As many people know, brother Rod is a political consultant, although, like several in our family - including yours truly, he has been called lots of other things. He's also quite a character, known for his wit, his attire - as opposed to his "style," for his guitar-playing and for other assorted oddities.
I try not to know which candidates are his in many races. That's because we don't always agree on politics, although we do sometimes.
Anyway, last year he was diagnosed with and treated for a cancerous brain tumor.
In his newspaper column and blog this week, he provided an update. It's included as part of his annual Thanksgiving column. I'm sharing the portion regarding his cancer:
"...I’m still here… and healthy… which I can only count as a miracle.
In Summer of 2008, many readers will recall I was diagnosed a cancerous brain tumor, and initially given a dire prognosis. The tumor was a recurrence of the same cancer – melanoma – from 25 years earlier. My odds of still being here for Thanksgiving, 2009, were slim. My odds of still being here and being healthy were even slimmer.
At that time, I wrote in detail about my condition, and promised to keep readers posted of developments. Thanksgiving seems to be a good time for an update.
For the better part of a year after my brain surgery, I remained free of any recurrence. In late June, 2009, however, scans detected growth of tumors on one of my lungs, which biopsies revealed to be melanoma.
A month later, a regularly scheduled MRI revealed new, very small tumors on the brain.
Since my 2008 surgery, at the advice my doctors I have undergone scans every couple of months in order to catch new tumors as early as possible. It worked! Within weeks of the new discovery, I was able to undergo stereotactic surgery at MUSC to eradicate the two small brain tumors.
Similarly, catching the tumors on the lung early has allowed me a variety of treatment options, including participation in experimental clinical trials, which is the route I chose to take. Ultimately, I was fortunate to be accepted into an innovative cancer research program at the Moffitt Cancer Center in Tampa, Florida, for a long-term trial in which I am currently participating. It’s a field of cancer research -- finding better ways to boost the body’s natural abilities to fight cancer -- which is VERY exciting to me, and appears very promising for the future.
My most recent scans indicated that the tumors on my lung appear to have stabilized.
So, as promised, this is an update of my medical condition. If you’re keeping score, I’ve now had four separate occurrences of cancer -- starting with one in 1983 that I shouldn’t have survived, according to the doctors -- and overall, the odds have been something like 1,000 to 1 against me. But, to date, I have no symptoms, no side effects, and no impairments whatsoever. I’m not just alive… I’m healthy! (I could add that I’m “completely normal”… but, frankly, I’ve NEVER been exactly what anyone would refer to as “normal”.)
Am I thankful this Thanksgiving? You betcha!
I’m thankful to be here. I’m thankful for the doctors and nurses and other medical professionals who have found ways to keep me healthy -- from MUSC in Charleston, to Moffitt in Tampa, to Lovelace Family Medicine in Prosperity, SC… and lots of places in between. I’m thankful for my family and friends whose strong support has kept me positive and optimistic. And mostly, I’m thankful for the many, many people -- including entire groups of people I didn’t even know -- who said a prayer for me… and caused a miracle.
In the big picture, I have much to be thankful for...."
The rest of the family is also glad he's still around. We, too, are thankful.
~ ~ ~ ~
In case you'd like to read the rest of Rod's column/blog, it's here.
No comments:
Post a Comment