Thursday

November 27, 2025

    Happy Thanksgiving!!! I hope everyone has a wonderful day enjoying lots of love, family, and gratefulness for all the blessings that God has bestowed on us all. I obviously have much to be thankful for this year. I have a lot to be thankful for every year, but this year a little more than normal. So far, so good, on the cancer front. There was a minor hiccup a couple of months ago when a CT scan showed that the area of the surgery was larger than it had been.  The possibilities included post-operative fluid collection or recurrence of the cancer. My surgical oncologist wasn't overly worried but scheduled me for a PET scan early in November.  We are still awaiting those results, but in the meantime, I had the quarterly blood test and that came back with a nice big 0 again. I have a phone conference with Dr. Tran on Tuesday.  Hopefully the PET scan results will be available by then so we can confidently continue to go forward as "cancer free." 

    I didn't plan on a three-month break between blog posts. Soon after the last one Cathy and I went away for are annual vacation to Lake Almanor in Northern California. We've never gone in September before and the fall is a nice time to visit.  Cooler, not as many boating adventures, but we did a number of hikes in the area (including a mile on the Pacific Crest Trail), read a lot of books, enjoyed the fall weather, and took a trip to Burney Falls which is always a highlight. 

    We also took a trip to Prescott, AZ, to visit our friends Bob and Sara while our house was getting painted. Had a great time, as always, and we will be looking forward to our next visit. We also started planning trips for next year. Our church is going to Israel again and we've signed up, and we are planning a trip to Kauai next summer to celebrate our 20th anniversary.  Yes, she has put up with me for that long : ) It's nice to plan big trips like this and know that I'm healthy enough to go with no reservations. I've been trying to help that healthy attitude out by walking every day. I started with the 10,000-step routine and then, when I saw how close I was to 5 miles I switched it up to 11,000 steps every day, which gives me 5 miles. I try to go everyday and I've had streaks of 33 and 56 consecutives days.  I'm now working on a streak to get me to my birthday in January.  Ironically, if I can keep it up, I'll hit 65 days the day before I turn 65. 

    Walking is a great way to incorporate prayer time into the day, and I also enjoy listening to our Scriptures of the Day videos and listening to a Bible app reading selected scriptures.  My men's group at church is starting a study of Ephesians so I've been listening to Ephesians chapters 1-6 every day.  I also like to listen to the news, Christian music on Pandora, and the Colin Cowherd show. 

    A couple of updates before I go.  The other two ladies in our Fellowship Group who were diagnosed with cancer after me are both doing well.  One has finished her chemo, and the other will finish on Christmas Eve.  It hasn't always been easy, but they are persevering and models of courage and hope. My friend with the heart transplant is also doing well.  We actually went to a Kings hockey game together on Monday. He still has to be careful, but he took his precautions and is making great progress.  His story is truly a miracle of God, and it was so good to be with him and know that God has given has truly blessed him. 

    A friend of Cathy's was recently diagnosed with breast cancer and so we would appreciate prayers for her now too.  She has had her surgery and is about 3-4 doses deep into her weekly chemo treatments.  

    As I started this blog, I have so much to be thankful for.  Cathy, Compass Bible Church, health, family, friends, and an amazing God.  He blesses me daily, and I will always appreciate His greatest blessing, sending Jesus to die on the cross for my sins, and then raising Him from the dead to demonstrate how death has been conquered and there is hope in heaven for eternal life for all who repent and put their faith in Jesus. 

    Psalm 95:1-3... Come, let us sing for joy to the LORD; let us shout aloud to the Rock of our salvation.  Let us come before Him with thanksgiving and extol Him with music and song.  For the LORD is the great God, the great King above all gods. 

    Psalm 7:17...I will give thanks to the LORD because of His righteousness; I will sing the praises of the name of the LORD Most High. 

    Ephesians 2:8... For by grace you have been saved through faith.  And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God. 

Paul


I wanted to add one little side note.  Cathy and I visited the Hilbert Museum in Orange the other day.  It was our first visit. The permanent side of the museum highlights California artists.  We heard about it at the Laguna Pageant of the Masters.  The other side of the museum is showcasing pastels and watercolors, amazing pieces of art. I couldn't help but think that artistic endeavors are, to me, proof of God. There is no way evolutionary processes can explain minds that can create art, music, or sculpture. Those talents do nothing for "survival of the fittest." What does explain them?  A creator, God, who made people in His own image.  He created and gave within us that spark and ability, too.  In different measures for each person, but within each person.  That doesn't happen by chance. 

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

 Thursday July 24, 2025     The dermatologist appointment went well, nothing new to be concerned about. Tuesday I will be having the special blood test which will highlight if there are any markers or antibodies present to indicate a recurrence of the cancer. Prayers would be appreciated.      Monday, I had my hernia surgery.  It went well, but the process had a few hiccups. My surgery was originally scheduled for 11 AM, but Friday the hospital called and told me it was switched to 4:30 PM because of an emergency surgery the doctor was needed for in the morning. I arrived at the hospital at 2:30 and taken to pre-op around 3:30. We then learned the doctor was just getting out of surgery and had another one before mine. I finally was in the operating room before 7:30 PM. The surgery was over around 10 and at that hour, the doctor decided to keep me in the hospital overnight. I had a nice single room and great nurses throughout the experience.  It to...
Read more
 Thursday February 20     Today was a rough day, which was sad because it had been a great week of church activities, family visits, and Cathy and me time.      The only issue during the week is that we still hadn't heard from the doctor about the PET scan or brain MRI getting approved by insurance. I checked in a couple of times, but no answers. I prayed every day for the approval to come through, but it never did.  I also gave the situation completely to God and told Him I trusted that whatever happened it was for the good.       That leads us to today. I was supposed to hear by 3:00 PM what time they wanted me to check in tomorrow. When I hadn't heard anything by 3:30, I called the scheduler for information.  During the call we asked her if the doctor still wanted to do the surgery if the scans hadn't been performed yet. She checked and confirmed what we were afraid of, the doctor wanted the scans and didn't want to perform ...
Read more
 Thursday April 3, 2025     Can you hear the muzak playing?  Yep, still on hold.     I did have a tele-appointment with my surgeon today, Dr. Tran, a follow-up to the original surgery. It was 5 weeks yesterday since the tumor was removed.  I was able to report that I'm doing fine, and the scar is healing nicely with no pain and no problems.  She even gave me permission to start golfing again, but to wait another week before returning to the gym. I've been walking every day getting my steps in.      Dr. Tran was able to confirm what we had already ascertained. The prior authorization for the radiation treatments had been denied. They will resubmit the request with further paperwork and plans. I'm imagining that the insurance company is thinking what many of my friends have asked.  "If the cancer is gone and the scans are clean, why do you need radiation?" I don't know that is the reason, but I'm guessing, maybe. I would tell the...
Read more