My Rodeo

My Rodeo
This is not my first Rodeo, but it is the first Rodeo where I am the one as the patient. I heard the words on Wednesday, August 8 from Dr. Gray. The grapefruit size tumor is malignant. And it is too big to cut out. This was after spending 4 nights of the previous week in two separate hospital after first thinking I had food poisoning. This was after having been scanned, poked, probed, and the subject of a liver biopsy that caused a bleed out and almost took me out. Thankfully the Doll was alert to my danger and called 911 in time to save me.

I lost my mother to lung cancer in 1991. She was a long-time smoker and lived about a year after diagnosis. I also lost several of my Mom’s siblings to various cancers. They all smoked or used tobacco. That is one reason I quit smoking over 40 years ago.
I lost my wife Teresa to a very rare and aggressive vaginal Melanoma in 2010. She lasted about 9 months after diagnosis. We pursed aggressive treatment that included brutal chemotherapy treatment and she was even in a clinical trial at New York Sloan Kettering Hospital right before she died.

I wrote two blogs prior to this one. The first was one to journal Teresa’s condition and her treatment. https://www.caringbridge.org/visit/teresajohnson

The second one was for me to journal my grief and loss after Teresa passed. https://sanetomostlycrazy.wordpress.com/

If you would like to get a sense of my writing from a vulnerable position you might want to sample these. Not much editing here but from my heart. Both served as therapeutic for me during the worst of times and allowed me to communicate efficiently with family and friends. I hope this blog will also serve me in that capacity and to also allow me the ability to keep people informed.

So, no this isn’t my first rodeo. And not Shelia’s either. She lost her baby girl, Mandy to a very rare and aggressive cancer too. Plus, as you may know Shelia was diagnosed with Stage IIIC breast cancer a little over a year ago and has went through chemotherapy, radiation therapy, and is undergoing hormone therapy now. So now I have been pulled off the bench and put in the game. Its my time to fight!

Teresa labeled Cancer as a Monster. She was right because a monster is unfeeling, treacherous, and scary. Fighting the monster is the expected course of action and hopefully you gentle readers will be with me during my fight. Here goes MY RODEO! https://myrodeo366889145.wordpress.com

I have been facing a very serious medical condition and I have not been able to let everyone know much about it since the information has been changing from day one. What I have is hepatocellular carcinoma (Liver Cancer probably due to fatty liver disease). Mine is considered mid stage since it is contained in the liver, but the tumor is too large and in an area that prevents it from being resected surgically.

I have been scheduled for procedures that will place radiation right on the tumor by accessing it up through my groin with a catheter into my hepatic artery. This is a process to hopefully shrink the tumor and allow the surgeon to remove it. The first procedure is scheduled for next Thursday at UT Hospital. There is also a possible procedure where the chemo drug called Doxorubicin is placed right at the tumor with the same intended result. This is the one that Shelia had for her Breast Cancer and it is called the “red devil”

In the meantime, I am scheduled to be in New York at Sloan Kettering on Monday and Tuesday to meet with a team of doctors to get a second opinion and possible alternative treatments.

Although I have no real illusion that there is an easy cure, or even a realistic chance of a cure, I remain positive. I plan to aggressively fight the Monster and be around to amuse you for some time.

 

Thank You for your prayers, thoughts, good vibrations, and healing energy my friends!