Valentines Day For Me

February 14, 2000 started my journey for a different kind of celebration and remembrances on Valentine’s Day. My day started with crossing the mountain from 105 Church Road, Longdale Furnace, Virginia to Stonewall Jackson Hospital in Lexington, Virginia. My husband and I were moving to Cynthiana, Kentucky the next day for me to start my exciting career as a travel nurse. So why was I going to Stonewall Jackson Hospital on Valentine’s Day? For my mammogram.

I worked for Stonewall Jackson Hospital for seven years. I worked on the Medical Surgical floor, the Obstetrics department, and the Home Health department. I loved my co-workers, and I loved Stonewall Jackson Hospital. My parents, my brothers and one daughter all lived in Kentucky. I anticipated one of my other daughters moving to Kentucky. It seemed like a great plan to take a travel nursing assignment in Kentucky before making a permanent move. I had accepted a travel nursing assignment to Cynthiana Hospital from Sunbelt Staffing, a Travel Nurse agency. I spoke with the director of nursing (DON) there who was also a travel nurse. During our interview he asked why I wanted to go to Cynthiana. My response was that I felt God had opened the opportunity for me and that I was trusting Him to lead and guide me. The DON said “well, I believe in His leading and if you feel that He is leading you here the job is yours.”  That was a WOW moment and truly felt like confirmation of God being in the middle of my decision to head to Kentucky.

I had to have a physical for my contract with Sunbelt Staffing. I went to see Dr. Hemphill in Lexington, VA. We had worked together for a couple of years. He was one of the newer doctors in Lexington. He did my physical examination, which was all good. He did a breast exam and said he did not feel anything. I routinely did self-breast exams, and I had never been concerned. Dr. Hemphill asked if I wanted to do my mammogram before my move or after. I laughed and said I had better do it before because I would never do it otherwise. He laughed and said, “you nurses are all alike.”  His office scheduled my mammogram for February the fourteenth.

I arrived at my appointment where I received hugs, words of love and goodbyes from nurses, staff, and doctors. I went in for my mammogram. I remember the smashing of my voluptuous breast between the cold plates of the machine. The tech told me to wait while she checked the results. She returned and repeated the test. Again, she left the room and said she had to check the results. She returned the third time and repeated the test.  This time she had me go to the waiting room and wait. Five minutes later Dr. Hemphill walked in. He greeted me and said we needed to talk. He held my hand as he led me to a quiet area in the hallway. He said “you need a biopsy, and you need it this week. I know you are planning to move tomorrow but you know you can stay. You can still have your job here and Dr. Bob can do your biopsy right away.”  I thanked him for his concern and told him I really believed the Lord was leading me to Kentucky and I would find a doctor there to do my biopsy.

I drove home to Longdale Furnace. That was prior to cell phones. My mind was racing, and I knew several details needed to be managed prior to our move. When I got home my husband greeted me along with a friend of his. I did not want to tell him about the news with his friend there. I waited until he left. I told Pony. He held me and cried with me. I telephoned Sunbelt Staffing and spoke with my recruiter. I telephoned the DON at Cynthiana. He said, “you come on to Cynthiana. We have a great surgeon who can take care of whatever needs you have.”  I was relieved that he made an appointment with the surgeon for me for the day after I arrived in Cynthiana. Pony called our pastor, Roger Bush, who immediately came to the house to love on us like only he could! He prayed with us and assured us he would keep on praying for us.

We arrived at our B & B in Cynthiana on the fifteenth of February. A lovely home and lovely hosts. My appointment with the surgeon was the next day. The doctor was truly kind and explained to me what my records showed. He scheduled my biopsy and surgery for next week. When it was determined that I would not be able to work we had to check out of the B & B. We went to Lexington Kentucky to stay with my daughter in her apartment. She and her husband were wonderfully accommodating and good to us. The DON from Cynthiana called me several times. He invited us to go to church with him. We did. The preacher had me come up front and called all the ladies in the church to come and pray over me. It was an emotional time with tears of cleansing and increased faith pouring out. My trust factor was cementing.

My biopsy was shortly before my surgery but the same day. A right breast mastectomy was necessary. I refuse to describe the details of the cancer because I refuse to claim it. Instead, I claim healing and health. The mastectomy was an outpatient surgery which meant they would keep me in the hospital for 24 hours on the medical surgical floor.  Medical surgical was the floor I was hired to work on. The night shift nurse did not even know how to program my personal pain control pump. One of the humorous moments of my stay was rolling over in bed to program the pump for her. That was bizarre. Another humorous moment was when my son-in-law was sitting in the room with me, and I had to pee. After about thirty minutes the call light had not been answered. I told my son-in-law he would have to help me to the bedside commode. He said he would if he did not have to see my pubs. He helped me and he did not see a thing. I remember all my family being there for my surgery. I specifically remember my brother Wendell being there and my sedated self loudly announcing my handsome brother and his handsome beard. I am sure he was embarrassed and annoyed.

Twenty-four hours later we were back in Lexington at the home of my daughter, Susi. The doctor instructed me to go walking the next day. Pony and I went to the mall to walk around. The pain under my arm was horrific. We were walking through Montgomery Wards, and a big bin of animal head pillows was facing me. Perfect! I purchased the little lamb because “I am Jesus Little Lamb, Happy all day long I am. He will keep me safe I know, cause I’m His Little Lamb.”  The pillow was perfect to hold under my arm and the pain was much improved with that positioning. I carried my little lamb under my arm everywhere we went. I loved that little lamb.

After healing enough my brother Ray invited us to come to his home. My income was my short-term disability policy and my husband’s social security. Stonewall Jackson Hospital did not terminate my employment so they could have employees donate their paid time off hours to me. That was such a magnificent surprise and much appreciated. I received gifts from coworkers at Stonewall Jackson and from Sunbelt Staffing and friends and family members. I had no needs unmet. My dad bought a camper for me, and we moved it to Ray’s farm. He arranged sewer, water, and electric hook ups for me, and he arranged for me to work for him a couple of days a week. Life was good. Ray would build a fire out back almost every night. We played spiritual warfare music, and I danced around the fire for hours. I had a groshong catheter placed for chemotherapy treatments. I had one treatment and thought I was going to die. I experienced about every side effect possible. It was terrible. One night I was freezing and feeling terrible. I could not get warm. I had multiple layers of clothes on along with blankets wrapped around me. Small group from the Vineyard Christian Fellowship in Campbellsville, KY was meeting at Ray’s house. I went wrapped in blankets. They prayed over me, anointed me with oil and I felt the fire of the Spirit flowing through my body. I could feel the heat from the top of my head to the bottom of my feet.

I knew I was being healed by the Spirit. Ray was playing the guitar as the group prayed for me and anointed me with oil. Ray dried his hands on his pants leg thinking his hands were sweaty. His hands kept getting wet and he realized it was oil coming through his hands. He immediately jumped up, put down his guitar and wiped his hands on my face. There is no doubt that God healed me. The next day I prayed for wisdom. I told the Lord I believed He had healed me, but I needed confirmation. I picked up my Bible and opened it. It opened to the pages where the verse “your faith has made you well” popped up at me. That was confirmation.

After the one chemotherapy treatment my scalp started hurting. It was sore, so sore it hurt to brush my hair. A couple of days after the sore scalp my hair started falling out. That was when I really broke down. The reality hit me and hit me hard. I could not stop crying. After losing handfuls of hair Ray shaved my head. It was truly a touching moment. My cousin Mary Jo gave me a curly wig. I may have worn it once. I was ok wearing cute hats or simply greasing my bald head with sunscreen and shining. If I were working, I would wear a scarf or bandana so other people were not uncomfortable with my baldness. At night I would brush my bald head and ask God to give me long red curls. I wanted curly hair. Every morning, I would look in the mirror to see if I had long red curly hair. Eventually I had curls, nappy curls, but they were short salt and pepper curls, not red. Those curls blessed my spirit for a year.

My groshong catheter got infected. I went to a doctor for Vitamin C megadose IV infusions. The tech did not use sterile technique, and I knew I was in trouble. My fever increased. I did a Vitamin C flush to try to fight the infection naturally, but I became septic. Sepsis is horrific. I had to have my groshong catheter surgically removed. I was in Taylor County, Kentucky hospital. Two doctors gathered around my bed and told me that if I did not do more Chemotherapy, I would be dead in ten years. I told them God had healed me, and I was choosing not to have chemotherapy. I was sitting in the hospital bed after the doctors left, praying, and praying and crying. A little white-haired lady walked across my room. She picked up my trash. She said, “I don’t like to see you crying.”  I repeated to her that the doctors said I would be dead in ten years if I did not do chemo anymore. I told her that I believed God had healed me. The little lady touched my foot and said, “Hold on to your faith.” She left the room, and I never saw her again. Once again, I knew her words were confirmation that I had been healed.

Today, February 14, 2025, I am reminded of His love and his mercy! My husband Pony and I divorced in 2001, which is another traumatic event in my life. Since the mastectomy in 2000 I opted to have a left mastectomy and reconstructive surgery in 2006. I have an amazing husband, Denny Davis, who loves me even without real boobs. He sees my heart and knows my faith is strong for him and for me. With his recovery from four strokes, his limited driving and limited communication he somehow managed to surprise me with a Valentine and candy this morning. I know without a doubt he loves me, and I am grateful for his love. Valentine’s Day has a deeper meaning and significance to me. My family loves me this I know. But I am beautifully reminded “His loving kindness is everlasting.”  Valentine’s Day is the first day of my miracle story! Twenty-Five years of living a miracle. Thank you, Trinity! Thank you for releasing Holy Spirit for my healing!

To my children and my grandchildren, know without a doubt our God is a God of love, mercy, grace and second chances. Our God is a healer. Never doubt His goodness. Never doubt he is a MIRACLE WORKER! JEHOVAH ROPAH, OUR HEALER! JEHOVAH JIREH, OUR PROVIDER! JEHOVAH SHALOM, OUR PEACE!

Janie Roberts Davis 02/14/2025