Elsie Felty This is Me

 Web References

1. 1. The Good News, South Florida's Christian Newspaper

   www.goodnewsfl.org/genesis/Iss - [Cached]

   Published on: 5/1/2004   Last Visited: 5/1/2004

   Elsie Felty reached the lowest point of her life and decided to end it.
   
   It was the beginning of 1976 and she didn't know that God was greater than any problem she had. How could He be? Ten months earlier her doctor diagnosed her with breast cancer and cancer in three lymph nodes. They removed her breast and put her on chemotherapy and radiation treatment. To make matters worse, her husband filed for divorce and "left her all alone," or so she thought.
   
   Finger on the trigger
   
   Felty put a gun in her mouth and began to squeeze the trigger. Then she heard a loud voice that said, "If you think this life is bad just pull the trigger." She decided quickly that she wanted no part of any place that could be worse than where she was - and put the gun down.
   
   This event was the beginning of Felty's return to her faith in Jesus. She and her husband had been active in their church until success became the most important part of their lives. Slowly, their activity diminished, and finally, their marriage did as well.
   
   For the 25 years following her initial cancer diagnosis, Felty would go through some extremely difficult times, including many surgeries; the damage caused by the radiation treatment and complications brought on by an unsuccessful attempt at reconstructive surgery were to require multiple operations.
   
   One of her lungs and chest wall filled with fluid three times. Her doctors believed her cancer was returning and put her back on chemotherapy until her body could no longer tolerate the treatments. For the 19 months she underwent the second series of chemotherapy, Felty immersed herself in her job full-time to support herself - and avoid her problems. Her emotions were battered while she blamed the breakup of her marriage on herself and the 1976 mastectomy. As a result of these continuing stresses, Felty entered a deep depression. A psychiatrist helped her see that it wasn't her fault that her husband left.
   
   Live another day
   
   In 1978 Felty rededicated her life to the Lord. She started attending church, praying regularly and read her Bible every day. Her return to God did not put an end to her troubles. She continued to experience life-threatening physical problems, including several bouts with pneumonia. Her doctors were ever certain cancer was returning. But many people were praying for Felty and she has remained cancer free to this day, she said.
   
   Her routine bouts with pneumonia became more frequent, and her doctor explained that the radiation treatments damaged one of her lungs irreversibly and it would have to be removed. So Felty traveled to Chicago where doctors removed the wounded lung - and nine ribs.
   
   Although her chances of surviving such a dramatic procedure were not good, Felty pulled through. She then battled serious infections that required more surgeries, and took antibiotics consistently for eleven years.
   
   At The Sun-Sentinel where she worked for 37 years as the publishers' secretary, Felty became a living testament to God's awesome power.
   
   "I should have been dead so many times," she explained. As she grew in faith, so did her witness of God's love.
   ...
   Meissner created a framed plaque with the inscription, "God is greater than any problem I have," to replace Felty's tattered piece of paper with the same words.
   ...
   "Elsie was pivotal in my decision," said Meissner.
   ...
   Felty's former boss, publisher Byron Campbell, said, "As I think about Elsie, I think of her Christian goodness."
   ...
   Scott Smith, the last publisher Felty worked for provided his assistant with round trip, first-class plane tickets and limousine transportation for her last surgery.
   ...
   Richard Pollack also worked at the newspaper and got to know Felty.
   ...
   Now retired, Felty leads as normal life as she can and continues to touch the lives of many others. She is Calvary Chapel Fort Lauderdale's daytime prayer chain leader and receives as many as 15 prayer requests each day. With only 20 percent of her original lung capacity, Felty is usually short of breath - but not all the time. When she prays, her breathing is not a problem.
   ...
   "God is greater than any problem I have," affirmed Felty.

2. 2. The Good News, South Florida's Christian Newspaper

   www.goodnewsfl.org/genesis/Iss - [Cached]

   Published on: 12/20/2003   Last Visited: 12/20/2003

   Elsie Felty reached the lowest point of her life and decided to end it.
   
   It was the beginning of 1976 and she didn't know that God was greater than any problem she had. How could He be? Ten months earlier her doctor diagnosed her with breast cancer and cancer in three lymph nodes. They removed her breast and put her on chemotherapy and radiation treatment. To make matters worse, her husband filed for divorce and "left her all alone," or so she thought.
   
   Finger on the trigger
   
   Felty put a gun in her mouth and began to squeeze the trigger. Then she heard a loud voice that said, "If you think this life is bad just pull the trigger." She decided quickly that she wanted no part of any place that could be worse than where she was - and put the gun down.
   
   This event was the beginning of Felty's return to her faith in Jesus. She and her husband had been active in their church until success became the most important part of their lives. Slowly, their activity diminished, and finally, their marriage did as well.
   
   For the 25 years following her initial cancer diagnosis, Felty would go through some extremely difficult times, including many surgeries; the damage caused by the radiation treatment and complications brought on by an unsuccessful attempt at reconstructive surgery were to require multiple operations.
   
   One of her lungs and chest wall filled with fluid three times. Her doctors believed her cancer was returning and put her back on chemotherapy until her body could no longer tolerate the treatments. For the 19 months she underwent the second series of chemotherapy, Felty immersed herself in her job full-time to support herself - and avoid her problems. Her emotions were battered while she blamed the breakup of her marriage on herself and the 1976 mastectomy. As a result of these continuing stresses, Felty entered a deep depression. A psychiatrist helped her see that it wasn't her fault that her husband left.
   
   Live another day
   
   In 1978 Felty rededicated her life to the Lord. She started attending church, praying regularly and read her Bible every day. Her return to God did not put an end to her troubles. She continued to experience life-threatening physical problems, including several bouts with pneumonia. Her doctors were ever certain cancer was returning. But many people were praying for Felty and she has remained cancer free to this day, she said.
   
   Her routine bouts with pneumonia became more frequent, and her doctor explained that the radiation treatments damaged one of her lungs irreversibly and it would have to be removed. So Felty traveled to Chicago where doctors removed the wounded lung - and nine ribs.
   
   Although her chances of surviving such a dramatic procedure were not good, Felty pulled through. She then battled serious infections that required more surgeries, and took antibiotics consistently for eleven years.
   
   At The Sun-Sentinel where she worked for 37 years as the publishers' secretary, Felty became a living testament to God's awesome power.
   
   "I should have been dead so many times," she explained. As she grew in faith, so did her witness of God's love.
   ...
   Meissner created a framed plaque with the inscription, "God is greater than any problem I have," to replace Felty's tattered piece of paper with the same words.
   ...
   "Elsie was pivotal in my decision," said Meissner.
   ...
   Felty's former boss, publisher Byron Campbell, said, "As I think about Elsie, I think of her Christian goodness."
   ...
   Scott Smith, the last publisher Felty worked for provided his assistant with round trip, first-class plane tickets and limousine transportation for her last surgery.
   ...
   Richard Pollack also worked at the newspaper and got to know Felty.
   ...
   Now retired, Felty leads as normal life as she can and continues to touch the lives of many others. She is Calvary Chapel Fort Lauderdale's daytime prayer chain leader and receives as many as 15 prayer requests each day. With only 20 percent of her original lung capacity, Felty is usually short of breath - but not all the time. When she prays, her breathing is not a problem.
   ...
   "God is greater than any problem I have," affirmed Felty.