The Cancer Journey

I'm just past half way between chemo/radiation and my coming surgery. The main medical goals for this 4 week period are to regain energy/strength and perhaps recover a few lost pounds. So I'm trying to eat healthy and get out for some significant exercise. Last week, I was able to get out for short bike rides every couple of days and I rode somewhere between 5 and 8 miles each time. Yesterday, riding felt so good I extended my ride to 11.5 miles, thoroughly enjoying the beauty along the Straight River (love that trail!) through town.  It was great! Recovery from chemo and radiation is happening slowly, and I feel I'm getting a bit stronger day by day.  Exercising well and eating right are more important now than usual.   Eating remains a challenge. Almost every swallow is uncomfortable and even  painful. Anything acidic or scratchy is an extra struggle. I've always been a "foodie." I've always loved the adventure of new flavors and new foods, but presently...

Yesterday I got to ring the bell celebrating my final radiation treatment. I was surprised at my deep emotional response. Undressing for treatment, my mind was saying, “it’s just another one.” It was number 25 and the final, but no-big-deal, right? All I do is lay there and let the protons do their work, right? It’s easy (at least for me) to ignore the impact of all that’s happened – until a rush of emotions interrupted my demeanor causing me to wonder and contemplate this journey. It’s been 3 months since this journey began. Life can sure shift quickly. Looking for an ulcer they found a tumor. Medical recommendation involved stepping away from work I loved but wouldn’t finish. Moving back from Baxter to our Owatonna home, put me 38 minutes from state of the art proton therapy. And I’ve lost track how many exam and treatment rooms I’ve seen. I had no idea how much this would control my time and my world. I’ve not wanted it to dominate my emotions or my spiritual journey, but the impa...

Monday started the last week of my treatment, with one added on next Monday cause of the holiday. I love this sculpture in waiting area I've hit the point in my treatment (they  warned me) where it's grown uncomfortable/painful and hard. This is my last week of treatment. This and the  week following promised to be the worst of treatment. True - so far. The bigger personal concern right now is that I  know that the esophagectomy is ahead and recovery from that is going to be harder. Any fear, is really  about that long recovery. Friends tell me about relatives who have done very well following that surgery,  but the anticipation is difficult knowing that recovery will be long.     Plummer House Rochester has always been the place we've enjoyed eating out. Hollandberry-Pannekoeken is there, now close  to the clinic, and there is a Mediterranean fast food place my daughter Kim really enjoys.  Last week we checked out a Pakistani restaurant. But...

Today was the first day of my 4 th week in Chemo/Radiation. Chemo on Mondays.   Radiation is 5 days a week.   Total planned of 5 chemos and 25 radiations.    Today I feel good, cause the first drug in my chemo-cocktail is a steroid that bumps me up and even messes with my sleep. The rest of the truth is that by the end of the week, I feel like a limp dish rag and each day I need to steel myself, decide to be an overcomer and draw from God’s grace and strength. I’m experiencing the side effects they “promised;” pain swallowing, sometimes severe heartburn, occasional nausea, weird reactions to smells and tastes. becoming easily dehydrated makes me need to pay close attention to bathroom specifics (I’ll spare you the details). They promise these side-effects will increase through the next week and in the week following treatment.  All that brings a new set of questions to 2Cor 12:7-10… and I’m praying to “KNOW” this text in a new way when I’m through with treatmen...

It’s good to have two weeks of chemo and radiation behind me.   Three more to go.   And it’s been quite a week.   The good news on Monday that we would switch from P h oton to P r oton therapy was what we’d been praying for.   P h oton, like a shotgun, risks damage to surrounding tissue. P r oton according to my techy friend, Dave Purscell, is more a high-powered rifle with a giant sniper scope... and really good brakes; no exit wound. It's like a depth control so that it only causes collateral damage on the way in. Mayo's magic table and gun The medical technology is amazing and more like scientific wizardry.  Some of you know what it’s like.  After they get me situated on the machine, the magic table rotates me to the correct angle and the staff steps out while we wait for “the beam.” The beam is apparently reflected into each of 6 treatment rooms where a patient has been readied and positioned. Then I hear over the intercom, “We have the beam,” followed ...

AND SO A NEW ADVENTURE BEGINS....      I've enjoyed and grown from blogging my missions and study trips, and I hope to occasionally write about my newer, more difficult journey. I discovered that there are lots of my friends who want to keep up with my cancer treatment, but I can't remember whom I've told what. So let's just start at the beginning and if you know the basic back-story, you might just want to skip down to the ***.      I've been serving as Interim Senior Pastor at Lakewood Evangelical Free Church in Baxter MN.  We have come to deeply love this congregation during the past 8 months. I work for Interim Pastor Ministries and so enjoy my work. Intentional Interms lead churches to become healthier, more effective congregations during the search for the next shepherd.  We've known that each church has been a calling from God and the work fits my gifts, passions and calling so well. Each of my interims has been about 18 months, but after l...