Merkel and Me

 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...

 Thursday July 10, 2025      My church fellowship group meets on Thursdays (we have been off the past few weeks for a summer break) and then every other Saturday morning, the men and women meet as separate groups. The men have been working through the book The Practice of Godliness  by Jerry Bridges. There are three of us who have been taking turns leading the discussion. This week I'm up and the chapter topic is Peace.      That is one thing I know God has truly blessed me with during this cancer journey.  I have had complete peace throughout the experience. He gave me the wisdom and comfort to just take each day at a time, to patiently wait for, and through, each test and procedure, and to have full confidence that everything would work out exactly the way He had planned.           John 14:27         "Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to y...

 Thursday July 3, 2025     It has been one month since my last post. I have been doing quite well. I've reached the point where I'm so close to normal that I have to remind myself that it really happened, it seems like a different time and different life.  Thank you, Heavenly Father, for your divine mercy and healing.      When it was suggested that I write this blog about my experiences, the person specifically said, "You can help the rest of us when it becomes our turn." I hope that is true, especially since during this past month, two different ladies in our fellowship group were diagnosed with cancer, one uterine and the other breast. The woman with the uterine cancer had her surgery today. We are praying for both of them, and their families, and I hope some of the thoughts I've shared, and verses I've pointed to might prove beneficial to them during this time.      When this year started, I had 2-3 medical procedures/issues I was go...

Friday June 6, 2025     Another week, a day late, sorry. It's been a busy week.  On the merkel front, I had my 3-month follow-up with Dr. Tran, my surgical oncologist. It wasn't what I thought it was going to be.  My impression was that these three-month check-ups would be blood tests and scans, but this was just a Q and A visit. Dr. Tran doesn't want to do any scans until the area is completely healed from the radiation, and I just had the important blood test at the end of April so that won't happen again until the end of July. We did learn that my score on the blood test was "0" which was great news.  That means that two months after the surgery there was no trace of cancer cells in my body.  That test will determine much of what happens to me in the months and years to follow.  Getting "0's" should mean that I'm cancer free.  If the number goes up, more testing and checking will follow.      Overall, she was happy with my progre...

Thursday May 29, 2025 20 days post radiation treatments.      My recovery from the radiation process is finally starting to turn a corner toward the positive.  The area is less painful, and the "burnt" skin is beginning to peel away. There is a healthy itch to the affected spots, and I'm not as fidgety when I sit for longer periods of time. I'm hopeful that by the time we head on our next road trip in a week or so, I will be as close to normal as I can be.       As I've already shared, I see the surgical oncologist next Tuesday. I hope she will agree that everything is healing great. Still not sure what kind of tests, scans, or blood work will be done to check on the cancer. I know there will be many prayers that everything comes back negative and I am continuing to be cancer free.     Deuteronomy 7:9          Know therefore that the LORD your God is God, the faithful God who keeps covenant and steadfast love wit...

Thursday May 22, 2025     Should I start a new countdown (or count up). 13 days past my last radiation treatment.     It wasn't my intention to skip last Thursday, but Cathy and I were in Texas, and I didn't take my computer. Our nephew was graduating from SMU, and we had decided last year that we wanted to go, and we were going to make a vacation out of it. We planned a little "tour de Texas" before arriving in Dallas for the graduation. It was also originally part of our "checking out places to move to" scouting expeditions in case we ever decided we wanted to leave California. With my cancer diagnosis and subsequent treatments, we won't be leaving California anytime soon.  I don't want to start this all over with new doctors.       When we realized I would be finishing radiation on Friday and we were leaving on Sunday, Cathy and I had discussed pushing the trip off for a week, going to Dallas first and then working our way through Waco and...

 Thursday May 8, 2025 24 down, 1 to go.     Today was my penultimate radiation treatment. Tomorrow I am done. The journey isn't over though as I've shared before.  There will be at least 1-2 more years of every 3-month checkups, tests, and scans.      I'm finally starting to feel the effects of the radiation this week. The skin is puckering and blistering in certain areas, it feels tight, and I feel more soreness when I'm sitting down, especially on things that are not well-padded. Otherwise, I'm still doing great.  I saw the radiation oncologist yesterday and while noting the affected areas of skin, he is still very happy with my progress and overall situation. This is the last time I'll see him until my three-month check-up.     I have come to appreciate my doctors, their staffs, and technicians through this process.  Not just for how nice and kind they are and how well they are do their jobs, I've also come to appreciate the time...