I have cancer.

Beatriz

@Michael-Angelo-Go I never post nor comment here… but today I need to tell you I know what you are going through. I had ovarian cancer 4 years ago. Very emotional situation as I dealt with the idea of loosing a part of me too. I got surgery very soon, and thank God chances of recurrence are the lowest possible. Please don’t delay treatment. The sooner you do, the better chances of good quality of life for the rest of your life you have. I also dealt with mental illness earlier in life… almost 20 years ago. I can only say searching for Gods face was the factor that brought me back to health. Please don’t loose hope. Search for your creator. Don’t walk away from people nor things your love (like art). You only need paper and pencil. What you are going through right now is not easy, but you don’t have to go through it alone. I bet tons of people here will pray for you sooner or later. I do already. <3.

Eliana Bastidas

I really hope that in the future, you could look back at this moment and say, "It was really hard, but I was able to overcome it".
Wish you a fast recovery!

AngelinaKizz

So sorry to hear this news, I hope that you'll go into treatment with positivity and optimism, and that everything goes smoothly for a full recovery. You have our thoughts and well wishes.

aurelia

Hi @Michael-Angelo-Go ,

I'm really sorry to hear what you are going through right now.

It must be really overwhelming, heart-breaking, and emotional for you. As all the students said above, we're here to help and encourage and keep you in our prayers.

May God guide you and give you wisdom in this trying time and you'll come out of this shining as gold.

I still remember when I was young my grandma got cancer.

My grandma was also an artist. She made toys for kids.

She wasn't feeling well for some time and she thought it was some digestion problem. So she kept eating porridge for some time. But it wasn't getting better. She was travelling at that time, so later when she got back home and went to the hospital, they checked and they told her she had pancreatic cancer.

My whole family could not stop shaking.

Then very quickly they checked her in the hospital.

All the medical procedures only made it worse. It was so painful and stressful for her. And eventually it caused her to go into a coma.

She never woke up.

At last she vomited out a big mouthful of blood and then she was gone.

She worked very hard all her life and taking care of her families and grandchildren. She was very kind and loving it was really sad to lose her so quickly.

I can only imagine how your family and friends are feeling right now...

I was really regretful that at that time we were not in the age of internet, like now when the knowledge of healing cancer is so abundant... and people are getting rid of cancer in their bodies everyday without any medical intervention.

There are so many different natural ways to heal the body from any type of cancer now, it is amazing.

At that time most people are not very knowledgeable. The only thing we knew about was what we needed for our work and our occupation. They could only blindly rely on expensive medical intervention that doesn't help anything.

Actually it, helped grandma to die even faster and made her last days a lot more painful and stressful...

I'm glad to hear that you know there's better options to get rid of your cancer. Like you mentioned that you're seeing a herbalist.

I hope your herbalist is specialized in healing cancer and other terminal sickness too. If not, it's not hard to find an experienced one these days.

Except that maybe a lot of them are censored on Google because they threaten the profits made by hospitals and medical industry. So you may need to find them personally.

Recently I happened to know about Dr. Ruby Lathon who healed herself naturally from thyroid cancer without medical intervention.

Her life is like a dream now and she is spreading her life's story everywhere to help others who were once like her.

If you have time to watch, I hope her interview can also inspire you as you look for the best out of many solutions to your new challenge:

https://www.chrisbeatcancer.com/dr-ruby-lathon-healed-thyroid-cancer-with-a-plant-based-diet/

If anytime you need more resources, feel free to post in the forum.

There are a lot of other natural proven approaches we all can share.

God bless.

Michael Angelo Go

@aurelia Hello Aurelia thank you and everyone who replied to comfort me in this most trying time. I am seeing a "holistic" doctor for a second opinion so that we can rule out whether or not a thyroidectomy is really the best decision for me. I am worried that by following through blindly what my primary medical doctor says will not yield the best results for me. I understand the ramifications of removing a thyroid. Once I have it removed I can no longer control hormone throughout my body. That means I will start gaining weight even if I intensely exercise and have a caloric deficit. It means that I won't be able to control my blood pressure or my mood, leading to anxiety and depression. Weight and mood are issues I am already facing, having my thyroid removed will only worsen these symptoms, unless I accept the chore of hormone therapy every day. Which I am not yet ready to do.

What I am hoping from this other doctor is that he can either offer an alternative solution or confirm with me that I do not have much of a choice, so that there is not regrets moving forward.

Michael Angelo Go

Thank you @NessIllustration @Nyrryl-Cadiz @Melissa_Bailey and everybody else for your comforting comments. They are much appreciated and will help ease the transition to healing.

Jonathan Malski

If I'm honest, I don't know what to say.

One Bible verse that comes to mind in dealing with hopelessness is John 16:33.

I'm sorry for the fact that you have to go through this; it's more than tough, to say the least.
But there's a community of people here for you, and even more than that, there's a God who knows you and loves you and will never leave you nor forsake you.
It's okay to feel the way you do---it's okay to lament. But don't forget to breathe and be still. You have time, as @NessIllustration said. Take action where you can; you're already doing it.

I'm not sure where one can go to make 100% reliable/steady art income, but I know one can find prospective contract/freelance/full-time work in places like:
- You're already on ArtStation, so I assume you know about https://www.artstation.com/jobs/all (not exactly children's book-related work, but you never know what you'll find)
- Also, video game concept artist Trent Kaniuga said in one YouTube video of his (can't remember which) you can always try to look up projects on Kickstarter/Indiegogo which might need artists, (one collectible trading card game I found is Depths (Check its Twitter), and one collectible trading card game company open to artist submissions is FantasyFlight Games (Artist Application is near the bottom of Careers page)), and you could also try illustrating music album covers.
- You have a bachelor's degree in Architecture; internships and contests are available for that career, if you're open.
- You can look up art contests and see what's out there and what potential prizes exist (here's one website with a list of contests; unfortunately, only 3 are still open for submissions, I think)

I'll be praying for you.
May the Lord bless you and keep you. May His face shine upon you, and may He give you peace (Numbers 6:24-26 (NIV)). And if you don't know the Lord yet, I pray that you come to know Him.

Take care, man. And, as you thought, it never hurts to vent a little through your art, thereby creating additional productivity!

Eliana Bastidas

@Michael-Angelo-Go It's great you are looking for second opinions, to me it's really common and helpful to get the opinion from different doctors because they may overlook something important or have a different point of view that may help you more.

I just would add that you shouldn't stop trying to get medical help. I know aurelia meant good, but it was really a dangerous advice.

Michael Angelo Go

@Eliana-Bastidas I am seeing a licensed medical doctor that specializes in holistic medicine for thyroid disorders to get a second opinion on my thyroidectomy. A thyroidectomy is a life-changing event and I want to make sure I am making all the right decisions before I jump straight to surgery. My doctor wasn't even willing to answer my questions, which goes against "informed consent" a concept in the medical field.

Eliana Bastidas

@Michael-Angelo-Go I'm not doctor, but I have a family member that is a doctor. They are usually really reserved about saying things mostly because it can have an impact on the behaviour of the patients, if something bad happens because they "told a patiend something", they could get a demand and get their licenses revoked.

Every field that is related to health care in general is really delicate in this aspect, any action or thing you say, may cause you trouble. In my teens I was studying to get a paramedic license and one of the causes that made me quit was this, you literally have to see courses about legal stuff, just to make sure you don't get in trouble .
Hope you don't see this comment as a nuinsance, I'm taking my time to write about this because I'm concern. Alternative medicine is usually based in pseudoscience. Take care!

Michael Angelo Go

@Eliana-Bastidas

I wish I got my first doctor's license revoked. He neglected to properly evaluate my lab work for 4 months, gave me the wrong medication, told me I had to take it if I wanted more blood work, and refused to change his mind even when I showed him the risks based on family history.

Idk if you live in the UK or somewhere outside the US or California, but I reported him to Medical Board for negligence, and they condoned it. My insurance also recently told me they also condone what he did. I had to escalate my claim to DMHS because I just recently found out that I am someone who may potentially have cancer whose treatment was essentially delayed for a significant period of time. It took me another 4 months to get diagnosed with cancer. So almost a year.

stayhomejoe

Hi Michael,
I’m going though similar circumstances. I have diabetes,thyroid problems, stage four kidney disease, and a life long blood disorder. I have a good wife and son who have helped me through everything. I love art and everything that surrounds it. I hope you have a supportive people around, it makes life go easier. I think your art is great! Keep it up. Bad and good seems to come in waves. I will keep you in my thoughts and hope for best. My peace be able to find you.

Dwain Holley

This is such a heart-breaking news. Hoping for a speedy recovery.

kirsten-mcg

@Michael-Angelo-Go I’m so glad you’re seeking alternative medical advise! Unfortunately, conventional medicine often falls short of providing true healing. Not to say it can’t be life saving at times, but there are so many other options anymore. I’ve been heading more and more about the use of medicinal mushrooms for cancer treatment. Just another idea to look into.

And please lean into your art! I truly believe that art can be healing for both the mind and body. Do whatever you can to maintain hope and peace and happiness in your life.

Sending prayers and well wishes your way! I loved what so many other people were saying about trials making us stronger. I truly believe that. Try to focus on what you’re learning from this, and how it will eventually make you stronger. Sometimes the things that seem hardest to go through are the things that give is a big push in the direction of our true life’s calling.

Chantal Goetheer

@Michael-Angelo-Go how aweful! So sorry to hear. We are with many to be with you in thought and prayer. So whenever you need some support, find us. I hope art can give you distraction and the beauty of creating in these trying times. Wish you lots of strength in the trajectory and decisions that lie before you. Big digital hug to you!