Enough waiting

It’s tough to wait when there’s a lot at stake. The wheels of the medical business can turn slowly. A week for a scan. Another for a follow up appointment. Another week and a half to get a biopsy. Another week for a follow up. Another week for another appointment. I starting noticing suspicious symptoms in late September. It’s now December. Too long. Too long. The waiting has taken its toll on us.

Yesterday, we started the second round of treatment. Because I’m participating in a clinical trial (no, no placebos) there are more tests and more follow ups than the first round. This is both good and inconvenient, of course. I can ignore the inconvenience.

I’ve had no adverse reactions so far to this new treatment. In the past, though, it’s taken a few days for the side effects to appear. My doctor is confident that I should be able to tolerate this treatment. It remains to be seen how much it affects my immune system, my symptoms, and my energy level. It’s efficacy also remains to be seen.

Roslyn and I send thanks to our family and friends for their love and support over the past few weeks as we awaited treatment. A group of our church family has volunteered to bring us meals. Other great friends have done the same, or offered support in other ways. My family has always been so loving and supportive. And my coworkers have done wonderful work, filling in during my absence.

I am especially grateful to my friends that are dealing with the effects of long term illnesses in their lives such as cancer, ALS, cardio issues, and so on. You are both a comfort and inspiration to us. God bless you all.

I have so much to look forward to. We have two new grandchildren coming this spring. We recently greeted a new niece. And a new nephew was born only yesterday. We are spending as much time with our lovely family as we can. Roslyn continues to enjoy good health, as do our kids. Christmas is upon us. The future looks bright.

I wanted to believe that for me one round of treatment would do the trick. I know now that fighting lymphoma will be a process, not a one-time event. We must remain vigilant and act whenever conditions warrant. We will live life to the fullest in the meantime.

Thank you all for your love and prayers. Talk to you soon.