Meet Hector, May He Rest in the Pathology Lab

For those of you who are following the saga of my journey with melanoma I have an update. For those of you who read only for the pictures … I have a treat for you!

With a lot of prayer supporting them, Dr. Obbink and his team cut me open yesterday and removed the two cancerous lymph nodes and several more around it … just to be sure. I was in surgery for about 2.5 hours as they also used the opportunity to insert an IV port in my chest. That decision was arrived at after I was stuck 4 times in one hand before they got the vein in the other hand four weeks ago, and then experiencing an infiltration of the medicine into my hand two weeks ago resulting in swelling, bruising and pain in my hand. With 19 infusion treatments to go, we opted for the port which will make it much easier going forward.

A few months ago, I named my tumor “Hector”. Hector and I were parted yesterday after the first 7 infusion treatments had bullied him into submission and cut him down to size. One day later I’m doing ok with no pain medications and a little chest pain when I cough. The cough, I am told, along with the slightly sore throat and sore lip are the result of the tube they rammed down my throat for the surgery. For your viewing pleasure … or not …, and courtesy of Dr. Obbink, I’ve included pictures of Hector who was actually egg-shaped, but the pathologist had already sliced him open for examination, so he appears larger than he was.

It actually is quite amazing how they can put one under anesthesia, do some awful things to your body, and then wake you up in the recovery room without any time seeming to have passed. Yesterday, the recovery room nurse reported to my girlfriend that my first words after her “Welcome back, surgery is done and you did just fine” were, “Is it time for us to get naked now?” Oh my!

After a 10-hour day at the hospital we arrived home. My girlfriend would not let me drive ;-( … bummer. Things have gone smoothly here without any significant issues, including being able to sleep in bed. Linda is emptying the drain that I’ll have for two weeks on a regular basis. The dangling squeeze bulb has piqued Hairy’s curiosity. He wants to play with it, I think.

Thank you to all of you who have been praying (don’t stop … the journey continues) and who have expressed your love and care through cards, notes, and financial gifts to help with the loss of income this journey has temporarily created.

I’m so thankful for a faithful God and the friends he has blessed us with!

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