Testimony – Amy McClay

On September 25th, 2016 my prayer request was to find the answer to my extremely itchy skin. 

This had gone on for quite some time before this date. The itching began halfway through my first pregnancy, about April 2015. My prayers for relief seemingly went unanswered. 

For the next two and a half years the itching continued. However, during those two years I learned so much and I experienced over and over again how much God loves me. 

MY STORY

I would spend hours in the bathtub for relief, mostly pleading to God to make the pain of the itching and the actual itching stop. In these prayers, I learned about the God who speaks. The God who knew how to lead me to find comfort in him. 

I learned that He created me to see visions for myself and others. He allowed me to speak into people I love and to intercede for others, to spend time calling heaven down to earth. He taught me how to build Him into my day, all because of an ailment that was not being fixed or healed. God was bringing good from a bad situation (Romans 8:28).

In the years of itching, God blessed me despite my pain. He heard my cries and never said no. God never said I will not heal you. He simply directed me to something else. He directed me to relationships and to His truth. He always spoke! He began to heal my emotional and other physical wounds. 

God was NEVER silent! Let me tell you what happened.

THE JOURNEY OF WATCHING GOD PROVIDE

God blessed me with a job that allowed, after five years, for my school loans to be forgiven by the government. In this job I was able to work with amazing people who made a difficult job easier. 

This job also provided health insurance that allowed me to have two beautiful girls. During those years we saw God provide as our extended family was available to watch and care for our oldest while I was at work. 

This was a HUGE blessing and it was a HUGE deal to me. I didn’t want her to grow up in daycare. I can’t really explain why. I know it was a deep desire of my heart that God orchestrated to allow such love and care to be given to her at our house even though it wasn’t with me. God showed me that He cares about the desires of my heart.

I remember saying, “God, I see you putting each part in its place. Every step is already thought through by you. But the itching, you forgot about the itching.” I would hear, “No, I haven’t.”

At some point, I also began having pain in my lower back. I had several people pray over me and lay hands on me. All the while, I saw a chiropractor and physical therapist who significantly helped me with my pain and I began to see some improvements!

I also sought out prayer from friends for my pain and itching. During one of the prayer times for me, my friends saw a vision of my back. My spine had something dark (not of God) surrounding it. We asked God what it was and He walked us through a lot of emotional wounds He wanted to heal like wounds from a difficult childhood, as well as wounds and lies I believed about who God is and how He sees me. 

I know we prayed about so many things that evening, but the thing I remember the most was feeling new again in Christ. I had a brand new understanding that I am His daughter, His beloved daughter. God was healing the inner me.

I honestly hoped that would be my last big prayer time! 

Oh man, I was wrong and I was glad I was!

God is always speaking to us, always revealing new spaces for healing and new ways for Him to be closer to us. We will always be learning as long as we are listening, because He wants us to be completely whole in Him. 

What He taught me in all this is that…

God is moving, God is alive, and God is in relationship with us.

GETTING ANSWERS – Severely Anemic Pregnancy to Cancer Diagnosis

I had so many people praying for me. We all wanted answers to what was happening in my body. In October of 2017, I went to the doctor for my first pregnancy appointment for my daughter, Sadie. My husband and I were ecstatic and ready for a healthy and active pregnancy. 

Our appointment went as any 8 week appointment might go. They asked questions as to how I had been feeling and if there were any other siblings. They gave suggestions of things I should consider during my pregnancy and I had to have some routine blood tests done.

The following day I received a voicemail from my clinic and they were concerned about my low iron levels. They passed my information on to another clinic and the very next day I received a voicemail from a hematologist’s admin, who was located at a cancer center. This was the start of having to seeing multiple doctors every week as they tried to get me back to an acceptable iron level. 

I received several iron transfusions throughout my pregnancy as well as several other oral and IV treatments, according to the suggested course of action. We had ultrasounds every 4 weeks until I was 28 weeks pregnant and then I began having weekly ultrasounds. 

My doctors knew Sadie was growing and healthy, but they were somewhat at a loss as to why my iron levels were so low, as nothing they tried seemed to work. They eventually determined I had hemolytic anemia of pregnancy, which was to spontaneously improve three to four days following delivery. 

I was finally hopeful that I would feel better!

However, all throughout my pregnancy my body began to deteriorate. I lost weight. I wasn’t strong enough to hold up my own body which meant I spent the last few weeks of school teaching from a wheelchair. There were evenings I was in such severe pain that I would simply sit in the bath as it supported my body and soothed the pain, even if for a moment. 

I remember friends, family, and co-workers looking so terrified for how I was unable to keep up with life. 

MEETING SADIE

Delivery day finally came. 

I was so excited! I would be healthy in three days! 

Sadie was born on May 17, 2018 and I almost instantly felt better! The pressure and pain my body suffered from was finally gone. 

I was back! At least that is what I thought.

Fast forward to July of 2018. I have an eight week old and I haven’t slept more than 15 minutes at a time in 4 weeks. The pain was back and stronger than any point during my pregnancy. 

Unfortunately, no doctor believed my pain. However, I could no longer walk because my back hurt so badly. It was wearing on me and I simply felt sad. 

Fortunately, every time I prayed I felt calm. I always felt at peace. HE always believed me even if the doctors didn’t. 

As it turned out, I had to have emergency back surgery. There was something there that was causing my pain. The doctors finally believed.

The doctors had to remove a grapefruit size tumor just to relieve the pressure on my spine, which at that point had paralyzed me. That led the doctors to the final diagnosis that would help them heal me.

I was diagnosed with advanced stage 4B Hodgkin’s Lymphoma. 

The cancer was everywhere from my neck down, in my bones, in my organs, in my blood, and I was showing multiple outward symptoms of the cancer. 

I completed 8 rounds (16 treatments) of ABVD chemotherapy. 

They had originally planned to do 6 rounds, but persistent lymphoma was found in my chromosomes and I had to undergo additional treatments and tests to be able to “guarantee” it was gone. 

It was a big and scary year. However, what I want everyone to remember is what God did through this time, instead of the cancer.   

I lost my hair and my self-sufficiency during this journey, but God provided.

WHAT GOD DID

On the day of surgery, God spoke to one of my pastors and showed him what my friends had prayed for that winter’s night a few years prior. The Lord showed him how God was removing the dark ungodly mass, soon to be gone forever. That was a HUGE confirmation. I had more hope and more excitement that God was at work healing me. This wasn’t my future. It would soon be my past.

God aligned the timing and the help for my stay in the hospital.  God alone made the doctors order an MRI for me the day I was to leave for a family vacation. This incredible timing allowed my entire extended family to be off work and present during my extended hospital stay, so they could take care of our girls. 

God arranged for one of my family members to have a job that allowed her to cut back on hours and help raise my girls. She offered to do that because I was unable to pick up or carry either one of them with my weight restriction from surgery. Her amazing generosity allowed for my husband to still go to work and provide for our family. 

God brought people into our lives to provide rest and normalcy. He showed me time and time again that cancer was NOT going to define me. 

God healed the back pain and He healed the itching. He provided two healthy, strong girls to grow, develop, and be born from a body riddled with cancer. 

God provided health so that our family could attend events and go on trips that allowed me to live in the moment. Being able to see this taught me to move on. 

God wanted me to live a healthy life, doing what I love! He is a good, good Father!

GOD’S TIMING

What took the doctors so long to find my cancer? This is something I have reflected on a lot and what I find great JOY in knowing. God kept the doctors from finding the cancer sooner. This may sound silly, but if they would have found it earlier I know they would have done a c-section early on in pregnancy (or given me other advice about Sadie’s life). 

If they had found the cancer during the first or second trimester we would have had to make the decision to be given chemotherapy during pregnancy and if they would have found it before that, Sadie may not be here. 

What I found is that severe itching is a side effect of Hodgkin’s Lymphoma, so the assumption is that I had it for at least three years. 

Now the cancer is gone! 

On July 25, 2019 I got the all clear. This was 1 year and 13 days from diagnosis. 

God completed SEVERAL miracles while healing the cancer. 

He not only took a horrible health situation and brought about healing to MANY areas of my life, but He also created two little girls – two miracles in my life. They were deep desires of my heart and the Lord was so gracious and loving as He provided a way to bring them into my family. 

FINAL THOUGHTS

As I reflect back, what amazes me are the details of everyday life that He has put into place that gave me healing and a comfort that can’t be explained in earthly words or expressions. 

He knew the pain and waiting I had to endure. He comforted me. He didn’t leave me alone. He brought JOY and LOVE out of a horrible situation and showed me how He can provide, even in the smallest details that culminate into the bigger story of my healing. 

God is moving in every way, all the time. He never stops! 

Now I need to live in this truth, to remember how He has orchestrated every single part of the last several years. I need to lean into Him during this season of health. 

I am living out of His love. 

God is the same today and tomorrow as He was yesterday, and if He didn’t miss a detail yesterday than he won’t miss one today or tomorrow. 

About Amy

When I first met Amy, I was drawn to her infectious JOY and amazingly contagious laugh. We were both volunteer youth leaders at our church and our friendship grew as our mutual desire for more of God increased.

I am so blessed by her friendship and honored that I have a platform to allow her to share her story of God’s faithfulness and love. I have learned so much by witnessing and being a part of her journey over the last couple of years and I am so thankful she is in my life.

Have you experienced God’s Love through His perfect timing? I would love for you to comment below or reach out through the CONTACT page.