The ride continues! [TITLE CHANGED - AGAIN] (1 Viewer)

Because some of us are very acquainted though this forum and as alluded to in https://saintsreport.com/forums/f3/i-have-avoided-posting-long-i-can-355540/#.WAfjV_krL0M I have received some news recently which affects life in a most profound way. I have been hesitant to share this news for a number of reasons, but some of you I know here would like to know. We've known each other a long time (almost 20 years????) through this outlet and sometimes in real life and I am as close with some of you as I would be with any dear friend even if we've never met in person. Some of you who are connected to me in other social media may have figured it out.

It seems I am dragging my feet here, but all of that needed to be said.

On Friday I was diagnosed with Stage IV Metastatic Lung Cancer in my left lung.

Just 3 short weeks ago during my wellness exam we discussed getting my heart checked just because heart disease in my family had finally reared its ugly head. My calcium score was good but they saw a shadow on the CT which they wanted to check into. "Could be nothing.", they said. They schedule a PET scan and I honestly thought it looked like an excessive jump to go from these results to such an expensive test (https://saintsreport.com/forums/f3/grrrr-cost-health-care-359622/#.WAjM__krL0M). A second opinion or two confirmed this was the test needed. The PET lead to a biopsy in one of my ribs (where the metastasis is). The biopsy lead to the diagnosis.

I have a referral to MD Anderson and will be there in a couple of weeks.

Here is the thing: I have no symptoms other than the discomfort left over from the biopsy. No pain. No coughing. I run 3 or 4 days a week and have no problems with my breathing other than sinus junk. I still play my trombone. If we hadn't done the calcium scoring no alarm would have been raised until I became symptomatic and who knows how long that would have taken.

I am also hopeful and know I can beat this. I am more than determined to beat this. There is a lot of life yet to be lived and I am confident I will be here to live it.


Hopefully all is well with you sir

It's interesting the body will function fine until the existence of a potentially life threatening issue is made aware to the brain. Suddenly everything starts to breakdown.

I haven't gone through majority of the post but I see a few "that's great news" post and am assuming things are well.

Continue to fight!
 
Good stuff! Hope you have a great new years and more to come! With all the stuff that goes on, it's great to see and hear good news! Carpe diem! :9:

I am still in a state of awe.

I had my final CT scan of 2017 yesterday and while we are always hopeful we are almost never prepared for the miracles that God works.

The primary tumor is all but gone, looking like a few sprinkles on an ice cream cone. The tumors on the rib are around 80% of their original size and continue to shrink. The doctor showed us the side-by-side scans from May, October and yesterday and it doesn’t even seem the word “miraculous” is enough. All praises to our God who will put you where you need to be, when you need to be there, with the people you need to be with. Without his guidance we would be nowhere.

I can look more forward to the Christmas season with a more grateful heart. Fay and I will be surrounded by our kids and there can be no better gift.

I am very thankful for your continued prayers. Very thankful. Every morning when I wake up I think about all who are praying for me and my family and I pray in return for you and yours.

Merry Christmas to each and every one of you and thank you for being a part of our miracle!
 
Take a deep breath....

After my last two scans it looks like all that is left, in the doctor's words, is "...scar tissue. I would do a biopsy but I do not believe we would find any cancer cells".

There is stuff I should type here about the path forward and how we will, in fact, confirm remission, but we can save that for later. I've updated the title of the thread and I have some things I want to say about prayer and faith but I am still absorbing the information and in many ways trying to make sense of it all. (I was told that was part of the "psychology of cancer" which is an unfair thing that all cancer patients and their close families go through when these things come up.)

Thank you for being on this journey with us!
 
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Take a deep breath....

After my last two scans it looks like all that is left, in the doctor's words, is "...scar tissue. I would do a biopsy but I do not believe we would find any cancer cells".

There is stuff I should type here about the path forward and how we will, in fact, confirm remission, but we can save that for later. I've updated the title of the thread and I have some things I want to say about prayer and faith but I am still absorbing the information and in many ways trying to make sense of it all. (I was told that was part of the "psychology of cancer" which is an unfair thing that all cancer patients and their close families go through when these things come up.)

Thank you for being on this journey with us!

That's wonderful, Bleu. Really happy for you.
 
Take a deep breath....

After my last two scans it looks like all that is left, in the doctor's words, is "...scar tissue. I would do a biopsy but I do not believe we would find any cancer cells".

There is stuff I should type here about the path forward and how we will, in fact, confirm remission, but we can save that for later. I've updated the title of the thread and I have some things I want to say about prayer and faith but I am still absorbing the information and in many ways trying to make sense of it all. (I was told that was part of the "psychology of cancer" which is an unfair thing that all cancer patients and their close families go through when these things come up.)

Thank you for being on this journey with us!


I got goosebumps reading this. It's such great news Bleu.
 
Always fantastic news! It is amazing what the power of prayer is capable of doing. The Lord is good!
 

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