Day 339 – Sunday (07/28/19)

Hello Everyone!  I have some fantastic news!  My 90-day follow up PET scan results are in.  As a reminder, this is 90 days after my Proton Radiation Therapy.  My last chemo was January 17th, 2019, and my last proton treatment was April 15th, 2019.  We had to wait 90 days to allow any inflammation to subside before we could do the PET scan.  So, without further ado, the results…

The doctor said that Blobby is completely AWOL, MIA, gone, nadda, zilch.  Apparently he did not even leave a mail forwarding address.  To be honest, the doctor was surprised.  With how large my original mass was, he told me from the beginning that there would likely be a golf ball size mass leftover.  He said we would monitor that, and make sure it did not show new activity.  But… the aforementioned expected golf ball did not become a reality.  As the doctor scrolled through each slide / slice of my scan, you could plainly see that there was not even a hint of a mass anymore.  It is as though it never happened.

Thinking through this creates quite the paradox in my mind.  If you look at my body pre-cancer…  and look at my body post-cancer, it is practically identical… it is as though it never happened.  If a tree falls in the woods, but there is nobody there to observe it, does it make any noise?  In my case though, I was there to observe it… I clearly know that the cancer formed, was treated, and is now gone.  So from an outside view, it could appear that it never happened, but from an inside view it clearly did.  This causes me to sit back and ponder on two things.  (1) How great our God is and how blessed I am that he showed mercy and grace and allowed me to be fully restored… and (2) Why did God decide this tribulation was needed for me in the first place?  God is in control of all things.  He gives and he takes away (the story of Job is a good example).  God puts us through challenges to grow us.  Keeping these things in mind, I feel it is very important for me to reflect on all aspects of my completed journey and discern what lessons I have learned.  It will also be smart for me to document them so I can go back and revisit them on a periodic basis.  Anyone who has read the book of Judges (or even Exodus) knows how easy it is for us to forget what God has done in our lives.  We often look at the Israelite’s and ask ourselves “how can these people be so “dumb”?  How can they keep making the same mistakes over and over?”  In reality, we are all the same.  If we don’t constantly refresh ourselves on the blessings God has out-poured on us, and reflect on the lessons God has taught us, we are quick to forget.

I am still working on compiling a detailed, comprehensive list on lessons and truths I have learned about God and myself through this experience.  It will be my intention to publish them on this blog when I have it finalized.  I will called it “Epilogue” on the main menu of the blog.  I am also going to purchase an official domain for this blog and make it searchable on Google.  My hope would be that my story can be an encouragement to anybody who may stumble across it when searching for things like “lymphoma”, “cancer”, etc.  I pray that maybe when they need it most, they will read some of my posts and see who God is and who they can put their faith and trust in to help them through their trial.  It has been made clear to me that in addition to teaching me lessons and truths about God, my story is intended to encourage others and point them to Christ.

Dear Heavenly Father, I humbly come before You today Lord, seeing and knowing that You are all powerful, and in control of all things.  You have shown me first hand Your mercy, grace, and healing powers.  You have taught me that we never know what tomorrow brings, and that it is critical that we know You as our personal savior.  This matter is of upmost urgency for all of us.  We should not put off until tomorrow, what we should do today.  At the top of that list is daily sharing the Gospel and our testimony with those around us through our words and actions.  Lord I pray that You would use this blog to help encourage others, lead others to a deeper understanding of who You are, and ultimately help lead others to salvation.  I pray that You will use me in a mighty way for the up-building of Your kingdom.  Help me to never belittle or hide the testimony that You have given me.  Thank You Lord for all the people who have diligently prayed for me over this past year.  Prayer is the most powerful tool You have given us, and we should never squander it.  Thank You God for life.  Amen.