RE: Hockey Trip

I look forward to laughing about this someday, but right now I’m not quite sure how God will work this one out for us.  Our trip is starting out a little more adventurous than planned.  Did you know you can’t rent a car with an expired driver’s license?  And, of course, Brodie isn’t old enough to rent a car yet.  Ain’t life grand?  :-)

Stay tuned.

Hockey Trip

So I’m sitting in an airport, past security, feeling like the luckiest man alive!  You see, I live my life in three month windows, so I wondered if this trip would ever happen.

A number of years ago, I was lucky enough to go to the Hockey Hall of Fame in Toronto.  I loved it and was quite sure my son Brodie would as well.  I immediately began hoping I’d get a chance to take him there someday.  Also, years ago Brodie and I agreed that we’d love to make a tour of NHL rinks and try to make it to all of them in my lifetime.  It was kind-of an unofficial bucket list item.  Of course, that was all pre-cancer.

Well, it looks like the opportunity has finally presented itself.  I have no immediate treatments on the horizon (just another test in early April), and Brodie has over a week off school (mid-term break).  AND, Brodie is graduating this year, so the trip will be a bit of a grad gift as well.  With much encouraging from Sue (both to take the time to make memories with Brodie and to go ahead and spend the money), we made the leap and bought plane tickets and a bunch of hockey tickets.  Hey – if my income tax refund doesn’t cover enough of it, I guess our RRSPs will.

So, here’s our tentative schedule for the next few days.

• March 22 – fly to Toronto
• March 23 – Ottawa hosting Pittsburgh
• March 25 – Montreal hosting Ottawa
• March 26 – Detroit hosting Minnesota
• March 27 – Buffalo hosting Florida
• March 28 – Toronto hosting Florida
• March 29 – Pittsburgh hosting Chicago
• April 2 – Columbus hosting Washington
• April 3 – flying back to Calgary

In case you’re worried about my treating kids equally, I’m desperately trying to do something similar with Amy, but we haven’t nailed anything down yet.  Still, stay tuned for that.

Another day, another medical procedure

Last Thursday it was another colonoscopy, and I’m happy to say that my posterior is clean as a whistle.  :-)

Ringing in 2017

I feel like I should be sending out an update, since I’ve had two important doctor visits since my last update, but I also feel like I have nothing interesting or clever to say.  Maybe this is what Sue calls “writers’ block”.  Oh, well, I guess I’ll just send a factual update.

My last surgery, including the recovery, was the easiest one yet.  I think I’ve been quoted as saying something like “I’ve had colds that hit me worse!”  A couple of weeks after that surgery, I had a follow-up meeting with the surgeon.  The most memorable quotes I have from that meeting are “jeez you heal nicely” (hey – it’s nice to be good at something, though I don’t think it’s to the point of super-power J) and “you’re all clear – we don’t see any more cancer in your lungs”.  That was good news, though given my history it sadly doesn’t mean it will last.

Tuesday I had a follow-up with the oncologist for the PET scan I had just before Christmas.  Again the news was good:  the PET scan was clear!  But this was my oncologist so, of course, he had to add a bit of gloominess about how my prospects were still not very good, statistically speaking, in the longer term.  And so life goes:  always a mix of good news and bad.  Still, we rejoice in the clear PET scan, and today’s blue skies.  “Do not worry about tomorrow….” (Matt. 6:34)

There.  Now you’re up-to-date.  If you’d like a more detailed update about my family, other aspects of my life, etc., send me yours first.  Then, if you request that kind of update, Sue and/or I will reply.  J

God bless you!

Brad.

Home for the feast!

Neither the surgeon nor the medical staff disappointed me this Thanksgiving.  OK, so I didn’t get to have Thanksgiving in Manitoba, but 48 hours after slicing me open, they were sending me home!  I teased the doctor that soon he’d have it perfected to an out-patient surgery.  :-)

And, to top off the weekend, my wife (with some help from the kids), put on an awesome spread for Thanksgiving.

Now I’m sleeping my way back to health, and the best part is I’m doing it at home.  Life is good.  God is good!

Thanksgiving

I admit that I had hoped for a trip to a concert in California or at least a road trip to Manitoba for Thanksgiving, but it seems I’m destined to take another trip to the Foothills hospital, instead, to spend the long weekend being thankful for our wonderful medical system.  Yep, more cherry-picking is at hand, so the plan is that they’ll take another piece of my lung this Friday (October 7).  Hopefully it will go as smoothly as last time, but there are no guarantees.  Still, given the most recent doctors’ visits, I believe we have cause for confidence and optimism.  :-)

A pastor friend of mine recently quoted a Bill Gaither song to me:  “Through it all, through it all, I’ve learned to trust in Jesus, I’ve learned to trust in God.”  Yep, I’d like to think I’m learning to trust Him more every day.  That also reminded me of another song by the Gaithers.  A lot of the performances I’ve found on the internet don’t do much for me, but I LOVE the lyrics, particularly the chorus!  I think they describe my feelings fairly accurately.

God sent his son, they called him Jesus,
He came to love, heal and forgive.
He lived and died to buy my pardon,
An empty grave is there to prove my savior lives.
[Chorus]
Because he lives
I can face tomorrow
Because he lives
All fear is gone
Because I know he holds the future
And life is worth the living
Just because he lives

Until next time,
Brad.

September, 2016

Well, we’ve had a very nice summer (weather notwithstanding), including numerous road trips and activities.  We’ve all managed to keep our minds mostly off of the big “C”.  But, now it’s September and time for three of the four people in our home to go back to school and for all of to resume our “more normal” lives and schedules.  For me this new normal now includes check-ups at least every three months.  Whereas I’d had a PET scan approximately three months ago, it was too soon after the surgery, so there was nothing really to report.  So, last week I had another PET scan, and today was the day of the follow-up doctor visit.

Those of you that know me well enough know that decision making is not my strong suit.  Sue often describes it as non-committal.  Well, apparently I can’t really commit to cancer, either.  I can’t get rid of it, but I can’t get a full-blown case going either.  I suppose, in this case, that may be a good thing. :-)

The oncologist said that there was another tumour in the lungs.  It was small and still not lighting up the scan in any alarming way.  However, considering how healthy I seem and how easily I handled the last lung surgery, he suggested we follow it up (i.e. probably more cherry picking).  So, I now have a follow-up appointment with a thoracic surgeon next Monday.

The more interesting aspect of the visit with the oncologist today was something both Sue and I sensed:  somewhat of a change in tone.  First of all he was downplaying the tumour, and then he said “we’re nowhere near the point of needing more chemo” (or something to that effect).  Before today he always sounded like more chemo was either imminent or not worth it.  Then Sue said something about how we were happy for a bit more time, to which he replied something to the effect of “I still think we can hope for a long, healthy life”.  Well, given our previous experience with this oncologist, those were pretty amazing statements – he’s just always been much more pessimistic.

So, whereas the news is not all good, it certainly isn’t bad, either.

Anyway, now you’re all caught up. :-)

OK, God, Back To You

When I started this cancer fight nearly three years ago, I said there were three possible outcomes:  1) God heals me “naturally” (i.e. through the medical process), 2) God heals me miraculously, or 3) God takes me home to be with him.  Well, the likelihood of #1 seems to be decreasing.

As you likely know, I had surgery two weeks ago in which the surgeon removed a piece of my lung and subsequently reported that it was cancerous.  Yesterday we spoke with the oncologist.  I’ll do my best to relate the way he put it, without making it sound too good nor too bad.  Basically he said that the cancer is back, as demonstrated by the piece they removed.  That means that the medical attempts to cure me seem to have failed.  Going forward, the medical attempts would simply be to lengthen my life or improve the quality of it.  If another tumor appears anywhere within a year, that would be particularly bad and there might not be anything worth doing.  If it takes longer than that, then more chemo and/or more cherry-picking might still be an option.

So, the news is not really as good as we’d have liked, but I don’t see it limiting God in any way. :-)

Besides, after the Christmas our family had, I had been thinking of Luke 2:29-30 back in January.  Yesterday I was reminded of that, and perhaps that is His plan for me. :-)

Perspectives

So, we got the results back from the chunk they cut out of my lung this time, and it turns out that it was cancerous.  It certainly would have been nicer had it not been, but it wasn’t unexpected.  At this point, of course, we don’t know what the implications are – I see the oncologist on Friday.  However, this conversation might provide some insight into the different feelings at our house:

Sue:  “That’s your fourth cancer diagnosis in three years.”

Brad:  “Yeah, but they cut it out so it’s not there any more.  They said they couldn’t see any other cancerous material.”

Sue:  “Sure, but when they finished the surgery on your mother that June, they said they’d gotten it all as well.  We buried her before Christmas.”

Brad:  “Well, that was a different kind of cancer.”

So, as you can see, there aren’t right or wrong thoughts/emotions, but certainly different ones.  Fortunately we both agree that God has it all under control. :-)

Anyway, as I said, I see the oncologist Friday and hopefully we’ll have a little more information about what the future holds after that.  Thanks again for your continued thoughts and prayers!

What was that? A Mosquito?

I’ve had stubbed toes that bothered me more than that surgery!  I’m assuming all your prayers hurried the process.

OK, maybe I’m getting carried away, but seriously, that was the easiest one yet by far.  From the time I was admitted to the time I left the hospital:  48 hours!  I was up and walking around the ward just a few hours after the surgery.  In the entire 48 hours I was in the hospital, I don’t think my pain ever exceeded 3/10.  I only used the morphine pump on two occasions:  1) when the physio nurse recommended I do so because of some of the things she was about to put me through, and 2) when the nurse recommended I do because she was about to pull an eighteen inch tube out of my chest. In retrospect, I’m not sure I’d have needed to for those either.  I guess I’m just getting to be an old pro at this. I’m not sure if that’s good or bad! :-)

Anyway, I’m home and feeling (relatively) fine.  I still have that groggy post-general anesthetic thing going on, but that’s about it.

So, as I understand it, I should find out in a week or two whether that growth was cancer.  However, it seems life will go on quite normally again for a while.

Thanks again for all your thoughts and prayers!

Life is Good; God is Good

I’m writing this from a place that fills me with anticipation:  a departure gate at the Calgary airport.  Yes, I’m a lucky guy!  I’m on my way to San Francisco.  If you’re like me, you’ll likely get a twinge of jealousy because, despite the fact that the trip is for work and I know I’ll drop into bed exhausted from the conference every day, the conference is not in Calgary or even Alberta.  J

 

We’ve just spent a WONDERFUL Easter weekend with my sister, her family, and two young women from Nigeria.  In addition to lots of movies, it included a trip to Banff/Lake Louise – how can one go wrong?

 

So, you can be jealous of my Easter weekend and my trip to San Francisco, but you’re less likely to be jealous of what happens after that.  I get home from San Francisco on Sunday, get blood work done on Monday, and then into surgery on Wednesday.  It’s an exciting spring!

 

Unfortunately, last night our kitchen sink blocked up and, despite a couple of hours of working on it with Drano, a plunger, and a 25-foot snake, we had no joy.  So, in addition to the stress of school, my being away, and my impending surgery, I had to leave Sue to deal with a plumber sometime this week.  If you’re so inclined, please pray for her.  I may be living the life of my dreams, but much of it causes my dear wife stress.

 

Anyway, I expect my next update will be post-surgery.  Until then, God bless you!

 

Brad.

 

P.S.  I’ve always been jealous of people who get big offers to change flights.  I just had to turn down a $500 offer to change flights because the next one would take some hops and get me there too late for the start of the conference.  Why don’t I get an offer like that when I’ve got more time?!!

Experience Junkie

I’ve never wanted a boring life, and God has blessed me abundantly.  God is good!  Life is good!  My sister, who shares my desire in this regard, calls us “experience junkies”.  We’re always looking for something new and exciting that we haven’t tried yet.  It’s one of the things that drives my insatiable appetite for travel.  It’s also the thing that, for example, when I go for a snowmobile tour with my brother-in-law and nephew as I did a few weeks ago, has me reluctant to admit just how much I love that kind of thing:  I’ve done it a few times and love it, but we can’t possibly afford to get into that kind of hobby!

 

A couple of weeks ago I had my normal, routine, every-so-often PET scan.  When we got the results, the oncologist was a little bit concerned:  there was a pea-sized “nodule” showing up in one of my lungs that had grown from the previous scans.  He referred us to a thoracic surgeon.  Today (Friday) Sue accompanied me to my appointment.

 

Here’s an interesting tidbit before I get to the gist of this post:  I don’t think I’ve ever seen a specialist (let alone had any other medical appointment) that was as timely.  My appointment was for 9:45 AM.  While I was walking from the car to the appointment, too busy to answer the phone, I got a voicemail from the nurse.  Time?  9:46 AM.  They were worried I wasn’t coming.  I got there at about 9:46:15 and didn’t even get a chance to sit down.  They whisked me through the usual height/weight/blood pressure directly into the “small back room”.  We hadn’t been there for more than about 10 seconds before the doctor entered.  Despite the subject matter, we were out of the office by 10:15, and didn’t feel like we’d been rushed!

 

Anyway, the doctor described the situation by saying they weren’t that worried about it, but given my history and the fact that it had grown, they recommended surgery to remove it.  They wanted both to get it out of there (stop further growth) and to determine if it actually is more cancer or something benign.  The surgery was described as relatively straight-forward, with just some small incisions and probably only a couple of days in the hospital.  It sounds like it will be much less invasive than the surgeries I’ve already had.  It helps that there’s only one “nodule” of concern, and that it’s right at the edge of my lung.  Also, when I got my first liver surgery, the doctor had explained how they sometimes “cherry-pick” these things for years.

 

Well, I can’t explain my reaction without referring to the subject of this post.  My first thought was “cool – I haven’t had a lung surgery yet”!  I have something new to look forward to. J

 

Unfortunately, it’s not quite as easy on Sue.  Especially given some of the other challenges she’s facing, she has a bit more trouble with this roller coaster ride.  So, if you’re so inclined and you think of her, please pray for her.

 

So… I’m headed for another surgery.  It will likely take place at the beginning of April, after my San Francisco trip (conference for work – another exciting adventure!).  As always, I’ll keep you posted.

 

By the way, I’d love to hear what’s going on in YOUR life, too!

August Update

Time files when you’re having fun, and I’m having so much fun it’s hard to believe!  I love God, my wife, my kids, my family, my friends, my job, …, my LIFE!  Between church, hockey, drives in the foothills and mountains, movies, tennis, canoe trips, soccer, weekends with friends, etc., it’s hard not to think of this as a good life!

What I hate is cancer, and its potential to separate me from all of those things except God.  But, for today I don’t have to worry about that.  Last week I had a CT scan and blood work in preparation for my 3-month check-up.  Today I went to said check-up.  One of the first things they do after you sign in is check your weight and blood pressure.  I lamented that I’d been gaining too much weight.  Their response?  Well, we’re glad it’s not going the other way.  Always look on the bright side of life.  ?  Then I got the really good news:  both the CT scan and the bloodwork were clear!  There is no sign of cancer returning.  My next significant scan, assuming all else continues normally, will not be for another six months (i.e. in the February timeframe).

It’s interesting, though, that God has a way of tempering joy and/or reminding us that it’s in His hands.  On our way out of the doctor’s office we met an acquaintance.  It seems she is not, from a cancer perspective, as fortunate as I.  She also had stage 4 colon cancer, but hers, as I understand it, has not only returned but spread.  So, while you’re thanking God for my progress, perhaps you can also petition God on Katrina’s behalf.

USB Port

I had to post a follow-up because a friend sent me a joke after the last post that I had to share:  I'm getting my USB removed - my Unsurprising Surgical Bump.

Yet Another Surgery

If you read my last update you know that I was scheduled to meet with the doctor to get my latest test results back.  That was over a week ago.  I don’t know why it took me so long to send out an update.  Unfortunately, they found a lump on my chest, so I’m going under the knife again on Monday.  The good news is that finding the lump was expected:  after all, they put it there!  I’m referring to the port I had installed for chemo.  Yep, I appear to be cancer free for now, and the three month checkup was so good that 1) they’re going to remove my port (which, by implication, means they don’t anticipate any more chemo in the foreseeable future), and 2) I don’t have to have another doctor visit for SIX months!  So, barring a sudden change, I probably won’t send out any more updates for approximately six months.  Life is good.  God is good!

Signing off for now with Philippians 3:20,
Brad.

P.S.  For those that misunderstood my last update, no, I’m not writing a book.  That was just an excuse for a joke/play on words. J

My Book

Sue tells me that in writing circles it is often suggested that coming up with a title is half the battle.  In that case, I guess I’m half way done writing my book!  I hope you’ll enjoy it:  it’s called “How A Semi-Colon Punctuated My Life’s Sentence”.  I admit I’m dubious, though, that you’ll ever be able to get that one on Amazon, unless Sue takes ownership of the project.  :-)

Anyway, what I’m really writing about is to provide a short update and to remind you that 1) I’m not dead yet, 2) I haven’t forgotten about you, and 3) that I’d love to hear from you, too.

So, my situation is that I can hardly believe how good I’m feeling these days.  I’d say it’s the polar opposite of how I felt a year ago when I was going through the depression following my first liver surgery.  I don’t think I’m quite at 100% for energy/stamina, but I’m coming close, and I think that’s the only issue left at this point (apart from the neuropathy that I expect to have to live with the rest of my life).  I was able to stand up for an entire hockey game last weekend!  In fact, I’m feeling so good that my family (I and my three siblings and families) are making plans for NEXT Christmas!  Just a few months ago I didn’t know if I’d see LAST Christmas!  Life is good!  God is good!

That, I suppose, is a good prelude for this week.  Today I had my PET scan and blood work done in preparation for my 3-month check-up next week (I know, it’s closer to 4 months by now, but…).  I honestly don’t know what I should be expecting next week.  On the one hand, I’m feeling quite good, but on the other hand we’ve been here before.  Perhaps I should start worrying, eh?  My Mom always said “worrying must work because 99% of the things you worry about never happen”.  But, that doesn’t really seem to be my nature, so I’ll live my life and send another update after next week’s appointment, when hopefully we’ll have just a little more idea of what God has in store for me in the coming months/years.

Thanks for reading!
Brad.

Pardon?

“But doctor, you’re the one who, on three different occasions in the last eighteen months, told me I was knocking on death’s door.  What do you mean there’s no apparent cancer left?”

My apologies for the delay in this update, especially to those of you who were aware that we met with the oncologist on Tuesday, and have been waiting to hear.  It’s just that we’re still digesting the news (and, of course, working, driving boys to hockey, etc., etc.).

Apparently, the pathology report from this last surgery was good.  Really good.  So good that the oncologist said “this confirms for us that your cancer was not a true recurrence.  The pathology from your first liver surgery showed that there had been a bit left behind, but the surgeon was hoping that the fact that he had cauterized the margins would be enough to deal with that.”

And then he said he had asked for a second opinion, and he had talked to someone more senior than he, who agreed that there was no value to be had in offering more chemo, since there appeared to be no cancer to deal with, and the next thing we knew, we were booking an appointment for a three month checkup, and just like that, we were in the monitoring phase.  (To be fair, it’s the same phase we were in last May, but this time with a little more confidence.)

When we were alone in the room again, we just sat and looked at each other, and that’s when I uttered the “F” word.  I looked at my wife and said “Perhaps I can begin to think about the Future again.”

An extension to my expiry date?

This week, in a sermon on hope, I was reminded of Romans 5:3-5: “but we also glory in tribulations, knowing that tribulation produces perseverance; and perseverance, character; and character, hope.  Now hope does not disappoint”.  I’m not so sure I’ve done much glorying in my tribulations (I’m trying!), nor got much perseverance nor character, but I continue to have hope.

Today I finally got to meet with the surgeon who performed my most recent surgery.  It was a wonderful meeting!  He started by telling me how blown away he was with my recovery.  He was practically gushing.  He stopped short of calling it miraculous, but I guess I’m his star pupil this year.  :-)  In fact, he casually asked my secret.  I told him quite simply:  a lot of people were praying both for him and for me!  He admitted that in his line of work, death is a very real possibility with each patient.  He went on to read through the pathology report with us, and it all sounded like good news.  Whereas in the first liver surgery the pathology on the margins came back somewhat ambiguous (which is the most likely reason for the recurrence), this time it was more clear.  He was able to get the margins he wanted, and the testing from the edges all came back negative for cancer.  So, as far as he is concerned, there is no cancer in my liver.  Admittedly we’ve heard that before, but it was still great to hear.  It also seemed to be spoken with a little more confidence than the last time we heard it.  So, perhaps my expiry date has been extended a little bit. :-)

Of course, we see the oncologist in a week and a half, so I expect my world will come crashing down again during that visit, but for now, life is good!  God is good!

There but for the grace of God...

We received some fairly sobering news today.  When I was in the hospital with my last surgery, I briefly shared a room with a man who’d had essentially the same surgery as mine (though his had been about a month prior to mine).  For reasons unknown, his body did not recover as well as mine.  We got word today that he’d passed away last Thursday.  Then we also got news that another friend from Edmonton had been diagnosed with the same cancer as my own.  Yep, sobering.

In case you’re wondering how I’m doing, I believe things are progressing as they should.  I’m recovering.  I was able to work a full 40 hours (from home) last week, though it exhausted me (I slept most of Saturday :-).  My incision hurts a little more than I remember the previous ones doing, but the staples are out and I think it’s coming along as it should.

Unfortunately, I still don’t know much in terms of a prognosis.  About all the surgeon told me was that the operation had been a success.  I have an appointment with the surgeon (in which I’ll hopefully get more details) on November 7, and an appointment with the oncologist on November 18.

So, I continue in God’s hands, and if He wants me on this planet for another 30 years, that’s absolutely no problem for Him! :-)

Update From Susan #3

All I have to say is:

 

HE’S HOME.

 

Just so very thankful.