Day 198 – Saturday (03/09/19)
Next blog update will TRY to be posted by Saturday, March 16th, at midnight.
Hello everyone! It has been two weeks since we last spoke. For the most part, these two weeks have been uneventful from the health side of things. I have been able to work, and I’m honestly feeling really good. My stamina seems to be back to my pre-cancer normal. My diet is going very well (low sugar, low preservatives, less animal protein). I received the expected call from the Proton Center, and they have my program ready. I will start my Proton Treatments on TUESDAY, 3/12/19. These will be Monday – Friday for 25 treatments. This makes my last treatment on Monday, April 15th (as luck would have it… my anniversary). Assuming the treatments are successful, this is pretty cool. It means that April 15th will represent my wedding anniversary, my remission anniversary, and of course… tax day! But I digress. The treatments only last about 30 minutes each day. I’m told the side-effects should be very mild, and I will be able to keep working during this time. I will be working a modified schedule to accommodate the treatments, but I will still get in my 40 hours a week. My company has worked with me in this regard to create a schedule that meets my needs and the business needs, and for this I am very thankful. I plan to update the blog next Saturday (March 16th), so I can let everyone know how the treatments actually go. For those interested in the technical side, I plan to explain everything I see and experience from my point-of-view. I’m pretty excited about the technology, and I’m hoping it will be pretty cool. After all, the machine that shoots the protons is a $300 Million dollar machine, so it has to be cool, right? Side note… I still have not heard an answer from the insurance company regarding the first appeal. At this time, I’m proceeding as an out-of-pocket patient… but if it is God’s will, I’m hoping that insurance will step in.
One last thing as I wrap up for this time. The wife of a friend of mine was recently diagnosed with cancer also, and my understanding is the prognosis is not so good. I ask that you all would pray for her, just as you have prayed for me. I did not ask permission to include her name, so I won’t for now, but God will know who your talking about. My friend and his wife have accepted the Lord as their personal savior, so at least they have the peace of the Holy Spirit as they are heading down the treatment paths.
Dear heavenly Father, I come to You again with a thankful heart. You are continuing to heal me, and I continue to get stronger every day. I pray that the doctors who have spent the last two weeks preparing my Proton program have made no mistakes. If they have, I know that You can reach down and fix the program on Your own before my treatments begin. I pray for safety of travel as I go to and from the Proton center. I pray for my wife and children as we start this next (and hopefully final) stage, that they will quickly adjust to the new schedule we will live for the next five weeks. I pray for my friend’s wife. God, only You know the outcome and what the future holds. I pray that she will trust You through this storm, knowing that Your ways are best, no matter what. Please guide and direct her as she makes treatment decisions. You are an awesome God, and You prove Yourself worthy of our praise every day. Amen.