More Biopsies

I have been waiting for the results of my last biopsies. Well today I got them. The one they took on my face is clear. It was just an inflamed mole. The one on my back appears to be a different story. Evidently it is either in a pre-cancerous state or a state of change and they did not get it all out. So, I will have to return and get a larger area on my back cut out. It there can be a good side to this, it is in the area that I have no feeling so hopefully it will not be as bad. Living with no feeling in some areas, pain most of the time in others and stitches for most of the time over the past year is now turning into a regular routine to me. I have found it most difficult to adjust my morning routine to get off to work earlier. It is hard to wake up and function until I get a full 8+ hours of sleep. I guess I will just have to continue to adjust.

So, my next operation is scheduled for November 12th. It is all outpatient and will only take an hour or so. The biggest part of it will be getting there, getting dresses and undressed, and then heading home. Oh yeah, and another car payment for the doctor. (big bucks)

I have had a lot of opportunities to witness to others. Pray for one of my friends from church who just recently found that she has lung cancer. She has been a great help to me and I want to be one for her. Pray also for my pastor, who lost his mother last week. She was 94. His father is 96 and having problems also. Pray also for a business associate and former employee who recently lost his wife to pancreas cancer. He gave a great testimony to me about their beliefs and how he knows she is with the Lord now and out of pain. Thanks.

More Biopsies

Patti and I went to the dermatologist for the three month check up and they found two more spots that they had questions on, so they removed them for a biopsy. One is on my back on the right side near the original surgery site. The other was on my face next to my left eye. Not big areas, just a couple of stitches. Now the wait is on to see if they are or are not melanoma. They looked at the three lumps in my right leg and do not feel that they should be removed at this time. I will do a thermography scan on the leg later in the month. This is a thermal image with no radiation used. Right now I am over the limit for radiation testing and therapy. With 1 pet scans, 7 cat scans, 3 MRI, 6 x-rays and 27 radiation treatments 17 months is over the limit as told by 3 doctors who treat me.

I guess tonight will be one of those nights because of where the stitches are in my back. I should be getting use to these nights by now. Pray for me and negative results on the biopsy's.

Last October

About this time last year we were enjoying our trip thru the Smokey Mountains. Last Sunday we left for Philadelphia and on Monday drove thru part of the Pocono Mountains. It was beautiful with the red, orange, yellow and green trees. We visited a jobsite in Philly and returned home Monday. We then went to Detroit on Thursday only to hurry back as my mother ended up in the hospital with a severe sinus infection. Good thing I got back later as my sister Sherry had to put up with the unpleasantness that my mother had to go thru when she first arrived at the hospital. (vomiting) They admitted her and Patti got her today when she was running her mother over to Southwest for some blood tests.

We got some bad news today. My great aunt Kate died on the 7th. She was 97. She would have been 98 on January 1st. She spent a few years here with my grandma before my grandmother died, a little over two years ago, also at the age of 97 also. Now there is only one left, Molly. I believe Molly is either 95 or 96. Kate was my aunt who had a bout with melanoma when she was 60. Hopefully God will give me the 37+ years he gave Kate after her bout with melanoma. The Zwick side of the family that they come from we have traced back as the cancer part of the family. Their sister Laura died of cancer. Their father, Henry died of cancer and his mother, Barbara died of cancer also. I also believe their brother Gus died of cancer also. On the other side of the family, only my great grandma Moore died of brain cancer at 85.

I will be visiting the dermatologist next Tuesday. I am going to have him look at the three growths that have popped up on my right leg. They feel like lypomas, but I want to get his opinion. If he thinks I should get them checked, I will have a thermography done on my legs. I am not real worried about them and I really do not want to keep getting cut up every time a bump pops up on me. Pray for this for me. I am also noticing now the effects of loosing so much tissue in the area where the cancer was. My right side of my chest gets very cold when the temps drop below about 60. This is also the area that doesn't sweat right now. Hopefully the tissue will continue to fill in and I will not be so cold. Pray for me on this also.

One year ago

One year ago Patti and I were on our anniversary trip going to the Smokey Mountains, Blue Ridge Parkway and Skyline Drive. While we were in West Virginia, I reached over right after we had done our devotions, and felt an egg in my right armpit. Well, all of you who have followed the blog know the rest. It is hard to believe that it has been a whole year since it all started. Patti and I have been talking about getting away again, but since I took off the months of November, December, January, February, March, April, May and started back somewhat in June, it makes it kind of selfish of us not to pull our weight with the company. We have had time in Canada and camping with the boys, so we are not feeling sorry for ourselves or anything like that. Just remembering the great times we had on that trip.

Well, this will be short as we are going to the calling hours for Mary Louis' brother Levi. I did not know Levi but I have met quite a few of her family. I've liked them all so far. Maybe that's because they are a bunch of West Virginia hillbilly's and I'm half one. In truth, they have all been a very nice bunch of people to meet. Very down home and hospitable. Levi was in his 80's a from what I am told a very Christian fellow. I hope and pray some day people will remember me that way also. Hopefully a long time into the future from now.