Julia Burns - Who Cares What the Numbers Say: a journey in defying cancer

Praise for Who Cares
What the Numbers Say

Nonfiction writers face a sticky choice: to confide in the reader or confess to the reader? Julia Burns beautifully, artfullyoften humorouslybalances both. She confides and confesses, and the honesty of her words strikes at the heart of the nonfiction writers goal to always to write the truth.

Scott Mason,
WRAL-TVs Tar Heel Traveler
Author of Faith and Air: The Miracle List,
and the Tar Heel Traveler book series

It was a privilege to walk alongside Julia in her journey, and I commend her for her bravery in writing Who Cares What the Numbers Say ?

Sharon Guyer

This is an inspiring account of going through hard times with a real faith that trusts, struggles, relies, leans in, questions but ultimately grows deeper. Julia truly builds her house upon the rock of God. We are inspired to walk through our own lives more intentionally learning the lessons God has for us.

Helen Sawyer

An honest look at one womans life with cancer. Dr. Burns shares her fears, faith and pain as she seeks to live a purposeful life dispite the odds. I cried, I laughed and am asking myself some hard questions about my own life. Highly recommend!

Pat Horton

Julias lyrical style of writing catches ones breath with its crystalline precision. As an alongside witness to this season of Julias life, I am struck at the raw-real so relatable in her writing which was so well-managed in her day-to-day interactions with us. Julia reveals the wrestling with the double-sided coin of suffering and hope and gifts the reader with the understanding required to find life-giving compassion.

Kathy Parker

A most moving reflection on human experience and Grace from a full grateful heart and the Holy Spirit, and the best preparation imaginable for our eternal journey together. Truly a wonderful piece of writing.

Doug Monroe
Executive Director
Praxis Circle, Inc.

A profound and honest account of Dr. Burns experience with breast cancer. Her faith and belief in her own healing are deeply moving. Her perspective as a provider turned patient is full of wisdom and insight. An inspiring and unique read for anyone whose life has been touched by cancer.

Jennie Petruney, MSN, ANP-BC, AOCNP
Duke Cancer Institute

Title Page

Who Cares
what the
Numbers Say?

a journey in defying cancer

Julia W. Burns, MD

Durham, NC

Copyright

Copyright 2021 Julia W. Burns, MD

Who Cares What the Numbers Say: a journey in defying cancer

Julia W. Burns, MD

www.juliaburns.org

jburns13@icloud.com

Published 2021, by Torchflame Books

an Imprint of Light Messages Publishing

www.torchflame.com

Durham, NC 27713 USA

SAN: 920-9298

Paperback ISBN: 978-1-61153-401-6

E-book ISBN: 978-1-61153-402-3

Library of Congress Control Number: 2021903900

ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, scanning, or otherwise, except as permitted under Section 107 or 108 of the 1976 International Copyright Act, without the prior written permission except in brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.

Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from THE MESSAGE, copyright 1993, 2002, 2018 by Eugene H. Peterson. Used by permission of NavPress. All rights reserved. Represented by Tyndale House Publishers, Inc.

The Holy Bible, New International Version (NIV) Copyright by Biblica, Inc.

Names and personal details have been changed to protect the identities of people involved.

Dedication

For

Andy

&

Wilton Gray

I love God

I love God because he listened to me,
listened as I begged for mercy.

He listened so intently
as I laid out my case before him.

Death stared me in the face,
hell was hard on my heels.

Up against it, I didnt know which way to turn; then I called out to God for help:

Please, God! I cried out. Save my life!

God is graciousit is he who makes things right, our most compassionate God.

God takes the side of the helpless;
when I was at the end of my rope, he saved me.

I said to myself, Relax and rest.
God has showered you with blessings.

Soul, youve been rescued from death;
Eye, youve been rescued from tears;
And you, Foot, were kept from stumbling.

Im striding in the presence of God,
alive in the land of the living!
I stayed faithful, though bedeviled,
and despite a ton of bad luck,
despite giving up on the human race, saying, Theyre all liars and cheats.

What can I give back to God
for the blessings hes poured out on me?

Ill lift high the cup of salvationa toast to God! Ill pray in the name of God.

Ill complete what I promised God Id do,
and Ill do it together with his people.

When they arrive at the gates of death,
God welcomes those who love him.

Oh, God, here I am, your servant,
your faithful servant: set me free for your service!

Im ready to offer the thanksgiving sacrifice
and pray in the name of God.

Ill complete what I promised God Id do,
and Ill do it in company with his people,

in the place of worship, in Gods house,
in Jerusalem, Gods city.

Hallelujah!

Psalm 116

Foreword

Fewer than one-quarter of survey respondents indicated they incorporate cancer prevention practices into their daily lives.

This finding raises concerns about the current state of cancer prevention in America, and strongly supports the need for more education on the topic, beginning at a young age. The surveyconducted online between July 9 and August 10, 2019included 4,001 adults (53 percent women, 63 percent white) plus an oversample of 814 adults with cancer, for a total of 1,009 respondents (54 percent women, 83 percent white) who have, or previously had, cancer.

More than half (57 percent) of those surveyed expressed concern about developing cancer in their lifetime. However, only 24 percent indicated that they care deeply and incorporate cancer prevention practices into their daily lives. As a physician, the disparity in these statistics worries and astounds me. As a psychiatrist, I understand. No one works on preventing their death when they can pretend it will never happen.

Sixty four percent (64 percent) agreed that it is hard to know the most important things to do to prevent cancer. Although most of those surveyed agreed that smoking cigarettes (81 percent), family history (69 percent) and sun exposure (63 percent) increase risk for cancer, fewer knew about other lifestyle factors that increase risk, including obesity (36 percent) and alcohol (31 percent).

Although its never too late to make healthy choices, its most critical for young people to take action to reduce their cancer risk because it can take decades for the disease to develop. I was fifty-seven when I received my diagnosis, and hoping I would live for decades, I combined traditional treatment with integrative practices and thrived.

Greg Guthrie, ASCO staff . 2019 National Cancer Opinion Survey: Americans Need More and Better Education about Cancer Prevention, End-of-Life Care, and E-Cigarettes, October 30, 2019.

Introduction

Remember the last time you had the flu and you were leaning over the toilet? Thats perfect concentration, meditation on one specific point: Please make it stop . Nothing distracts you or diminishes the power behind the one obsession you hold sacred. Let that be the last time. Make me well.