Ca: Where Is Your Sting?: My Experience with Cancer of the Colon

By Lillian Ngigi

This book is a personal story of sickness. healing and the touch of God in the life of Lillian Ngigi. Lillian was diagnosed with cancer of the colon. During her journey of treatment she caught a bacteria infection which put her down for many weeks. She developed temporary paralysis while in the ICU. Eventually she was discharged from hospital while still fighting the infection. She was on a wheel chair for about ten weeks. She has since recovered fully and gone back to business.

• Language: English
• Publisher: WestBow Press
• Release date: Jan 21, 2021
• ISBN: 9781664216235

Lillian Ngigi

Lillian Ngigi has a long experience working as a Licentiate Architect both with the Kenya Government and in the corporate world. She later diversified and became an entrepreneur joining her husband in his manufacturing concern. As a born again Christian Lillian has served the church in different capacities from being a youth leader at Kenya Assemblies of God to being a WM leader at Deliverance Church and is currently a junior church teacher at Christ is the Answer Ministries (CITAM). Lillian is an alumnus of Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology as well as Pan Africa Christian University. She holds an MBA in Strategic Management and is currently pursuing a PhD in Business Administration (Strategic Management) at Kenyatta University. Lillian is married to Eng. Simon Ngigi Gicharu. They are proud parents to two adult children: Daughter Lumiere Wanjiru Ngigi and son David Ngacha Ngigi.

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Copyright © 2021 Lillian Ngigi.

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models, and such images are being used for illustrative purposes only.

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Scripture quotations taken from The Holy Bible, New International

Version® NIV® Copyright © 1973 1978 1984 2011 by Biblica, Inc.

TM. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

ISBN: 978-1-6642-1622-8 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-6642-1623-5 (e)

WestBow Press rev. date: 01/14/2021

DEDICATION

This piece of writing is dedicated to all cancer patients together with their families, the cancer survivors and all the cancer patient attendants.

We have been caught up in this difficult situation which is not of our own making. Let us be encouraged to soldier on trusting in God who holds the power over everything. Cancer and death are not the same. Remember Jehovah has the final say. Not even a strand from your hair falls down without His knowledge.

Shallom!

CONTENTS

Foreword

Endorsements

Acknowledgements

Chapter 1     Introduction

Chapter 2     What is CA?

Chapter 3     The Beginning

Chapter 4     The Real Sickness

We are going to India

Chapter 5     Hospitalized and Start of Treatment

Chapter 6     Treatment Back Home

Chapter 7     My Faith Experience

Chapter 8     In The Icu With an Infection

Chapter 9     A Time of Dreams And Hallucinations

Chapter 10     Lost in the Dreamworld

My late Parents

On the thin line

The bacteria infection

The rat poison

My two girls

The wheelchair

The Construction

Preaching

Shopping

Visit from the physiotherapists

Visit from Njoki Ndungu

The Kenyan Nurse at the ICU

Chapter 11   Home Sweet Home

Chapter 12   When the Heroes Fell

Chapter 13   Conclunding Reflections

•   Life is in God’s hand

•   Loss of independence

•   How about Suffering

•   The Lord forgives all our sins and heals all our diseases

•   Learn from the professionals

Chapter 14   Many Gratitude and Thanks

Afterword

References

FOREWORD

‘I have forgotten how food tastes like.’ Those were the words of Lilian when Nick and I found her in her house just before they left for Delhi with Simon. She had not eaten solid food for days. She was what one would call really sick. Simon was doing everything all at once. Finding a suitable hospital, confirming that the travel documents were all in place, ensuring they had enough Indian Rupees and handing over Company affairs to Shiru and her brother Ngacha. Let’s just say that the hours leading to the flight to Delhi were loaded with anxiety and faith all wrapped into one. In between tears, the small group of brethren, family and friends managed to sing, pray, worship in between tears and bid the Ngigi’s goodbye.

Fast forward, I meet with Lilian again. This time at Dharamshila hospital watching Lilian as she lay on her hospital bed sicker and weaker yet, clinging to the faith of a risen Christ. This time, she was in and out of consciousness –her voice too weak to join in the worship. She neither complained nor sighed – she just smiled with a calmness that said it was well. Soon after, Lilian was whisked to the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) where she stayed for quite a while but she hang on and the Lord breathed life back to her and she later boarded a flight back to Kenya albeit in a wheelchair. Many of us watched with awe as the Lord restored Lilian back to her healthy state, bringing each bone, ligament, and muscles and now she can walk and even eat solid food!

The story you are about to read is neither fiction nor made up. Every single episode is a real experience. The pain was real as was the healing. Our sister Lilian did walk through the valley of the shadow of death but God delivered her for His glory. More importantly, this story, happening in our time and space is a demonstration of God’s power at work today and of His everlasting love and plan not just for Lilian but for all of us family, friends and brethren who were privileged to share in this journey.

This forward would be incomplete without the mention of Simon and their two children Shiru and Ngacha, family and the community of believers who surrounded Lilian with love, comfort and prayers. Readers will marvel at the detail with which Lilian collected the nuggets of help and hope from each one of these wonderful people and then carefully weaves it all together. Despite her pain, she did not forget that in her physically helpless state, God sent real people to stand with her. What a grateful soul we have in Lilian!

It is my hope and prayer that all those who will read this amazing story of the healing and restoration of Lilian Ngigi and the victory that God gave her over cancer will encourage and motivate our faith - the faith that overcomes the world, as Paul reminds us. I consider it a great privilege and honor to write this Forward to such a profound and powerful book by Lilian Ngigi – a true friend of Jesus Christ and who has been used to demonstrate to us that nothing is too hard for the Lord Jesus. Characteristic of Lilian, she tell the story in the simplest way so that all may understand, laugh and cry - just as happens in all tough patches along our journey. Make no mistake, this is nowhere near simplistic. Thank you Lilian for sharing your life with the world and by so doing helping us to stay strong in tribulations and to trust that indeed He who called us is faithful! May this simple story told by a simple child of God who, by His grace overcame the pangs of cancer truly edify and encourage our faith to continue loving and serving the Lord in our generation so that we can boldly sing: What a friend we have in Jesus!

Sarah Muhoya

Echo Network Africa

ENDORSEMENTS

I find your story/testimony truly inspiring and uplifting. You seem to have lots of content to explore around the themes of suffering, Gods comfort, maintaining a positive outlook, spirituality and suffering, the place of social/spiritual support in suffering and suffering yet innocent.

Kaara Wainaina

Journalist /Author

Lilian’s story is such an inspirational one. Her journey in fighting cancer of the colon is a true reflection of resilience and great faith in God as our ultimate healer. It is a confirmation that a cancer diagnosis is not a death sentence. I have personally drawn immense strength from her story and the many conversations we had with her when we met in Delhi. I have no doubt that this book will inspire many people who are going through different challenges of life.

Dr. Beth Mutugu (PhD)

Kenyatta University

This is a great testimony of God’s intervention and healing. May many find hope, encouragement and strength as they read through it. May they also receive their healing in Jesus name. To God be all the glory and honour for healing you, my sister Lilian, and giving you back to us. God bless you.

Teresiah Biu.

Teacher, Counselor, Author

This is a powerful and interesting testimony! It reflects a journey of faith, and the faithfulness of our maker. It challenges our institutions positively and who knows who will read this book? It can bring transformation. Involvement of Ciru, the fruit of your womb, moved me to tears.

Jane Macharia

Teacher and Counselor

Lillian Ngigi has honestly and diligently expounded on her journey fighting cancer, a deadly killer in many parts of the world. Here is an example of a person, who through mere prayer, faith and strength from God, managed to go through deliberating pain from serious bout of cancer and came out strong to be a beacon of hope and encouragement to many who may be going through similar experiences. Mrs. Ngigi has explained in detail how, together with her family, managed to deal with issues of cancer misdiagnosis, emotional stress, finances, overseas travel and occasional low immunity. This book is a must read for any cancer patient, their relatives and caregivers in order to gain strength and know that even when seriously sick, God has the power to heal and replenish.

Dr. B M Mwangi (PhD)

Muranga University

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

This book would not have been possible without the overwhelming support of many people. I am sincerely indebted and I thank God for all of you who kept on reminding me that I should put this experience into a book. I am not able to mention all of you who really encouraged me to write but let me point out the contributions of a few people.

Special thanks go to my editor Kaara Wainaina who took time to read this manuscript and to make various suggestions and comments. Your contribution is immense and highly appreciated.

Many friends asked me to put my experience in writing. I acknowledge and highly appreciate my physiotherapist Carol Mwendia who constantly reminded me that I need to share my experience in a book to encourage another person who could be undergoing what I went through.

Thanks to my loving family; my husband Simon and my children, Ciru and David. You have supported me a lot as I was putting these thoughts together. You freed time for me to do as I felt fit and therefore was able to write. You have reminded me of details which I had forgotten or which my state of mind at the time of experience could not comprehend. I will never be able to thank you enough for your contribution.

Thanks to all my sisters and brothers and to my nephews and nieces. Your support and encouragement has enabled me to recover enough to be able to write this account.

There is another invincible support received from the church family and friends. That word of encouragement, that message you sent me and that Bible verse breathed life into my being. Thanks too for the prayers.

To all of you I say a big Thank You

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

This writing is increasingly becoming a report or a book of dreams. After progressing some steps, there comes this or that dream probably meant to inform me one thing or another but it kind of throws me off the mental balance I have been programmed to. I have not had very good physical balance either but am getting somewhere. I sometimes suffer some things which I lack the language to explain. At times I have had to search Google to get the name or meaning of some of these experiences. For instance, there is this kind of a spinning sensation in the head which in the earlier days used to make me fall to the ground but the frequency of falling has been decreasing as the time progresses. For the last six months I have felt that once or twice and I skipped the fall because someone was close by my side. I learnt its name is called vertigo. Am unable to describe it further but I can say I am gaining more balance with time.

I have discussed my experience with dreams in later chapters in this book but I can say lately two experiences have directed my actions on this writing. While what I have written in the chapter of dreams and hallucinations was not a one day experience but a continuous day to day life in the dream world, some of these later dreams have happened in the early hours of the morning, sometimes not too early but it will be just before waking up. We can assume they are the kind of dreams any normal human being can have and are not necessarily due to the fact that I was sick except that for me I relate them with the fact that I was sick.

In Kenya, we are in a kind of a lock down. The world at large is on a lock down forced on us by the COVID-19 pandemic. The message to the entire world is simple and straight forward – stay at home. Since I hadn’t looked at this writing for many weeks, last night I decided to type a few lines. I had stopped writing when I thought God is telling me not to publish but now I am continuously at home and I have some time in my hands. I know I could be working on my academic proposal but that calls for brain power. It is not equivalent to just being seated at home in front of a computer and dropping down thoughts from deep within my memory. It is true I am kind of forgetting some information and a lot of it but still it does not take too much energy to retrieve and can rest in the assumption that whatever cannot be retrieved does not cause harm.

Yesterday I wrote a page or two in the evening, then I went to sleep. In the morning I woke up with a dream where a former cabinet secretary who went to school with my husband was handing me back this manuscript after he had done some editing. I was very happy because I had sent the work to