Page 1 Page 2 Page 3 Page 4 Page 5 Page 6 Page 7 Page 8 Page 9 Page 10 Page 11 Page 12 Page 13 Page 14 Page 15 Page 16 Page 17 Page 18 Page 19 Page 20 Page 21 Page 22 Page 23 Page 248 BOCNEWS.com JANUARY 2017 Cancer Free In 2013, I was diagnosed with cervical cancer. I am happy to tell you that I am now cancer free. All praise and honor goes to God, our creator. In October 2012, I went to my family doctor (PCP) for my annual physical. I asked for a pap, and was told by the physician assistant, that at my age I was no longer required to have a pap test. I was 62, I insisted, and reluctantly was given the test. The test came back with abnormal cells present. I was told to go to an Ob/Gyn. The gynecologist did a biopsy. The biopsy was conclusive, I had stage 1 cervical cancer. I was sent to an oncologist. I immediately went into denial. I sought out alternative medicine, with no noticeable results. I finally decided to go with science, after approxi- mately 6 months into the diagnosis, I prayed and finally accepted the diagnosis and the challenges that lie ahead. I went through the treatments, which was one the hardest challenges I have ever had to face. The chemo was one day every week for six weeks. The chemo took 3 hours to be put into my body. It was killing everything, healthy cells and the unhealthy cells. However, radia- tion was 5 days a week for the entire six weeks. The first time the radiologist gave me my radiation treatment, I immediately lost my taste buds. The only taste bud that I had left, was the sweet taste, which is what cancer cells loves. This is how cancer thrive in your body. I had enough sense to know that I had to go cold turkey on sweet, and I prayed to God to get me through this horrible ordeal. I prayed TO GOD LIKE THE WOMAN WHO HAD THE ISSUE OF BLOOD (which I was having), HER PRAYER IN HER MIND WAS, "IF I COULD ONLY TOUCH THE HEM OF JESUS GARMENT, THEN I WOULD BE HEALED.' I PRAYED THAT PRAYER FERVERENTLY EVERDAY & EVERY HOUR OF THE DAY. God heard my prayer and I touched the hem of his garment spiritually. I started out weighting 210lbs, after I finished the treatments, I was weighting only 145lbs after just six weeks. I was literally starving to death. I was hospital- ized more times than I can count, I had 6 blood transfusion. The infusion (Chemo) staff ordered me to have IV (hydration) every Saturday morning to get me through the weekend. Sometime it would get me through, and sometime it did not, and I would have to be hospitalized and given a blood transfusion. I was weak, and felt sick all the time. I just wanted to feel good again. Even though it was a six week treatments plan, it felt like an eternity. After my treatments were successful, I began telling other women about my experience. These women began sharing stories about their sisters, mothers, and women family members who had succumbed to this form of cancer. I began to real- ize, that their stories had common thread. These women did not get pap smears. When they notice, something was wrong, the cancer had become invasive. After listening the these sto- ries, I began to realized that this form of cancer is a SILENT KILLER. It has no early warning symptoms. Early screening to detect the HPV virus, (pap smears) is your only defense at pres- ent, if you are having the HPV virus (the one that cause cervical cancer), get screened[gj1] . It will can save your life!! Arts & Wellness was born to help other women to become survivors, and not become another statistic. I have partnered with the American Cancer Society to assist me with the cervical cancer/HPV awareness campaign. They are supplying me with some funding, educational materials and pamphlets. I give annually to our local channel 9 health fair in Colorado, every year before I was diagnosed with cervical cancer, I would personally donate funds to help women received low cost pap tests. There is no charge to the women to participate at these fairs, however, there is a cost associated with the screen- ings. Arts & Wellness will raise money to offset the cost for women who participate 9HF. I am asking for your support. I need your financial contributions to help more women received this early screening (pap smears) at 9HF. I am Thankful for your contributions. I am thanking you in advance for any amount you give. We can and will win this fight against this SILENT KILLER among women of all colors, race or religious beliefs. It's that time for Arts & Wellness fundraising event. “Celebrating Women Health through Music and Dance” This year our goal is to provide screenings for 500 women at Colorado at 9 health fairs. The fundraising event: January 21, 2017 @ Rising Star Missionary Baptist Church in Aurora, CO. For more information on this event, contact Gladys: ArtsWellnessHPV@gmail.com, or http:// artswellnesscervicalcancercampaign.weebly.com/ This year the featured artist, Moses Tyson Jr., stel- lar award winner & national recording organist will be performing. I want to thank everyone in advance for your con- tinued support. May God add a special blessing to you and your family lives. "Remove the Death Fear, get Your Pap Smear" Again, THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT!!!! Peace & Blessings, Thrive “Ask me, and I will make the nations your inheritance, the ends of the earth your possession!” — (Psalm 2:8, NIV) GOD DOESN'T WANT US TO JUST BARELY GET BY IN LIFE! He wants us to thrive and experience the fullness of His blessing! Not only does He want to meet our needs, He wants us to be in a position to reach out and help meet the needs of others, also! When we pray and ask God for something, it opens a supernatural door. Our faith gives God something to work with. Faith is what pleases Him! Faith moves mountains. Beloved, it pleases God when we pray bold prayers and ask Him for big things! God loves it when we step outside of the realm of the pos- sible and totally believe what He can do. With God, ALL things are possible! Believers, we encourage you to GET BOLD WITH YOUR PRAYERS! ASK GOD FOR BIG THINGS! Believe that He is working behind the scenes on your behalf! Put your faith to work because God is faithful! He has big things in store for you; obey Him for real, and do what He says, ASK HIM! OUR PRAYER: Father, today I come to You with an attitude of faith and expectancy! You said that if I ask anything according to Your will, it will be done! So I thank You for Your goodness and faithfulness in my life and I BELIEVE FOR BIG THINGS in 2017 in Jesus’ name! Amen. By Dr. Sandra Powell Gladys Turnbough By Gladys Brown Jones Turnbough TESTIMONY