My Cancer Journey

I did it. I survived my first treatment! On Monday I had a PICC line put into my arm. That is a special tube that goes from my arm, through my vein to my heart.  They will use that to insert the chemo and other medications.  That was a hard thing for me because I don't like needles and such.  The nurse who was there did a great job of helping me to relax once my body started going into shock.  She was counting how long my breaths were. We started at 4 second breaths and I was able to slow them down to 7 seconds.  Focusing on breathing help me calm down. On Tuesday I showed up at the hospital at 9AM.  I had a few meetings with doctors and nurses to explain things to me.  They needed me to know what was going to happen and when to take the medications I had. I think I got to the chemo room around 10:30.  They have different "pods" where 2 nurses will help up to 8 people.  They hooked me up and started dripping medication into my body....

Praise the Lord. Treatments are set to start. I'll pick up the steroids tonight and start taking them in the morning. Next Tuesday or Wednesday I will have chemotherapy. Waiting was hard. Now I know when chemo begins even though it's almost a week away. Also, I think I will feel better taking the steroids. They will shrink the tumours that are causing me pain.

My friend Brett who is fighting cancer told me that waiting would be the hardest thing about cancer. I didn't believe him. I figured that there's a lot of pain involved. I learned a lesson the other day. When we went for a walk with other people, I was in pain. I found that it was easier to keep walking than to stand around and chat. When I was walking I could think about taking the next step, and the next step. I felt like I was accomplishing something. It also reminded me of what it was like to run half marathons. So, now that march break is here there's not much to keep my mind off of the pain and the worry about Covid-19.  My next appointment for a scan of my heart is on Friday. There is also a PET scan that I'm waiting to have scheduled, but hasn't been yet. Treatment hasn't started yet. Waiting is hard. Homework time. Are there verses that have the words "wait" and "Lord" in them? Of course there are. Some will be about this to...

Yesterday I met with Dr. Maida who will be in charge of my treatment. She said that I have  non-Hodgkins aggressive diffuse large B-cell lymphoma. Aggressive isn't a bad thing in lymphoma. It's the aggressive ones that can be cured.  But, she's not sure yet if my cancer was a slow moving one first, and then became aggressive. A bone biopsy will answer that question. The treatment will have six rounds of chemotherapy that will be three weeks apart.  There is one test that needs to happen before chemotherapy starts. So I can expect to begin in about 2 or 3 weeks. My immune system will be compromised during this whole process so I have to stay out of places where I can catch things from other people. This is a sad part. I won't be able to keep teaching while I am being treated.   I will need to keep eating well, stay as active as I can, and avoid viruses.  But, treatments work very well on this kind of cancer. Many people have said so many kin...

Mrs. Lee and I went to Walkers Cancer Clinic today to find out the results of the biopsy. The biopsy shows that I have b-cell lymphoma.  That is a cancer of the blood in the lymph nodes.   I also learned that I won't find out about treatment until I meet with the specialist on Friday morning. I'll have to wait a little longer.  The specialist is Dr. Waida.  This doctor told us that Dr. Waida is fabulous.   She also said that I'd have to have a bone marrow biopsy right away. That will probably take place Friday morning or possibly on Monday. I am grateful that things have gone quickly and smoothly.  I have been eating a lot better food lately and I'm feeling good physically. I am also encouraged. We received several meals, lots of cards, and many people saying that they are praying. We are surrounded by the most wonderful people. Proverbs 3:7-8 says: Do not be wise in your own eyes;     fear the Lord and shun evil.  This ...

Last week I had the biopsy and another CT scan. Now we wait. I'll be meeting with the oncologist on Wednesday afternoon to go over the results of the tests and make a treatment plan. I'm a little sad that I will have to miss the class trip to Beemer conservation area. This weekend I was reading in Romans. It says in Romans 5:1-4   Therefore, since we have been justified  through faith,  we have peace  with God through our Lord Jesus Christ,   2  through whom we have gained access  by faith into this grace in which we now stand.  And we boast in the hope  of the glory of God.   3  Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings,  because we know that suffering produces perseverance;   4  perseverance, character; and character, hope.   It says, "we glory in our sufferings".  Can I thank God for cancer?  Well, I'm not glad that I have it. But, I do know that God is going to use ...

Today, March 3, I went to get a biopsy.  There was a lot of waiting and prep work. I met a Beacon Christian School Grad who was working at the hospital. After a long time, they took another scan of my insides so they could see what they were working with. Then they drew a target on my back and gave me two needles. One of them was made to grab stuff out of my insides so that they can look at it under a microscope.   It didn't take very long and it didn't really hurt. I'm kinda sore now. But, I'm really thankful that the procedure could happen.