Learn to Dance in the Rain - Episode 173 - Health, Hope & Inspiration : City of Hope®

Learn to Dance in the Rain – Episode 173

Download This Show: MP3 Download

For PC right click “Save As” – For MAC click the link and click the down arrow

Featuring: Amy Engel

Published: July 20, 2019

Health, Hope, & Inspiration welcomes Amy Engel, a cancer survivor and clinical scheduling logistics coordinator at Cancer Treatment Centers of America in Tulsa, Oklahoma. She offers listeners hope from her own cancer journey and how to “dance in the rain” even in the midst of the storm of cancer.

Show Notes:

The long central hall as you enter Cancer Treatment Centers of America in Tulsa, Oklahoma features pictures of cancer survivors. Amy Engel remembers her first day working there as a clinical scheduling logistics coordinator—before her colon cancer diagnosis. “I remember just looking at our patients and just admiring their courage to go through such a horrible disease, and I remember thinking to myself, ‘What would it be like for me if I were to ever get cancer?’” A little more than a year later, a routine colonoscopy revealed a tumor: Stage III colon cancer.

Engel clung to her faith after her diagnosis and never felt conflicted about seeking treatment, while still believing in God to heal her from cancer. She needed God’s strength to endure the treatments and continue in the workplace to support herself and her disabled husband. “So, I thought, ‘God’—you know, I just remember praying—’You’re gonna have to help me.’ And He did. It was amazing. I was able to work through all of my treatments. I could feel His presence, and His hand was so vivid in my journey.”

She underwent the recommended steps of treatment: surgery and 12 rounds of chemo and thanked God for the positive people she met along the way. “There were times that…I would be sitting…waiting for my chemo, and there would be another patient in there sitting, and she was just preaching a sermon. She was just on fire for the Lord and just telling the whole waiting room…and there were so many times that I was on the receiving end of that here, but I also have been on the other end of that…it’s all for God’s glory. And when we go through things, He wants us to use it to encourage other people.” She also appreciated the approach of wholistic care at Cancer Treatment Centers of America, including clinical excellence, integrative support services and spiritual care.

Engel also continues to encourage patients in the work place. “I have a saying on my wall—’Don’t just wait for your storm to pass, but learn how to dance in the rain.’” For her, dancing in the rain included depending on God, her medical team and co-workers. Now, she celebrates life in a way she never saw before—including her 12:30pm “dancing in the rain” sessions with her co-workers when they turn on music and dance in the hall. “It’s very important as you’re going through a journey with cancer to keep that song in your heart, to keep a positive attitude, to lean into the Lord more than you ever have before. And He just draws you in and gives you what you need. He knows what you need every minute.”

Quotes:

“I remember just looking at our patients and just admiring their courage to go through such a horrible disease, and I remember thinking to myself, ‘What would it be like for me if I were to ever get cancer?’”
“It’s very important as you’re going through a journey with cancer to keep that song in your heart, to keep a positive attitude, to lean into the Lord more than you ever have before. And He just draws you in and gives you what you need. He knows what you need every minute.”
“I have a saying on my wall—’Don’t just wait for your storm to pass, but learn how to dance in the rain.’”

Resources:

CLICK HERE to download this week’s resource: “What to Expect When Diagnosed with Cancer”