Monday, January 30th, 2012

MEDICAL UPDATE:

We got to the Mayo Clinic late yesterday evening and met with the surgeon’s assistant at 9:50 a.m. this morning.  By noon we had all of the tests done they wanted prior to meeting with the surgeon on Tuesday.

We don't know much more than we did except the following:

a.) If you need a CT scan, have one done at the CB Diagnostic Center on Southland drive.  Folks here said it was an excellent film.

b.) Whatever is going on, it isn't my appendix.  Could be I never had an appendix.  Or I guess it could be that some of you prayed way too much for my appendix and so the Lord just took it.

c.) Staff here is confident that I have something abnormal that needs to be removed.  You can take abnormal for whatever you want to take it.  Unless something changes, they will take a look with a laparoscope on Wednesday, determine by sight what I don't need living in me any longer, remove it, send it to pathology while I am on the table, and then complete the surgery in light of the pathological report.  That is one of the main reasons we came back to Mayo.  I knew it would likely be one surgery here instead of two or more at home.

That's really all we know right now and is likely all we will know until the surgery on Wednesday.  I guess the blood work and chest X-rays could give us some additional information when we see the surgeon on Tuesday.

LIFE UPDATE:

I am a list guy, so here is a list of some things I have learned or have been reminded of:

a.) Cancer changes you, whether it is the threat of it or the reality of it doesn’t really matter.   Cancer makes you live like we all should all the time.  Never should we take a day for granted.  We should do those things we say we’ll do someday.  Do them today or make plans today to do them soon.

b.) I am a far more blessed man than I realize most of the time.  As I sat with the surgeon’s assistant this morning, she looks at my history and she says to me, “You know that you are really fortunate to still be alive 11 years after having sarcoma, don’t you?”  I have known that for a long time.  Hearing it from someone at Mayo brings it home.  I should never complain about anything. 

c.) I need to major even more on the majors.  I need to be more fervent about calling people to Jesus.  I need to make and take time with my family.  Why, I might even take a vacation.  Imagine that.

d.) It has been a light winter here like in Lexington.  Some things:

1.) I have never heard a TV reporter in Lexington complain that our “wimpy winter” was a bad thing.

2.) Calling 43^◦ in January as unseasonably mild is a strange thing.

3.) I couldn’t live in MN.  The Dairy Queens close here from October until March. 

Thanks for your prayers.