I finally got the call from one of my doctors regarding my PET scans yesterday. Here is the conversation with my oncologist. "The PET scan did not light up cancer in that area, or any other area. However, pancreatic cancer has more of a tendency not to light up on scans than other types of cancer."
The way that I figure it, the PET scan was done so that if it did show cancer, then I would feel more comfortable going through the chemo treatments. Both of my oncologists still believe that I need to begin chemo. My family doctor and I are not so sure.
Where we are now: we are contacting Duke and MD Anderson for more options. Keep praying as we travel this journey. I know that God has something awesome to show us in all of this.
I do wish that He would work more in my time, but after all "It's all about HIS time."
Friday, December 28, 2012
Wednesday, December 26, 2012
Wednesday, December 26
I pray that all of you have had a blessed Christmas season so far.
I have taken the wonderful opportunity to be with family and friends over these past days. I am especially grateful for that, considering the fact that just a few days ago I did not feel like doing squat.
But right now my pain is somewhat under control. Good drugs do that, but good drugs also have their drawbacks. Anyway, they allowed me to spend some good time with some of those whom I love.
As of right now, the doctors think that they know the cause of my pain. It is a very small, less that an inch, "thing" that is laying on a bunch of very sensitive nerves. All of my doctors agree that this 'thing' is the source. Not all agree what this 'thing' is. So right now, the plan is for me to have a PET scan tomorrow (Thursday) to determine if this thing lights up as cancer. By the way, we just had a CT scan done a few weeks ago, and we had a PET scan done a couple of months ago and nothing has ever showed up on these or any other scans. If this thing does light up this time, we will consider beginning chemo as soon as possible. If it does not show that it is cancer, then we will find out just what it is, and how to treat it.
Thanks for keeping in touch (KIT) with me during my journey. And never forget - it's all about Him!
I have taken the wonderful opportunity to be with family and friends over these past days. I am especially grateful for that, considering the fact that just a few days ago I did not feel like doing squat.
But right now my pain is somewhat under control. Good drugs do that, but good drugs also have their drawbacks. Anyway, they allowed me to spend some good time with some of those whom I love.
As of right now, the doctors think that they know the cause of my pain. It is a very small, less that an inch, "thing" that is laying on a bunch of very sensitive nerves. All of my doctors agree that this 'thing' is the source. Not all agree what this 'thing' is. So right now, the plan is for me to have a PET scan tomorrow (Thursday) to determine if this thing lights up as cancer. By the way, we just had a CT scan done a few weeks ago, and we had a PET scan done a couple of months ago and nothing has ever showed up on these or any other scans. If this thing does light up this time, we will consider beginning chemo as soon as possible. If it does not show that it is cancer, then we will find out just what it is, and how to treat it.
Thanks for keeping in touch (KIT) with me during my journey. And never forget - it's all about Him!
Friday, December 21, 2012
Friday, December 21
Happy Friday Blog family. Just to update you on my health journey, things seem to change from day to day.
For several days now, I have really been thinking about the idea of starting a strong regiment of chemo without knowing for sure that I have a recurrence of cancer. So after consulting with Dr. West, Dr Chang has agreed to have me do another PET scan before we begin any kind of chemotherapy. The PET scan should give us a better idea of what this "thing" is that is pressing on some nerves.
I am thankful that we have a plan for whatever path we take. As I have said in the past, sometimes it is the 'not knowing' that is more frustrating than the knowing. If I am not careful, the not knowing can get on my last nerve. :-)
I'm not going to let that happen. I am going to continue to trust God. He doesn't have to tell me everything; in fact, I am glad that He doesn't. God didn't give Mary or Joseph all of the details. If He had, I am not sure that they could have humanly handled it. He just told them what they needed to know when they needed to know it.
Lord, just send me an angel every now and then to tell me just what I need to know when I need to know it. After all, just like Mary and just like Joseph, my life is really all about HIM.
For several days now, I have really been thinking about the idea of starting a strong regiment of chemo without knowing for sure that I have a recurrence of cancer. So after consulting with Dr. West, Dr Chang has agreed to have me do another PET scan before we begin any kind of chemotherapy. The PET scan should give us a better idea of what this "thing" is that is pressing on some nerves.
I am thankful that we have a plan for whatever path we take. As I have said in the past, sometimes it is the 'not knowing' that is more frustrating than the knowing. If I am not careful, the not knowing can get on my last nerve. :-)
I'm not going to let that happen. I am going to continue to trust God. He doesn't have to tell me everything; in fact, I am glad that He doesn't. God didn't give Mary or Joseph all of the details. If He had, I am not sure that they could have humanly handled it. He just told them what they needed to know when they needed to know it.
Lord, just send me an angel every now and then to tell me just what I need to know when I need to know it. After all, just like Mary and just like Joseph, my life is really all about HIM.
Wednesday, December 19, 2012
Wednesday, December 19
We just returned from Dr. Chang's office to discuss the results of my MRI.
Basically, the MRI showed a very small mass in an abdominal area that has a lot of nerves. The feeling is that this mass is wrapping around those nerves, causing the intense pain.
Dr. Chang and Dr. Zafar are both oncologist. Oncologist look for cancer. That being said, this could be a recurrence of my cancer. It also could be simply scar tissue.
Right now we are going to treat this as though it is cancer (although we don't know this for sure). Our plan is to begin chemotherapy after Christmas. In the meantime, I am going to take some longer lasting, stronger pain medication. So if you see me, I am not responsible for my words or my actions. (Just kidding - I wish that I could blame my actions on medications. :-) )
The only thing that I can blame anything that I do is on my choice. Today, I choose to continue to trust God.
After all - it's all about Him!
Basically, the MRI showed a very small mass in an abdominal area that has a lot of nerves. The feeling is that this mass is wrapping around those nerves, causing the intense pain.
Dr. Chang and Dr. Zafar are both oncologist. Oncologist look for cancer. That being said, this could be a recurrence of my cancer. It also could be simply scar tissue.
Right now we are going to treat this as though it is cancer (although we don't know this for sure). Our plan is to begin chemotherapy after Christmas. In the meantime, I am going to take some longer lasting, stronger pain medication. So if you see me, I am not responsible for my words or my actions. (Just kidding - I wish that I could blame my actions on medications. :-) )
The only thing that I can blame anything that I do is on my choice. Today, I choose to continue to trust God.
After all - it's all about Him!
Monday, December 17, 2012
Monday, December 17
Next week this time it will be Christmas Eve.
Last year this time I was healing from my surgery. My chemo and radiation therapy had not begun. By the time Christmas eve arrived, I was doing well enough to preach that Christmas Eve sermon. It was the first time that I had been to church since the Sunday before Thanksgiving. What a great memory!
Right now, I feel physically worse than I did this time last year. As you know, I have been battling these severe abdominal pains for several weeks now. Until today, I thought that I have had every kind of procedure and test known to man. But after talking with both of my doctors in Goldsboro and consulting my oncologist and surgeons at Duke, we have decided that I need an MRI. We are hoping that this will give us the answer to the cause of my pain. So tomorrow (Tuesday) I am going to Wayne Memorial for the MRI. Then on Wednesday I will see Dr. Chang to discuss the results and what steps are required to take care of whatever the issue is.
If you think about it, say an extra prayer that this thing will be simple and easy to take care of. This one thing I do know. Whatever it is, it may not be simple to me, but it will be simple to God. Nothing is greater than He is. After all, this whole thing is:
All about Him!!!
Last year this time I was healing from my surgery. My chemo and radiation therapy had not begun. By the time Christmas eve arrived, I was doing well enough to preach that Christmas Eve sermon. It was the first time that I had been to church since the Sunday before Thanksgiving. What a great memory!
Right now, I feel physically worse than I did this time last year. As you know, I have been battling these severe abdominal pains for several weeks now. Until today, I thought that I have had every kind of procedure and test known to man. But after talking with both of my doctors in Goldsboro and consulting my oncologist and surgeons at Duke, we have decided that I need an MRI. We are hoping that this will give us the answer to the cause of my pain. So tomorrow (Tuesday) I am going to Wayne Memorial for the MRI. Then on Wednesday I will see Dr. Chang to discuss the results and what steps are required to take care of whatever the issue is.
If you think about it, say an extra prayer that this thing will be simple and easy to take care of. This one thing I do know. Whatever it is, it may not be simple to me, but it will be simple to God. Nothing is greater than He is. After all, this whole thing is:
All about Him!!!
Wednesday, December 12, 2012
Thursday, December 12
Happy 12/12/12 blog family.
My appointment with Dr. Chang was a good one. The good news - no the great news - is that the pathology report from last week's endoscopy showed no signs of polyps or cancer. Yes! It also showed no signs of bacteria that could be causing the pain. I do have an irritated stomach lining. They call it gastritis, which is a medical term for "we don't know why your stomach lining is red."
So at this point in time my stomach lining is not the only thing that is irritated. My mind is not happy because my stomach is still telling it that there is pain. And the fact that the doctors don't know why, so they don't know what to do about it, makes me irritated. I renewed a prescription for pain killers, which is supposed to help me wait this thing out.
Now that I have updated you on my physical condition, let me update you on my emotional condition. When you are traveling a cancer journey and the doctors cannot explain why you hurt, you automatically think that there is cancer somewhere that they just have not found. You don't want to think that way, but that's just the way that you feel.
Now that I have updated you on my physical and emotional condition, let me update you on my spiritual condition. I might not understand why God does things in God's time, but I do understand that he has a wonderful master plan. I might not even agree with God on his timing, but I am clearly aware that He is God and that He is in control. So, I am trusting in Him every day. After all, it's not about me. It's all about Him!
Are you struggling with God's plan and God's timing? Remember this quote from Dr. David Jeremiah: "Nothing ever happens to me that is not filtered through His love."
My appointment with Dr. Chang was a good one. The good news - no the great news - is that the pathology report from last week's endoscopy showed no signs of polyps or cancer. Yes! It also showed no signs of bacteria that could be causing the pain. I do have an irritated stomach lining. They call it gastritis, which is a medical term for "we don't know why your stomach lining is red."
So at this point in time my stomach lining is not the only thing that is irritated. My mind is not happy because my stomach is still telling it that there is pain. And the fact that the doctors don't know why, so they don't know what to do about it, makes me irritated. I renewed a prescription for pain killers, which is supposed to help me wait this thing out.
Now that I have updated you on my physical condition, let me update you on my emotional condition. When you are traveling a cancer journey and the doctors cannot explain why you hurt, you automatically think that there is cancer somewhere that they just have not found. You don't want to think that way, but that's just the way that you feel.
Now that I have updated you on my physical and emotional condition, let me update you on my spiritual condition. I might not understand why God does things in God's time, but I do understand that he has a wonderful master plan. I might not even agree with God on his timing, but I am clearly aware that He is God and that He is in control. So, I am trusting in Him every day. After all, it's not about me. It's all about Him!
Are you struggling with God's plan and God's timing? Remember this quote from Dr. David Jeremiah: "Nothing ever happens to me that is not filtered through His love."
Monday, December 10, 2012
Just a thought
I saw this on the WRAL news web page.
"A federal judge on Monday temporarily blocked North Carolina from issuing special anti-abortion license plates. The state chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union suing to prevent the "Choose Life" plates, alleging that they violate the First Amendment because there's no specialty plate for supporters of abortion rights."
My first thought was, so is the ACLU saying that they want a "choose death" license plate?
My second thought was, isn't there something wrong with the premise that not allowing
someone to put words on a license plate is a protection of the First Ammendment right to free speech?
My final thought was, oh, it was the ACLU - not worth wasting my thoughts over that group. And so like many other Americans, I just stopped thinking.
"A federal judge on Monday temporarily blocked North Carolina from issuing special anti-abortion license plates. The state chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union suing to prevent the "Choose Life" plates, alleging that they violate the First Amendment because there's no specialty plate for supporters of abortion rights."
My first thought was, so is the ACLU saying that they want a "choose death" license plate?
My second thought was, isn't there something wrong with the premise that not allowing
someone to put words on a license plate is a protection of the First Ammendment right to free speech?
My final thought was, oh, it was the ACLU - not worth wasting my thoughts over that group. And so like many other Americans, I just stopped thinking.
Wednesday, December 5, 2012
Thursday, December 5
Just to update you on my endoscopy this morning. The test showed a very red stomach lining. This could be caused by bacteria. A biopsy was taken. It will take a week to ten days for the results. It also could be caused by bile from my procedure last year. He is sending the results to my other doctors.
The good news is that there are no polyps or tumors that would indicate any connection with cancer.
Whatever it is, it is still causing intense pain. He is giving me medication to coat the stomach lining. And I know that we will get this resolved and I will continue praising God. Mountaintops or valley's, it's all about Him.
The good news is that there are no polyps or tumors that would indicate any connection with cancer.
Whatever it is, it is still causing intense pain. He is giving me medication to coat the stomach lining. And I know that we will get this resolved and I will continue praising God. Mountaintops or valley's, it's all about Him.
Saturday, December 1, 2012
Saturday, December 1
Happy December blog family. Just to keep you updated. I went yesterday for what I thought was an endoscopy. Instead, my appointment was for a consult first. The procedure is scheduled for next Wednesday (thanks to Debbie N, a friend and church family member who works in that office.)
For the most part, my pain is under control with meds. Thank you for your prayers.
For the most part, my pain is under control with meds. Thank you for your prayers.
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