In the second of a two part interview, Heather Bellamy spoke with her mother-in-law, Viv Bellamy, about her 25 year battle with cancer

Viv Bellamy

Viv Bellamy has lived with cancer on and off for over 25 years. She is a fighter who chooses life every day. In the second of a two part interview, Heather Bellamy spoke with her mother-in-law about her journey with breast and ovarian cancer and her outlook and approach to life.

Heather: Viv we've just been hearing about how you went out to Penang for three years. It was an awesome time, but when you came back it was a very difficult time and that time was to continue being difficult with the death of your mother and mother-in-law. Tell us about that time in your life.

Viv: Yes it was very difficult, especially Graham's mother in particular as we had a lot of interaction with Graham's parents and Graham's mother died very suddenly. It was totally unexpected as she wasn't ill. I know people tend not to think of death and wonderful things, but the wonderful thing I remember there was for me personally how God brought a healing in our relationship. Graham's mother and I had had a difference of opinion and it was very strong. The morning of the lunchtime that she died I was prompted by God to ring her and tell her that I loved her and we just talked and I felt that there was a healing. I think had she died and it had not been resolved I would never have forgotten it.

Within six weeks my own mother died. Now my own mother had had cancer, but again she was taken to a hospice and God gave me a special time with her. None of the rest of my family visited her at that time. She was only in there a few days, but God gave me that special time with her and a time that I could walk away after my mother died knowing things had been settled and I was with her when she died; but it was a very traumatic time and obviously had a big impact on my life.

Shortly after that I went to college. I'd never been to college in my life. I did grammar school but didn't get much qualification from that. I'd worked for Marks and Spencer and just saw this advert for college and contacted them. Although I didn't have any academic qualifications, I had life experience and to cut a long story short I was given a place on an IT course. It was a full time, two year course, which would cover everything from the front and rear end of a computer and many other things besides that. Also at the time I was doing women's ministry, which I did from when I came back from Penang, speaking at local women's fellowships, which was very rewarding. I was also part of the leadership of a Bible study group, so God was still working in my life. I just trusted Him, because I didn't know where it was going. At the time Graham was still out of church, although I was still going to church with the children.

Within a year of my mother's dying, in 1986 I got cancer for the first time. It was in actual fact through Marks & Spencer scanning programme that it was detected. I had a lumpectomy as it was called then and was given radiotherapy. Two years later it came back again and I had further surgery followed by chemotherapy. At the time Graham and I were now going to a local Pentecostal church and there was a lot of support there. One of the nurses who was in the oncology department went to the same church and we built a very deep relationship with them. Even to this day we are friends and meet regularly. It was a hard time, but God was there. God was there the first time with cancer. I didn't have any side effects; nine weeks of radiotherapy and it was like being on a sun bed really. When I had my chemotherapy I didn't lose my hair; I had no pain; I wasn't sick. I used to go back to work after my chemotherapy. I was at college at the time, so I was doing college and cancer. Then two years later I had it for the third time. They removed glands underarm, but no mastectomy. I was then put onto Tamoxifen for five years. During that time I got my qualification from college and I went to work for the Civil Service.

Over a period of quite a few years I developed a design and print unit, which covered the whole of the country in the end. It was then closed down for various reasons. By then Jonathan had done his university with a year out in Australia. He came back and formed a link with Cross Rhythms. Jonathan needed to do something and I think we suggested Cross Rhythms. Chris Cole, the founder, came out and chatted and the next thing we know Jonathan's in at Cross Rhythms. I guess you know the story from there Heather. Then one day what does Jonathan do? He rings up and says, 'Mum could you put a young lady up'? And guess who the young lady was Heather?

Heather: I think that was me.

Viv: We thought it was just going to be for a little while. Little did we know that it was going to be for the rest of our lives, but the amazing thing is we now have such a wonderful daughter-in-law, how God has just given her to me. You know Heather we have such a deep togetherness in the spirit of God and this is God's gift to me and I'm sure to Graham, who always wanted a daughter anyway.

Then Richard went off to Bible College. That again was God's provision.

Heather: You may not have encountered a full healing of your cancer, but you have really overcome. A few years ago it came back didn't it; can you pick the story up from there?

Viv: Yes. I think it was about seven years ago, as you get older your memory goes, but I think it was seven years ago. In fact nine years ago I was diagnosed with auto immune hepatitis. As a result of this medication I had, it's possible that it could have caused the cancer to return. Then seven years ago I went for a check up, which I have been doing over the years and various tests showed that the cancer had returned in the breast again. I went in just before the Christmas and had a mastectomy. When I came out I obviously had tests and they were looking at treatment etc and realised through the tests that I also had ovarian cancer. I went into hospital and it was quite a major operation and the detail is a bit gory so I won't go into it. After which I had chemotherapy, which was very difficult because of my auto immune hepatitis and I had to be treated for breast cancer and ovarian cancer at the same time, but again God just met me there because I didn't lose my hair again; I wasn't sick; although the operation left me with an ileostomy to contend with for a while. Yes it was traumatic. God was in it all and I came through that. I had the ileostomy reversed and life went on. I know that God is in it today. God has healed me in so many different ways. I'm in His hands.

I want to read these words to you Heather because these are so important and it's a song we used to sing in the Salvation Army. The songsters used to sing it. It says:

I shall not fear though darkened clouds may gather round me
The God I serve is one who cares and understands
Although the storms I faced would threaten to confound me
Of this I am assured I'm in His hands.