Merkel and Me

 Friday January 30, 2026     Today is the one-year anniversary of receiving the phone call. Last January 23rd I had visited the dermatologist's office to have a "cyst" removed. One week later, January 30, 2025, the dermatologist called to tell me that the pathology report had identified my "cyst" as Merkel cell carcinoma. And that started my year long journey through surgery, radiation, and regular check-ups and tests. One year later I am very grateful to say that it appears I am still cancer free and doing well.      I say appears because there will still be tests and check-ups to go for at least another year. The oncology surgeon told me to throw the first party at the two-year mark and then throw the big bash at the five-year mark. Between now and March 3rd I have a follow-up with the oncology radiologist, the surgical oncologist, a CT scan and a PET scan. I will also have the specialty blood test.  It was supposed to have happened this past week, b...

 Thursday January 15, 2026     So, it's been a week of doctor appointments and procedures, only one which was tangentially connected to my cancer. Tuesday, I had a blood draw for my hematologist checking my iron and ferritin levels and my iron saturation level. Because of my ulcerative colitis, I've had my blood checked on a regular basis for 20 years. I never had a problem until 2015. I started having trouble breathing, running out of breath just from talking. They did a blood test and I was anemic.  My blood count was only 7.2. My doctor wondered how I was still going to work every day. I had a blood transfusion and then started having regular iron infusions.  I hit another low point in 2017 (6.2) and had another blood transfusion. It was all from blood loss from the colitis. Thankfully, the new medication my doctor prescribed in 2019 has been the answer. I have basically been in remission for the past 5 years and I haven't needed to have an iron infusion for ...

 Thursday January 8, 2025 Romans 12:12... Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer. Today was my first day dealing with all of the insurance changes.  It wasn't too bad, but it wasn't a piece of cake, either. I have to switch all of my prescriptions from my current pharmacies to my new pharmacy under the Medicare plan. The phone call about my colitis drug from the specialty pharmacy went well and should transfer with no problems. My other medications, little more tricky.  I called the new pharmacy, and they said to contact the old pharmacy to have them switch all of the information.  When I called the old pharmacy, they said they couldn't do anything until the new pharmacy contacted them. So, back to the new pharmacy who contacted the old pharmacy... but they didn't answer, probably on lunch break. Hopefully I will hear from the new pharmacy tomorrow that everything has transferred.  I had phone calls with a couple of other doctor offices tod...

 Thursday January 1, 2026 Happy New Year!!! I don't have anything new to share about Merkel and me so today will truly be a "Thursday Thoughts" with a selection of random views and vignettes that I thought I'd share.  A new year means we are all getting another year older, at some point.  There are three things this year that are going to make me feel very old indeed. #3, I am now an official Medicare recipient as of today.  All three ID cards have come (Medicare card, insurance supplement card, and pharmacy RX card) and I will spend the next few months updating every one of my doctors about my insurance changes. #2, I will be turning 65 in 21 days and will be an official senior citizen, eligible for every senior discount available. #1, the thing that is going to make me feel the oldest, every student who was in my first sixth grade class in 1987-1988, at Ramona, will be turning 50 this year. OUCH!!!   I actually don't mind getting older. I believe I've sha...

 Friday December 26, 2025 Merry Christmas and Happy Boxing Day. I pray everyone is recovering nicely from all the fun and festivities of the past few days. I also pray that everyone had the opportunity to reflect on the beauty of the birth of Jesus.  Philippians 2:5-7...Indeed, let this attitude be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus.  Though he was by nature God, he did not consider equality with God as a prize to be displayed,   but he emptied himself by taking the nature of a servant. When he was born in human likeness, and his appearance was like that of any other man, Cathy and I had a wonderful Christmas. We bought one present for ourselves, a treadmill to keep us both walking when the weather turns unpleasant.  One or both of us have used it every day the past week and a half. Christmas Eve, I worked our church's Book Nook before and after the 12 PM service. Cathy's sister and family came to that service and we sat together. Cathy has a friend who i...

 Thursday December 4, 2025 Lamentations 3:22-23...     The steadfast love of the LORD never ceases; His mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.     Two weeks in a row, everything back on track. I talked to my surgical oncologist Dr. Tran on Tuesday, and we went over the PET scan. Like the blood test, it came back showing no signs of cancer.      However, I realized that I'm at that age where every scan is going to show something. It's like taking your car to the shop for an oil change and find out you need new tires and an air filter. So, as excited and pleased that I was that there was no sign of cancer, the news was tempered a bit by the news that I needed to have a couple of things checked. One was kind of funny, and I can't wait to talk to the ENT doctor about it.  The scan showed that I have tonsilitis. Weird since I had my tonsils removed when I was 9, but apparently, they can grow back. Thi...