Lessons

In April of 2020 I had my routine PT scan done here in Tulsa instead of MD Anderson in Houston.  The pandemic has just reared it’s ugly head so I could not travel to Houston.  That was a Monday.  On Friday I was riding my bike and got a flat.  For some reason I could not get my pump to work.  So, my son picked me up and took me back to my car.  As I was putting my bike on the bike rack, the phone rang.

The screen said MD Anderson.  That got my attention.  It was my oncologist.  She told me that the PT scan showed that the lymph node with which she was concerned had grown to the point that if we did not start treatment, other organs would be impacted.

Three days later, Monday, I had a port surgically implanted in the upper part of my right chest.  The next day, I had a Echo Cardiogram.  Eight days later, they drilled a hole into my pelvis to check to see how my bone marrow was involved with the cancer.  Two days later, I had a lung function test.  All this was to determine if I was healthy enough to start the chemotherapy.  I was.

On May 12 and 13 I started round one of chemotherapy.  That was a three-week process that involved infusions on Tuesday and Wednesday for the first two weeks, with the third week off.  There were six of those rounds.  That was followed by eight maintenance rounds eight weeks apart.  Those rounds were Tuesday and Wednesday one week.  

Additionally, because the chemo trashed my immune system, I begin getting Immunoglobin G intravenously every three weeks starting in April of 21.  Each of these treatments, the chemo and the IVIG included steroids.  I did not know about steroid crashes.  I do now.

The result of all this treatment has been good as far as the cancer is concerned.  What I have is not curable but responds to treatment that should allow me a 2 – 5-year break.  Oh, I finished the last chemo treatment on December 15th.  One of the side effects is that for about 5 days or so after each two-day treatment it is hard to think, read, study, anything mental.  That is one of the reasons contributions to the blog have been rather sparse since May 2020.  

From scripture, specifically Psalm 139:3 (here @ Bible Gateway), I am convinced that the Lord does not bring things like this into our lives randomly.  Rather, there is intention in all that he does, including cancer.  In 1 Thessalonians 5:16 – 18 (here @ Bible Gateway), Paul reminds us that we are to rejoice, pray, and give thanks for everything.  He repeats this admonition in less words in Philippians 4:6 – 7 (here @ Bible Gateway).

This has been something that I have struggled with since one of my daughters-in-law came down with cancer while pregnant.  She was struggling with the same issue.  But both of us realized the text is clear.  We are to be thankful for everything.

In the past few days, I have been reflecting on the past 20 months.  What has the Lord shown me?  What are some of the lessons I have learned?  My intention was to start sharing those thoughts in this post, but it has taken much longer than I anticipated to share the context.  So I will start that process tomorrow.