspiration to everyone and let everyone experience his greatness. I ask this in the Name of Jesus Christ Our Lord, through the intercession of St. Pio and the Blessed Virgin Mary.<\/p>\n<\/address>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
AN OPEN LETTER TO EVERYONE A TestimonyBy Nora B. Javier, 23 January 2011 \u201cI thank the Lord so much for touching my life, by giving me this cancer, because I not for this, my eyes and my heart will not be opened… I ask this in the Name of Jesus …<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"ngg_post_thumbnail":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[2,8],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-498","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-hidden","category-testimonials","column","threecol"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/saintpiocenter.com\/stpio_wpsite\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/498","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/saintpiocenter.com\/stpio_wpsite\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/saintpiocenter.com\/stpio_wpsite\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/saintpiocenter.com\/stpio_wpsite\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/saintpiocenter.com\/stpio_wpsite\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=498"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/saintpiocenter.com\/stpio_wpsite\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/498\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":591,"href":"https:\/\/saintpiocenter.com\/stpio_wpsite\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/498\/revisions\/591"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/saintpiocenter.com\/stpio_wpsite\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=498"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/saintpiocenter.com\/stpio_wpsite\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=498"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/saintpiocenter.com\/stpio_wpsite\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=498"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
![\"1stqtr_2011b\"](\"http:\/\/saintpiocenter.com\/stpio_wpsite\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/02\/1stqtr_2011b.png\")
<\/a><\/p>\n