Hello again everyone!  It is with mixed emotions that I write to you all today.  I have overwhelming joy that all of my treatments (both chemo and radiation) are now complete!  However, we are also coming to a point where I must decide the future of this blog.  After much pondering and prayerful consideration, I have decided to take a hiatus from the blog until my follow-up PET scan is complete.  I do not have an exact date for the PET scan, but I know it must be at least 90 days after my last treatment on April 15th.  This would put it somewhere around July 15th.

What you see above is a countdown timer to July 15th.  Once I have a firm date, I will update the counter, so it is accurate to the exact date, and I will post the exact date by the counter.  This scan will hopefully be the closing chapter of this adventure I have been on.  Assuming it comes back clear, at that point, I will officially be in remission and labeled a “cancer survivor”.  I would like to encourage everyone to join me back at the blog after this hiatus.  My goal during this waiting time is to type up a “epilogue” to my story, which I will post.  This epilogue is going to contain a synopsis of what all God has taught me through this journey.  It is clear to me that God has a purpose for everything.  Looking through that lens, I have made personal notes along the way of areas that I felt God was trying to teach, guide, and change me.  I would like to share those with everyone, in hopes that they may be an encouragement to each of you and some might benefit likewise.  If you would like a reminder to come back and see the PET results, and read the epilogue, please put your email address in above, and click submit.  I will send out 1 email as a reminder when the scan is done, and the epilogue is posted.  I promise I will not “spam” your email accounts!  In case you don’t recognize my email address, the subject line to the email will be “PET complete!  Come back to Blobby’s world for the conclusion!”

While I do not know all of you readers by name (there have been over 800 unique IP address access this site), I do pray for all of you, and will continue to do so.  Please continue to keep me in prayer as well, as I return back to “normal” life, hopefully applying the lessons God has taught me through this process.

Dear heavenly Father, on this resurrection Sunday, I want to thank You for sending Your Son to die on the cross for my (our) sins.  Thank You for Him rising on the third day, and returning to You in heaven.  Thank You for sending the Holy Spirit to indwell within us, to teach and guide us.   Thank You for Your grace and mercy that You show each and every one of us.  I pray for all of my fellow blog readers.  I pray that over the next 3 months, that You will be with them each and every day.  I pray that You would heal them when they need healed, comfort them when they need comforted, and encourage them when they need encouraged.  Most of all I pray that if they do not know You as their personal savior, that You would soften their heart to receive You, and that You would put someone in their path who can help show them in Your Word the Bible, what it means to follow You (readers, you can also navigate to the post on Day 23 for more information).  Finally, Lord, thank You for helping me get through all the treatments in my journey.  Please continue to be with me over the next 3 months as I eagerly await the PET scan showing that I am cancer free.  Amen.

Next blog update will TRY to be posted by Saturday, April 13th, at midnight.

Hello everyone!  I now have 14 of 25 radiation treatments complete!  Yea!!!  So far I have driven for 76 hours and 59 minutes, and traveled 3857.1 miles back and forth to treatment.  While I have really put on the miles, my FitBit says that I’m still short on my steps… so sad ☹.  Haha.  (For those who may not know, FitBit’s are watches that track how many steps you have taken in a day, to help encourage you to walk more and stay “fit”).  The drive between my house and the proton center may be becoming monotonous, but my wife has gone with me every day and kept me company.  I think we have talked more in the last 14 days then we have in the last 13 years! Haha.  (Man, I’m full of myself today)…  Anyway, so the plan moving forward is as follows.  The next 4 treatments will remain consistent with what I have been doing.  They are covering the full original mass area, with a low dose of radiation.  Starting on treatment 19 (going till the end), they will shrink the target area to just the small portion of mass that is actually still left, and crank up the power.  I joke that they are going to set the proton beam (in deep voice) from “Stun” to “Kill”.  Sorry Blobby, you are no longer welcome here.

So far, I still have not experienced any side effects.  The doctor is continuing to monitor for redness on the skin, shortness of breath, fatigue, trouble swallowing, sore throat, cough….  So far… Nothing.  I feel very thankful that God is taking care of the side effects for me thus far.  I’m still able to work and spend time with my family, almost as though nothing is wrong at all.  I am also having the opportunity at the proton center to meet with many other people who are going through their own cancer battles.  One common theme that I have found in talking with other fellow patients is that “God is Good”.  It is a blessing to see so many other people also praising God through their trials.

The insurance company came back and denied my claim.  The next step is the peer to peer appeal, which could take several weeks to complete.  Paraphrased, the denial statement from my insurance said that while they agree and understand that X-Ray radiation will likely damage my heart, there is not enough evidence at this time to prove that protons will not do the same thing.  From the research I have done, that is probably a true statement due to the technology being so new, and the number of lymphoma patients being treated with protons being so low (especially younger patients).  Most lymphoma’s do not need proton therapy because they are in a location that the x-ray’s can hit without hitting vital organs in collateral damage.  The bottom line is this…  I’m afraid that the peer-to-peer appeal with my doctor is going to wind up being “he said she said”, and in the end, everyone will have to agree to disagree on whether the proton technology is “worth” the extra cost.  For me, it is worth it, regardless of the insurance decision.  X-Ray’s were a guarantee to damage my heart.  Protons are a “promissory note” that my heart will be just fine.  I’m willing to pay for that chance!  With all this said, I am still praying that if it is the Lord’s will, that He will allow the insurance to cover the cost.  But even if it is not the Lord’s will, I still know that God will help me take care of the expense.  He has already allowed me to qualify for financial aid giving me a 50% off discount.  He has blessed me with some unexpected funds in the past weeks.  He has proved Himself faithful time and time again, and my needs have always been covered.

I’m still finding it difficult to manage my time with all of this traveling and work, so my plan will be to update the blog again in two weeks (Saturday, April 13^th).  At that point, I should only have 1 treatment left!

Dear heavenly Father, thank You so very much for providing continual traveling mercies for me.  Out of all those miles, I have only hit 1 traffic jam, and the weather has been beautiful.  I know the forecast is going back and forth about the possibility of snow this coming Tuesday.  I pray that You would help me have the foresight and wisdom to know if I need to spend the night near the proton facility that night, or if the roads will be open and clear.  Thank You for helping me avoid all side effects so far!  I pray that this blessing would continue through the 2^nd half of the treatments.  Thank You also for always taking care of my needs, financial or otherwise.  I know that You will help me pay the medical expenses with or without the help of the insurance company.  You have proven Yourself faithful time and time again, and I have no doubts that will continue.  I love You Lord, always, amen.