This is my first day of treatment for cancer. I'm sitting in the recliner, the NBC 5 news playing on the television, just about ready to start my day. Have to get ready to go soon. Today I get my first dose of radiation (with 35 treatments scheduled), where they'll verify the settings they've calculated for me and then give me the treatment. It's designed to kill the cancer on the base of my tongue, that underneath my right tonsil and that in a lymph node in my neck. But more than that, it's designed to ensure that all of the cancer cells are killed off, each and every one of them.
I weighed in at 264.8 pounds this morning. It is expected that I will lose weight during treatment. Let's see what happens. Hopefully, I'll be able to keep my strength up and not lose too much weight. Which leads to the three primary goals I have during treatment: get enough sleep, eat a good diet and get as much exercise as I can. Thanks to my co-worker Tom Engels, now retired, who has been cancer-free for ten years now, having had the same thing.
It's interesting to think of all that has happened since the 20th of May. The discovery of the cancer due to two bleeding incidents, two hospitalizations, multiple visits to the Ear, Nose and Throat specialist, a trip to my primary care physician, trips to see the radiation therapist and the oncologist. A CAT scan. A PET scan - no other cancer was found, thankfully. A treatment plan was put together. A medi-port was placed in the left side of my chest. A feeding tube was run into my stomach in preparation for the days when I may not be able to eat because my throat will be so sore.
I had to miss Kerry's wedding because of the second bleeding incident . . .
A longer blog entry is still in the process of being written, describing the run-up to treatment in a bit more detail. it's taking me a little bit to finish, so please bear with me, and watch for it to be posted.
Many, many people are praying for me, and will throughout treatment and recovery. Several have sent me messages or have called, wishing me well. My wife Nancy arranged a little get-together this past Saturday with family - she deserves a big Thank You! While Amy and Matt were vacationing in California (she called to wish me well), we had Kerry and Luke, Tim and Kate, Andy, Nancy's mom Sonja, my sister Jan and her husband Bill, Nancy's sister Linda and her two daughters, Meghan and Sarah, Nancy's brother Bill and his wife Pam, and the dogs Sally, Bailey, Jack and Thor. Everyone had a nice time. Only casualty was the screen in a sliding door that Thor knocked out - the fourth time this year I've had to repair that same door!!!
And with regard to prayer: I believe in the power of prayer. I've seen it work. No, I didn't get a new bicycle one year by praying for it; God isn't Santa Claus. But prayers have been answered, nonetheless. Friends of mine have seen it too, in my life and in theirs. But I don't need to oversell this; you'll either believe me or you won't. If you believe, please pray for my return to health.
Personally, I am praying that the Lord wash this cancer from my body; that the doctors, technicians and nurses treating me have all the skill, ability and insight necessary to help me effect a full recovery; that I have no side-effects, or that the side-effects be minimal; that my wife and children will receive all the support they need to get through this with me. Their support will be invaluable!
So now it's afternoon, and I've received the first of a planned 35 radiation treatments. Takes very little time, really. Met with the radiation therapist's nurse, Karen, going over a number of things. Met with the Speech Language Pathologist, too, going over exercises that will help me maintain swallowing capabilities that could be affected by the radiation.
Finally, I wanted to post the lyrics to a song that has been helping me through my illness. It's by my "most favoritest" Christian singer-songwriter, Carolyn Arends. You can hear the song here, on YouTube. Her web site is here.
According to Plan
Rain comes, and so often it falls
On the good and the evil, it's not personal
The sun shines, ‘cause that's what suns do
Probably don't mean it's been thinkin' 'bout you
On the good and the evil, it's not personal
The sun shines, ‘cause that's what suns do
Probably don't mean it's been thinkin' 'bout you
And even though God's in control of it all
Sometimes the sparrow is going to fall
Sometimes the sparrow is going to fall
I'm not sure that God moves everything
Likes pawns in a chess game, or puppets on string
And I can't determine just whether or not
He causes our troubles or He makes them stop
But I am convinced we get one guarantee
There's no situation that He can't redeem
When He moves in our hearts, that's when we understand
It's going according to plan
Likes pawns in a chess game, or puppets on string
And I can't determine just whether or not
He causes our troubles or He makes them stop
But I am convinced we get one guarantee
There's no situation that He can't redeem
When He moves in our hearts, that's when we understand
It's going according to plan
We try to pull back the veil
We tug at the curtain, all to no avail
And we say, “There are no accidents”
But we can't account for all life's randomness
So maybe some things are not orchestrated
Oh but with God nothing has to be wasted
We tug at the curtain, all to no avail
And we say, “There are no accidents”
But we can't account for all life's randomness
So maybe some things are not orchestrated
Oh but with God nothing has to be wasted
Chorus
Yes I am convinced we get one guarantee
There's no situation that He can't redeem
When what we meant for harm, He turns into some good
Where our hearts start changing, then it's understood
He's doing the miracles, only He can
It's going according to plan
Yes it's going according to plan
There's no situation that He can't redeem
When what we meant for harm, He turns into some good
Where our hearts start changing, then it's understood
He's doing the miracles, only He can
It's going according to plan
Yes it's going according to plan
© 2009 Running Arends Music/ASCAP
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