Almost 14 Years

Six months from now, I will be celebrating the 14th year passing since I was diagnosed with cancer...  and, five years into my treatment for non-Hodgkin's 'B' cell Lymphoma and probably because of certain treatments, I was diagnosed with Melanoma that subsequently moved from my foot to my groin to my neck where it was surgically removed and found to be dead because of my radiation and immunotherapy treatments.

After my two cancers were under control, my Oncologist informed me that he wasn't sure if he could stop them from growing because both of them had turned aggressive, but he stayed with the most recent protocols in fighting both cancers and did not back off on either one; consequently and fortunately, the two different types of treatments complemented each other and he was able to get both my cancers under control, at least for the time being.

I told my Oncologist that he should published his treatment of me and get some national credit, which he declined and said he was just fine with his life as it currently was.

Looking back at these 14 years, there were times where I was sicker than a dog and vomiting so consistently that my wife had to take me to the ER...  those were days that I would rather not relive under any circumstances unless I absolutely had to.

• Am I lucky?
• Did I have the right Oncologist?
• Was God looking out for me?

Ya know...  I think it was a little bit of all three...  but, to be quite honest with you (not to imply that I have not been), I have felt and continue to feel that there is something left for me to do...  and, that is why I am being kept alive.  I have no idea what it might be but I have spent my entire life preparing for it nonetheless.

Living with cancer is not as comfortable as one might think it is, especially if one is doing fine and feeling good, but there is a constant threat hanging over one's head as to what might happen...  if this...  or if that...

Plus, one must eat differently than others.  One must not drink alcohol if in very small quantities like a glass of wine once a week or once a month.  One must stay out of direct sunlight with UV clothes of the highest sunscreen.  One must get a good night's rest and one must learn to manage one's stress as it does have an impact.

I find myself eating lots of veges, onions, garlic, peppers, black beans, fruits, and other foods high in anti-oxidants.   I may have a hamburger and/or a hotdog once a year.  But, I may have a pizza every other month.

The killer of all cancers is a LOW IMMUNE SYSTEM and more people die of some other disease that they die of their cancer because of their low immune system.  For example, I would not have survived COVID.

The one thing that I do not get enough of is exercise but my fatigue which is minimal most of the time is still strong enough to provide me with the motivation to exercise...   even just walking around the community for 30 minutes would help.