Since 1999, Chuck has navigated a difficult pilgrimage through 2 occurrences of throat cancer. Along the way, he identified several spiritual truths that helped him cope with this disease. Chuck learned that cancer is like no other disease. It affects the patient, family, and friends. The disease and treatment can have severe and lasting side effects. Statistically one in four people have cancer.  That means if there are 20 people in your extended family 5 of them have cancer (maybe they don’t know it yet).  That is true for Chuck. His wife, Ruth is a breast cancer survivor, one of her sisters died of breast cancer and another has been diagnosed with it.  Ruth’s brother has Hodgkin’s Lymphoma, her brother-in-law recently died from lung cancer.  Chuck’s father had prostate cancer and testicular cancer in his seventies and kidney cancer in his late eighties.

 

August 17th 1999 Chuck began coughing up blood and went to the emergency room where he hemorrhaged and lost several quarts before they were able to stop the bleeding. The ENT on call discovered a 2-inch cancerous tumor that had wrapped around  two arteries in his throat.  He had been misdiagnosed as suffering with sinus trouble for several months and was scheduled to have sinus surgery in one week.  Instead of a sinus problem he now was referred to an oncology surgeon who said the tumor was too large to safely remove and referred him to a chemotherapist. The strategy was to reduce it enough to perform surgery. On 8/30/99, with 20% odds of living, Chuck went to the chemotherapist who prescribed 4 chemo treatments. On Labor Day weekend he started a 96-hour continuous dose of chemo. A Friend in Nashville, Louis Johnston, called and told Chuck to pray specifically for God to remove the tumor and remove the cancer. All of his prayer partners started praying that way.

That weekend Ruth had a dream that revealed a friend, Tom Holt, and her laying hands on Chuck and healing him. Tom was awaken from his sleep the same morning at 2am and God told him to go lay hands on Chuck and that healing would take place. About the same time Chuck had a similar dream.  After Labor Day, Tom started calling Ruth saying, "I have to come and see Chuck". Ruth revealed her dream and it was discovered all had the similar dreams. In Chuck’s dream the other person was a neighbor, Ida Simpkins, who was a cancer survivor. Ruth said she couldn't make out who the woman was in her dream and assumed it was she. On 9/12/99 Tom Holt, Ruth, Ida and Ida’s husband, Sam, laid hands on Chuck and he was healed.  Chuck immediately praised God and claimed the healing. This was a healing from God following Acts 9:10-16 and not by seeking a faith healer.

On Monday, the ENT was called and told about the healing and asked to examine Chuck’s throat and document the healing. He scoped Chuck’s throat and exclaimed "I have never seen a tumor just melt and disappear; it is gone".  He scheduled a CT Scan to verify it. On 9/29/99 Chuck had the CT Scan and left the previous scans from August for the radiologist to compare. The radiologist's report read, "In conclusion there is no measurable tumor present."

Chuck is living proof that God heals his people today. He knows firsthand that God always answers prayer. Sometimes God says no. Why? Because He is God, He is in control, and He is on a different plane than us. Otherwise He says yes. If yes to healing, then it is either by miracle or by medical process.

In November 2000 a new tumor was discovered. It was the same kind and smaller. While angry with God at first because he thought the miracle cure had been negated, Chuck started to pray specifically for God to remove the tumor and the cancer. God literally answered the prayer with a yes but revealed it would be through the medical process.
God assembled an amazing medical team. Chuck was to receive 34 radiation and 3 chemotherapy treatments simultaneously. The radiation burnt his throat and neck to a crisp. After 2 chemo treatments, his body was in such bad shape and his blood counts so low that his medical oncologist cancelled the 3rd chemo treatment.  By the 4th week, the tumor was gone and he had no other signs of cancer.

Almost immediately after the treatments were over, he ended up in the hospital for 2 weeks with low blood counts, throat pain, dehydrated, and a rash all over his body. During this time, I Thessalonians 5:16 came to his attention. It reads “Be joyful always; pray continually; and give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.” You are to thank Him for everything. That means your cancer, your pain, Chuck’s broken wrist that happened while in the hospital, the IV needle stuck in you, and the skin rash.  . Through all of this Ruth took care of him along with his 90-year-old bedridden father who was living with them. Chuck’s father lived to see the cancer healed in his son then passed away peacefully in his sleep 5/12/2001.

The aftereffects of the chemotherapy and radiation can be brutal.  Chuck went through hyperbaric chamber treatments to improve his ability to heal.  He had to have all his back teeth upper and lower removed as they were deteriorating due to lack of saliva and reduced circulation in the area from radiation.   A feeding tube placed in his abdomen was the source of most of his nutrition, as it was difficult to swallow and he got choked easily.  Chuck lost about 80 pounds but was stabilized and gained back 5.  He had to have rehabilitative therapy to strengthen his throat muscle.  Radiation shrunk his epiglottis allowing liquid to get into the lungs easily, which could have had deadly consequences.  Many medicines were difficult to take since he had trouble swallowing.  The chemotherapy  made the blood vessels in his arms very fragile. The high doses of antibiotics he had to take upset the natural balance of the body system and he suffered from a yeast infection for months in his mouth, throat, and intestines.
Six  years later, Chuck is considered cured, works 10 hour days and trains for powerlifting with his oldest son Charlie at least 3 days a week. He is 6” 3” and his weight is stable at 190 lbs even with a 95% liquid diet.

Chuck focused on the following spiritual truths to help him through his ordeal.  God loves you; He is in total control; and Praise Him in all things. Cancer is a disease with no guarantee of living. Not being saved is a spiritual sickness with a guarantee. If God can heal cancer, He can save you by healing your spiritual sickness. All can be saved; just invite him into your heart.