A Race Against The Clock

“I had things happening to my body all over, knots coming up. (I) Didn't know what was going on. And then finally, they did a biopsy on me and they found out that it was cancer,” said Jim Burgett. He and his wife Janet lived an active life tending to their property in Middle Tennessee, until one day they received terrible news.

Dr. Shipley with Tennessee Oncology states, “He had stage four malignant melanoma.

It had metastasized to his brain and his lungs and subcutaneous tissue along his chest wall.”

Jim reacts, “I knew there was something going on, but I didn't expect that. And that's a pretty good little jolt when you get that.”

“When he first told me that he had melanoma, I just lost it. I knew I would probably lose him quicker because it was growing fast, and it was all over him,” said Janet.

Dr. Shipley comments, “There are a lot of treatments that are unable to penetrate the brain.

And it was terrible. It really was an aggressive disease.”

“She said, "There's too much. We can't cut it. It's everywhere." And she said, "Standard chemo won't help it,” said Jim. “There's really only one chance you've got.

They've come out with something that's fairly new. It's immunotherapy.

And I'm sitting there, I'm just kind of like in shock because, you know, it's a lot to throw on you at one time.”

Knowing the treatments would be hard on Jim’s body, the couple prayed and decided to trust God with the results.

Jim remembers, “I told her, I said, "Dr. Shipley, I've turned it over to the Lord." I said, "You just do what you have to do, and it'll be between you and the Lord." She said, "That's good." She said, "Attitude is everything." And she said, "I'm glad to hear you say that."

As he began the aggressive therapy, Jim’s friends and family surrounded him with prayer.

“Before you'd go to bed every night, you'd say a prayer. You'd go ready to lay down on the hammock outside, he'd say a prayer,” said Janet. “People always came to the house when they did, and they'd say, you know, "Let's just say a prayer."

Jim continues, “I talked with the Lord almost constantly.  I said, "Lord, I don't know." I said, "I'm not ready to die. I don't want to die, but I'm going to have to have You to show me what to do, get me through it."

“He had to have radiation first to his brain,” said Dr. Shipley.  “Then he had dual immunotherapy also, and he had a lot of toxicity from his immunotherapy.

But he stood firm on the Word of God, despite being weak and tired and wore out.

He wanted to live for his family, but there were days, I believe, he thought he wasn't going to make it.”

Janet remembers, “He was really frail. He'd lost so much weight, and he couldn't walk good.”

“I was about to give up. My common sense was telling me that I wasn't going to make it,” said Jim. “I said, "Please, if you'd just give me a sign, let me know that you're hearing me." I said, "But I'm at the point." I said, "Your will be done." I said, "I don't want to die, but I accept it if it's my time to die."

Feeling like there was no hope, Jim was wheelchaired into his monthly scan, and then he got the most unexpected news.

Jim smiles, “The next day, I got a call from Dr. Shipley. She was just so ecstatic.

She was just almost screaming. She said, "It's gone. It's gone." She said, "It's God's work.

It's got to be God's work because it's gone." I wasn't saying anything, and she said, "James." She called me James. She said, "James, do you not hear me?" I said, "Yes, Dr. Shipley, I hear you. I'm so weak, I can't respond, but I hear you." She said, "It's a miracle." She said, "If I had not had the scans to look at, I wouldn't know that you had the cancer at all." I got up out of that chair, and I started walking through that door. Janet said, "What is it? What is it?" I said, "It's good. It's good. I'll tell you in a minute. I'm going in here to pray." I went through that door, and as I went through that door, I felt like a hand was on my shoulder.

I heard a voice in my head say, "That's your sign." I have never felt anything as powerful as that in my life.”

Jim has been cancer-free for over seven years, and gives all praise to God.

“It's just unbelievable what He did for me. Now I don't have any doubts at all.

He can do anything He wants to do. You've got to ask,” said Jim.

Dr. Shipley warmly states, “I call him Mr. Miracle, because it's wonderful to see him with his family and his friends. He just lives life. It's great, completely different.”

Jim said, “I thank God every day for being able to do the things that I do, to have my wife with me, to be able to be with her and spend time with her. He really blessed me, no doubt about it.”