You’re There for Him. I’m There for You.” - God

By Connie Weddell

"You're there for him. I'm there for you." - God. This is more than just a statement. It's a promise. A covenant that God made to me one night in a dream that awakened my spirit with hope for the future and an unexplainable drive to tell our story to the world. This book is my personal testimony about how my faith and nutrition knowledge kept my husband, Gary, from experiencing many of the side effects of chemotherapy (chemo) and radiation after he was diagnosed with Stage 4 throat cancer. The documented journey is my way of connecting with others who may be looking for someone that has gone through a similar experience. And, trust me, I personally know how it feels to want to seek out answers for what a loved one is about to go through.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Connie Weddell
• Release date: Feb 25, 2021
• ISBN: 9781801281300

Book preview

Dedication- To my husband

You were always the strong one... until that merciless day when you looked over at me and I could see in your eyes that the tables had shifted. Within that single glance, we knew there was no time for indecisiveness and no room for error. It was now my turn to gather the strength to care for you, while you fought for your life.

And together, we did just that. Through tears and sleepless nights, we kicked cancer’s @%$# and went home... just like we said we would. Only heaven knows what the future holds. But, as we continue to walk that path, I promise to do everything in my power to give you the quality of life that you so much deserve.

Thank you for allowing me to share our intimate story with the world in hopes it will help others who are facing the same struggles. My love for you grows more and more with each passing day and I will stay by your side every step of it.

Acknowledgments

Matthew 18:20 "For where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I among them." 

Thank you to all the prayer warriors who put on your shields and stood strong in faith as you lifted Gary up, asking that he be healed and for angels to watch over me, as I cared for him. We are appreciative beyond belief for each and every one of you.

I believe our faith in the Lord Jesus Christ was with us during our most trying times and we continue to feel his presence every moment of every day. I’m a firm believer that when we pray, the Lord hears more than just what we say; and that he gives more than we can imagine. 

Praise be to God, for he has done just that! According to the doctors, if his tests revealed no signs of cancer for two years, they would consider him to be cured. The good news is that every test he’s taken since his last treatment on 7/1/16 has shown no signs of cancer! 

We now live each day to its fullest and my husband continues to heal remarkably well. 

About the Author

Connie Weddell has been an independent Shaklee® distributor since 1994 after their products helped her during her own health journey.

Through that experience she learned the importance of choosing quality food supplementation and why the clinical testing of those products is so important.

Armed with that knowledge, she quickly determined a path that helped her husband nutritionally offset many of the nasty side-effects of chemo and radiation, so he could return back to optimal health. Everything she learned was put to the ultimate test and they both deem it a true success story.

Connie is a wife, mother to two sons, nana to six grandchildren and a 1995 beauty pageant winner. She and her mother, Jeanette Carter combined their businesses, becoming Shaklee® business partners in December 2016.

https://www.jeanetteandconnie.com/about-hub is their website if you’re interested in learning more about them and the products that Connie gave her husband (a full list is at the end of this book).

Preface

"You’re there for him. I’m there for you." - God. This is more than just a statement. It’s a promise. A covenant that God made to me one night in a dream that awakened my spirit with hope for the future and an unexplainable drive to tell our story to the world.

This book is my personal testimony about how my faith and nutrition knowledge kept my husband, Gary, from experiencing many of the side effects of chemotherapy (chemo) and radiation after he was diagnosed with Stage 4 throat cancer.

The documented journey is my way of connecting with others who may be looking for someone that has gone through a similar experience. And, trust me, I personally know how it feels to want to seek out answers for what a loved one is about to go through.

In fact, everyone who’s had someone they love diagnosed with cancer knows the anxiety surrounding the verdict. The news is life shattering. Your body goes into shock and a full-blown denial; you don’t want to believe it’s happening.

Just hearing the word ‘cancer’ turns your world upside down. In an instant, your future feels hopeless.

For me, the thought of losing the love of my life to a senseless disease, quickly took over my mind. I became obsessed with the thought that my life was slipping away right in front of my eyes and there wasn’t anything I could do to stop it but my faith was bigger. And it was my faith that saw me through the uncertainty. 

The doctors were forthright by delivering the information in raw form. I understood and appreciated the brutal honesty, but wasn’t at all prepared for the magnitude of information we’d be expected to process in such a short amount of time.

This was all too real. It was so much to comprehend. So, when the doctors prescribed chemo and radiation treatment, I was understandably nervous; worried about the severe side-effects he would have to endure.

They explained, that while chemo was necessary to kill the cancer, the side-effects can be challenging.  Here are just a few of the ones that are very common: A constant feeling of nausea, severe rashes, itchy chapped skin, breaking out of the skin due to the medication (similar to severe acne), a possibility of hearing loss, low white blood cell counts (which plummet your immune system, putting you at great risk of infection), thrush inside the mouth, weight fluctuation and constipation. And the side-effects of chemo are unpredictable; they can wear off within a few minutes or stay with you for days and even years.

We were told that while chemo would have its side-effects on Gary, radiation would also play its own part in weakening his health. The side-effects of radiation treatment vary depending on what part of the body is being treated, the dosage of the radiation, and the number of treatments the doctor prescribes. 

Severe sore throat, mouth dryness, loss of appetite, tingling in the hands and feet (referred to as neuropathy) and difficulty swallowing; just to name a few. The list seemed endless. I sat at the door of hopelessness as they detailed each one – terrified of what was now in store for our future.

So, to say that the news we were hearing from the doctors was bleak would be an understatement. But knowing that nutrition was also a healing medicine, made by God... was what, in time, gave me the drive and courage I needed to push forward through all of the uncertainty.

I knew that while the doctors were focused on killing the cancer, my job was to focus on keeping him supported nutritionally, to keep the devastating side-effects at bay and decrease their severity as much as possible with the healing properties of a quality nutrition regimen.

My husband went through many ups and downs on his journey to recovery. Through patience, perseverance, my faith and my knowledge of nutrition, I managed to do exactly what I set out to do. Together, our family made it through the storm.

I’m grateful beyond belief to the doctors for taking such great care of him and very humbled for the grace and insight God bestowed upon me as we walked through that horrible ordeal.

Through this book, you're invited to witness each heart-wrenching moment; from the time he was diagnosed to the celebrations of receiving clear tests, indicating there were no longer signs of cancer in his body.

This step-by-step journey includes the doctor visits where they adamantly pointed out all of the side-effects Gary would likely experience due to the severity of the medication and treatments he'd be given; and how important it would be that he stayed as nutritionally sound as possible going through it.

This story is written in a chronological sequence so you can follow along with how I kept him supported nutritionally. You’ll find a full disclosure of the nutritional products I gave him at the end of the book.

Now a quick word about what this book is NOT. It is NOT meant to imply that if you follow this nutrition plan, it will keep you from getting cancer or that it will cure cancer. It merely shows you the path we chose and why.

To further clarify, when you read our story and see the nutrition plan I created for him, I want to be sure you understand that I don’t claim to be a doctor. Nor do I claim to be a nutritionist or any kind of practitioner that diagnoses or cures anything or anybody. And I don’t offer advice to others; I only report what worked for my husband and me.

My hope is that this book finds its way into the hands of anyone that may be anxious about a loved one who’s been diagnosed with cancer. That it may give you the hope and courage to get you through each day as you formulate a plan for survival.

My