Let the cartoon begin! With those words the King of Cartoons would play a new cartoon at Pee-Wee Herman's playhouse on his old TV show. Those words sort of resonate for me for some goofy reason. Like how all this is really happening but doesn't seem quite real yet, like it's still just a cartoon- but the cartoon is quickly fading and reality setting in as chemo drugs have been poured in.
This past Friday we had a good meeting with my Oncologist again, Dr. Soori, who is positive about my prognosis. That's great news. I think having hope is the most important element in fighting cancer and I have plenty of it. The type of cancer I have is usually very responsive to the treatment program they have developed with noticeable results after just one week. I'll do 3 or 4 sessions to kill as many cancer cells as possible- hopefully all of of them.
After the Dr. visit came the chemo which consists of long IV treatments poured into me through a port which I had surgically inserted in my rock hard chest last week. So from 11:30 AM or so till about 4:30 PM I was filled up with my chemo drugs and other things to help keep my juices flowing so as not to damage my kidneys. Then I received a backpack (looks like a college bookbag) with more chemo and saline which I which I wore for 4 days and nights.
This first round gives you an idea of what's to come. Generally dealing with a slight case of naseau at all times isn't to much fun. Eating lighter is the rule- with the weight loss benefit of most likely losing 30 extra pounds or so. Each round of chemo comes 3 weeks apart so 4 rounds will take 9 weeks I now calculate my last treatment on Christmas Day! Maybe there's another message of hope there for me!
Then my team of doctors will decide about possible radiation but this may not be possible as I've been down this road before and a guys head can only be microwaved so much. Too much radiation can start more cancer than it kills. Lastly I will undergo surgery again to remove all the impacted lymph nodes. And then I will start feeling better, my hair will regrow, my stamina increase- and I return to full health, that's my hope anyway.
This morning I tell you all this as a message of HOPE for you as well. As I mentioned earlier, hope is a big deal to cancer patients. It provides a reason for perseverence and determination to get through the hard times. The Bible speaks directly to hope in this context of suffering. Part of my wife's life verses (Romans 5: 1-5) reads, ' 3 More than that, we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, 4 and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, 5 and hope does not disappoint us, because God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit which has been given to us.'
In these few verses we learn God provides in suffering an amazing gift for each of us- a gift of eternal healing. He calls this gift HOPE which I define as the sure confidence of salvation. No matter what you suffer through, for those who believe in Jesus' saving work, the gift of HOPE will help get you through. Healing hope helps cancer patients, heavenly HOPE strengthens believers! I hope heavenly hope is all you need! I'm taking my fair share of the other!
Hopeful Regards,
kp
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