Hope for the Cancer+ Journey Podcast

Debbie Taylor Williams: You are not alone on your cancer journey. Welcome to the Hope for the Cancer Journey podcast. I'm your host, Debbie Taylor Williams, a stage three lung cancer survivor. A cancer diagnosis is shocking and scary, but there is hope, as you'll hear from people's stories of their journey, tips for navigating the medical world, and the unwavering hope you can have in Christ. Let's walk this path together.

Today, we have as our guest Rebecca McKenzie. Rebecca, you and I have been friends for so long, and I want to talk about that in a minute. But I also want to introduce my daughter, Lauren Spalding, who is here with us today. Lauren, we're so glad to have you.

Lauren Spalding: Thank you. I'm so excited to be here and to be a part of this podcast.

Debbie Taylor Williams: And you've been a big part because you've been with me through my cancer journey. That's actually how Hope for the Cancer Journey began. I had called you, Rebecca, one morning to check on you. As you were sharing about not just your cancer journey, you included several family members who were on a cancer journey. Then all of a sudden, you began sharing how God had shown up.

During that time, the Lord just placed on my mind and heart that your story needed to be heard by other people. That is how this Hope for the Cancer Journey began. So Rebecca, as I said before, I welcome you to this time for us to not only have the heartache and the tears, which we may have during our visit today, but also to give the listeners the knowledge that even though they're going through a horrible time, Jesus can show up. We're glad to have you.

Rebecca McKenzie: Thank you for inviting me. I'm very pleased to be here today and to share in this.

Debbie Taylor Williams: Now Rebecca, you had told me when you got here that you would really like to share about how you came to know the Lord before you got into your cancer story. Would you share that now?

Rebecca McKenzie: Sure, be glad to. My mom led me to the Lord when I was a young girl. I remember walking the aisle on Sunday night at our church to go forward and give my heart to Jesus. Someone that came through that many-line of handshakes said to me, "This is the most important decision you will ever make in your life." Even as a young girl, I remembered that.

That is so true. I'm 75 years old, and I've been through a lot in life. The Lord has always been there for me to guide me through every detail.

Debbie Taylor Williams: That's wonderful.

Lauren Spalding: Through our faith, obviously it doesn't always mean that things are going to be easy. Can you briefly tell us about your cancer journey and what you have been through? Tell us your story.

Rebecca McKenzie: September of '24, I was showering and found a lump in my breast. I had had a mammogram and an exam six months before, so it came up rather suddenly. At that time, I was in Houston. We live in Kerrville. My grandson, who was two years old, a few weeks before that, had been rushed to Texas Children's Hospital in Houston with a brain abscess.

He had emergency surgery. They were able to remove the abscess, but he did have a stroke due to some blockage. My daughter-in-law, his mom, had been through eight months of breast cancer radiation and chemo for a malignant breast tumor that she had found back in the fall of '23.

Debbie Taylor Williams: Rebecca, it was at that point when you and I were talking on the phone and you told me about your daughter-in-law, Aaron, and your grandson, and you. That's the moment that I thought Rebecca has to share her story because in the midst of it, you pointed out how God had impressed. Let's go ahead and hear your story. You found that lump and then what happened?

Rebecca McKenzie: There was a wait to get in. We were blessed. I will tell you many blessings that we've had. We were blessed that my cousin lives in Houston and continuously opened her door to us every time we've had to be down there. So we had a very nice home to stay in. She helped me maneuver the MD Anderson system.

I feel blessed that I was in Houston when I had this diagnosis because it was an unusual diagnosis. About two weeks later, two and a half actually, I got in and had a mammogram, an ultrasound, and the biopsy all in one day. That was on September 19th. I was able to have surgery November the 7th. You can see there was a time span there of waiting.

You all know how difficult that can be waiting. I have called my cousin's bedroom a prayer room because I spent many hours on my knees beside that bed praying, praying to the Lord. My cancer, to give a little medical detail, was lobular and ductal, two different types.

Lobular cancer layers in layers. It does not make a lump. The ductal makes a lump. I think God allowed me to have ductal so we could find the lobular because lobular is usually very advanced once they find it because there is no lump.

Debbie Taylor Williams: So you saw the blessing even in that.

Rebecca McKenzie: Yes, great blessing, even though that may sound strange that you're thankful for two kinds of cancer, but God works in mysterious ways.

Lauren Spalding: So Rebecca, you were dealing with what your daughter-in-law was going through also, what your grandson was going through, and then you get your diagnosis. During that process, what was your greatest fear? How did God answer your prayers and meet your needs through that?

Rebecca McKenzie: I don't think I feared for myself. I feared for my husband and what this could do to him. We were so focused on my grandson at that time because we didn't know if he'd survive or not. Although in the very beginning of his illness, God reassured me. He said, "I have a special plan for this little boy." I knew Jasper was going to pull through this stroke and be okay.

Debbie Taylor Williams: How did you feel assured, Rebecca? How did you know that? Because you were right, he pulled through.

Rebecca McKenzie: It was the Holy Spirit speaking to me as I've never had him speak to me before. I've had God guide me through many different things over my lifetime. But in prayer, I had the peace that passes understanding, which only those of us who have ever experienced that know that feeling. God just gave me the peace that he was going to be okay.

There was a time frame in there. My husband was back and forth with me, but most of the time, I was by myself. It was a 24-hour stay with Jasper and then home to my cousin's to take a nap and go to bed early and be back up there the next morning. I was alternating initially with my son Jeffrey and his mom Aaron in taking care of him.

Aaron's mastectomy had been planned for the day after his illness. Two weeks later, she was able to get a mastectomy. My daughter-in-law Melissa and my other daughter-in-law came down and helped us stay overnight with Jasper so Jeffrey could be with Aaron. God provided every need.

All of this is so intertwined in my life that my cancer took a back seat because it was great to be busy knowing Jasper needed me with him. I wasn't sitting around worrying. Just through that busyness, God gave me peace to not worry and not be afraid.

Debbie Taylor Williams: Rebecca, our listeners might almost need a flowchart to keep up with everything that you were going through with different family members because you have a diagnosis of two kinds of breast cancer. Your daughter-in-law Aaron previously had already been diagnosed with breast cancer. Right before she was supposed to have her surgery, your grandson Jasper collapsed and had to be rushed to the hospital. I think if I recall, you also told me you had another family member during all this six months or I'm not sure the timeline that had something going on.

Rebecca McKenzie: Well, my husband did. It was a year later. I was back in Houston in September a year from when I was initially diagnosed for my follow-up exams. He became deathly ill in the night with severe abdominal pain. My cousin suggested I take him down to the medical center there in Houston. We went to the Methodist Hospital.

He was there 16 days with severe pancreatitis. He had a gallstone that blocked the common bile duct that comes out of the pancreas and the gallbladder. He was in ICU. He doesn't even remember the first week of his treatment. I feared twice that I was losing him. Yet it was that routine again that kept me just trusting the Lord. I was able to go home to my cousin's nearly every night. I stayed with Bruce some, but I was on my knees praying. I had peace that passes understanding and knew God had it.

One morning, I'll share this with you, I was driving into the hospital early. There was this magnificent sunrise over the Houston skyline. It was orange and gold and just like gold shining in the sky. My heart was so heavy that day because it was one time when Bruce was really having some struggles. I just said, "God, he's yours. If you need to take him, I give him to you, but he's yours." Immediate peace. Just immediate burden off of my shoulders. I knew then that Bruce was going to be okay. God just in so many ways gave me so many clues. He said, "I'm here. I have this. I love you and your family, and I'm going to take care of you all."

Lauren Spalding: I think it is so encouraging to hear your faith and your complete trust in God through the process because it is so hard sometimes for even believers to question why God allows them to go through something or to be frustrated. You had not one thing, but you had multiple things that compacted all along through your daughter-in-law, through your grandson, and then your husband and yourself.

Your faith and your trust in God through that process is truly so encouraging and so inspiring. I hope the listeners can see that no matter what you're going through, how much God loves them and how he is there for them and will get them through that. Just put your trust in the Lord through that.

Rebecca McKenzie: I give my parents a lot of credit for my faith. I just saw my mom and dad live it out. When bad times come, you give it to the Lord, and he watches over you. There was never a time that I questioned God as to why these things were happening because there were constant reinforcements that came forward of he was in control.

For instance, the waiting game I had of getting all these scans done and doctor appointments and this and that. Aaron just sent a message in to her surgeon who was one of the best at MD Anderson for breast cancer and said, "Hey, my mother-in-law has been diagnosed with breast cancer. She's having to wait. Can you help her?" God sent a nurse practitioner named Shiny in the office.

She called me, went through every one of my reports with me, explained this was not a fast-moving cancer, it was kind of a medium. And yes, it's okay if you don't have surgery scheduled till November the 7th. I was thinking, "Hurry, let's get this done." That was such a reassurance when she called. Before she hung up, she said, "Rebecca, I want you to know I'm praying for you."

There were just all along the way through everything we've been through, there have been blessings. I had my mastectomy on the 7th. I was up and walking around the nurse's station the next morning, went home that afternoon. God just takes care of us.

Lauren Spalding: You've kind of touched on this already or shared this, but what did you learn about God or what blessings from God did you experience along the way that maybe you haven't shared yet or that maybe you would want people to know?

Rebecca McKenzie: That he's always in control and he's always blessing us in everything he goes through. Just trust him. He's got it. We have to give it to him. We can't carry it around on our shoulders. We can't get down.

You have to many times, I did say out loud, "Satan, get behind me" when I would have worries or doubts. I've never questioned the whys of God. I always know he has a purpose. He has a plan for everything that occurs in our lives, and he's there and he never leaves us.

Debbie Taylor Williams: Rebecca, your words remind me of the scripture where Jesus said, "In the world, you have tribulation. You have trouble. But take courage; I have overcome the world." He gives us a heads-up that we are going to have trouble. There are places all through the Bible, including Jesus's own life, where we see him having trouble and delays and hurt.

But we know that God loved him, and we know that God loves us. You're expressing that personal testimony that you experienced God's love through the tribulations, through the troubles you experienced. I think we would all certainly agree that God does not cause our cancer. We live in a world that is laden with disease and it's not the Garden of Eden that God created. He created everything perfect. But he does promise to be with us through our trials, and you're certainly expressing that.

Rebecca McKenzie: The other thing that came to me in the strongest way I've ever felt it in my life was the Holy Spirit. I have felt the presence of the Holy Spirit throughout my life guiding me through my choice of marriage, my blessing for my boys, the boys being believers, my daughters-in-law loving the Lord, many, many, many other things. But when you're praying your heart out and the Holy Spirit makes his presence known, there are no words to describe that feeling other than perfect peace. I think that's what it'll be like when we sit at the feet of Jesus in heaven someday is just that perfect peace and love.

Debbie Taylor Williams: And I do have a verse in my heart for that and it's John 14:27 when Jesus said, "Peace I leave with you; not as the world gives give I to you." His peace is otherworldly. It's a different peace that only can come from God. I'm glad you shared how you had an experience as a young girl where you came to recognize that you had sinned that needed to be confessed and you looked to Jesus as someone who paid the price for that sin so that you could have life with him. Not just for after you died, but now also.

You've experienced that through his Holy Spirit. Our spirit's not holy, but you've experienced that through his Holy Spirit that is a gift to believers within each believer. What a wonderful word you have spoken to us and our listeners today. We want you to share anything else that comes to your mind right now that you want shared. You've blessed us already so much. So feel free if there is something else.

Rebecca McKenzie: This is a small side note, but for those of you that are facing chemotherapy, if you have the availability of a cooling cap...

Debbie Taylor Williams: Tell us about your cooling cap. You mentioned it to me and I didn't use it and all my hair fell out and it came back gray and curly, Rebecca. And you have your beautiful hair, so yes.

Rebecca McKenzie: Well, yes, some chemos you're going to lose your hair no matter what, so they probably did not advise you to even do that. But I did take advantage of that and it's just a cap they put over your head and they circulate cooling fluid off of a machine through it through your chemo.

They start it 30 minutes before the first dose and you have to be there an hour afterwards for it to be effective. It basically keeps the chemotherapy from affecting your hair follicles. I did lose some hair. That may seem like a small thing, but I felt like that was a blessing. God was just saying, "I'm here and I'm going to allow you—some can't—but I'm going to allow you to keep your hair."

Debbie Taylor Williams: That's a good tip for us to know and for those who can keep their hair and want to have that treatment. You did receive your treatment at MD Anderson, correct, in Houston?

Rebecca McKenzie: Yes.

Lauren Spalding: And one thing that I really am encouraged by with you also is seeing God in details, like little things that you just trusted God so much through that. I think that was one of the emphasis that you had is trusting God, but that you saw him in so many aspects of your journey and completely trusted that Jasper was going to be okay and that it was all going to work out.

I think that shows a testament to your faith and your relationship with the Lord. I just encourage those if they're listening and they don't have that relationship with the Lord, how transformative that can be when you do go through trials. Reach out, there are so many different resources on the Hill Country Ministry page at debbietaylorwilliams.com that they can use to learn more about the Lord.

Your testimony truly ties to what you went through. You wanted people to know that there is hope and you want people to hear your story. I know when you came in at first you mentioned how you were a little bit apprehensive about sharing and you weren't sure about that but that God was calling you to do that. Through that how many people are going to get to hear your story and how many people you're going to get to impact through sharing that. I know how difficult it must be to get to do that. So just be encouraged so much that you are blessing others through sharing that and God is using you mightily through that. We thank you so much for sharing.

Rebecca McKenzie: One thing I wanted to share that relates to my grandson's hospitalization. When he got on the rehab floor at Texas Children's, I walked out the door of his room one morning and a lady came out of the room next door. I looked at her and I thought, "I know you."

She was there with her son who had had an accident. She was such a support to me and I feel like I was to her. We prayed together. We shared. She sat with Jasper when Aaron had her mastectomy so I could go be with them. She was just a true godsend to me. Her son and Jasper became friends, would play together. It was such a blessing.

Debbie Taylor Williams: She paid it forward, you paid it forward, and I'm sure it's going to keep going. Our listeners, you can pay it forward by sharing this podcast with someone you know who is going through cancer, who has just recently been diagnosed, or even to loved ones who may have lost a loved one to cancer.

Rebecca, your testimony has been that there is eternal life, there is a God, there is a Jesus, there is a present Holy Spirit who can comfort us and guide us. I do hope that you will go to our website as Lauren mentioned. You'll be able to find a menu item that you can click on for how you can meet Jesus and know him. You can be assured of your salvation.

If you don't know what to pray, there are some prayers available for you to pray. If you want to know some encouraging scriptures for yourself or that you could share with someone, we also have that available on the website. You can just click that link that says prayers. You can also submit your prayer request for your healing or a loved one's healing on our website and know that we will pray for you.

If you don't mind really quickly sharing, because this is the first podcast, you wanted to call this Hope for the Cancer Journey. Can you tell a little bit about why you felt that you should do this through initially God bringing it to your heart and how that came about?

Debbie Taylor Williams: Going through my own shocking diagnosis of stage three lung cancer, since number one I'm not a smoker and number two I had perfectly good lab tests and am healthy, as I told my thoracic surgeon, healthy as a horse. He looked at me and told me, "No, he thinks I had stage three lung cancer."

Yes, and that is on another podcast that we'll have available. So I'll share more about that story. But today Rebecca, I just want to thank you so much for your faithful and encouraging witness. Because I was in the middle of my cancer journey and you encouraged me that day. I had gone in to get a cup of coffee and just hit on my phone to call Rebecca McKenzie to find out how you were doing.

You just started sharing blessings above and beyond. So Rebecca, thank you for choosing to trust God. You could have chosen to be angry or mad or not trust him. All those are also legitimate feelings that we can have. But what I heard coming from you that morning was words of affirmation that Jesus was with you and was providing. It has been lovely to have you share more than a guest, you're our friend on Hope for the Cancer Journey.

Our listeners, please subscribe and also share this episode. It could be the exact message someone needs today. Thank you for listening and keep looking up as you take hold of the hope you have in Christ. And remember Psalm 39:7, "And now, O Lord, for what do I wait? My hope is in you."