Here We Go Again

Well, Campers, it’s been a while, so this will be long and newsy. . .

Let’s start with some background.   Back in August of 2014, I had a PET Scan and was pronounced free of disease.  I rested some more and went back to work in March 2015 for half days.  For about six months, my world was spinning on greased grooves.

Then, about 4 – 6 weeks ago, I noticed that the fatigue was not improving and I was short of breath a lot, after even minimal activity.  I had some doctor appointments and they ran another CT Scan.  Well, a new mass showed up in my left lung that had not been there in November and was constricting my airways.  I was then scheduled for a biopsy, though the doctors had a pretty good idea what it would reveal.

So, l had the biopsy and went back to Moffitt last Tuesday for the results.  In the 2-3 days leading up to that trip, my shortness of breath got steadily worse.   When I got to my appointment with Dr. Russell, it was pretty obvious that something was not right.  Now let me interject a little humor into the proceedings. . .   When the techs were taking my vitals, one of the connections was not good so my blood oxygen level registered at a level usually reserved for dead people.  So the hospital version of an APB went out and within seconds, my room and the hallway outside was filled with nurses and techs who popped up like prairie dogs.  We got everything sorted out and I was apprised of what happened during the biopsy.  It seems that during the procedure, excess air had gotten into the linings of my left lung, causing it to partially collapse; hence, the increased shortness of breath.  So, they packed me up to slip a needle into the lung to remove the excess air.  They then decided to admit me to the hospital for observation, even though I insisted that I’m just not that interesting.

But, I ended up staying at the Moffitt Hilton for two nights, finally being released Thursday afternoon.  At that point, Elaine and I were finally able to talk to Dr. Russell about what the biopsy showed, the original reason for going there on Tuesday.   As we had expected, the new mass is cancerous and had metastasized from the original cancer in my throat.  Since that was its genesis, the cancer is treatable but incurable.  I will begin chemotherapy on Thursday, and will quite likely last the rest of my life.  What Elaine and I did not expect is that the rest of my life is now projected at 18 months.   Now, I fully expect to be one of those overachievers who beats the curve. I want my grandchildren to have the time to get to know and remember me.   People in the know in my support group expect there to be major breakthroughs in cancer cures in the next year of two.  So, if I can kick the can down the road just a little bit, there may be options available to me then that are not available now.  Time will tell and we shall see.

In the meantime, I’m not doing too badly.  There’s really no pain to speak of, just massive mucous blockage in my throat, profound tiredness, and shortness of breath.  I am living on Boost VHC, which isn’t too bad if you doctor it with enough chocolate syrup.  I enjoy company, so if anyone reading this is in the area and has some time, let me know.  My email is papajoe67@gmail.com and my phone is 941-928-2543.

So, that’s the way it is and life truly is beautiful.