Slay the Beast - Round 3 Update

Hi folks,

Blessed Easter to all.  I have been reminded of the importance and beauty of the significant seasonal celebrations in the church calendar as I have not been in church during this season of Lent.  Ongoing treatments and a compromised immune system have kept me away, and I have missed it.  I’m sitting here writing the blog with Easter music playing in the background, all bringing back fond memories of communal singing in church.  Is there any stronger confessional music than that of Lent?  I think not!

My Lent weekend celebration has focused on a daily reading of one of my most prized books, “HE WAS ONE OF US” by Artist Rien Poortvliet.  I bought two copies of this book about 25 years ago, one for me and one that I cut up and used to create a Lent bulletin board on my classroom door.  I am in awe of how Poortvliet captures the raw emotions of all the events of Christ’s life.  I have read it for 4 consecutive days and am so pleased that God prompted me to dig it off of the bookshelf last week!  If you aren’t familiar with this book, it’s high time you sought it out!  Here are my two favourite Easter morning paintings.

Text: "She lives in another world.  Dead is dead.  Everything ends!"

Text: "the way he called her by name.  It’s Jesus, he’s alive!  She is afire with joy.
The flames burst out of her! She starts living, at last."

Not much new on the treatment front.  I completed round three of chemo this past Monday and it has been quite mean to me!  If I was a judge, tasked with scoring the Doug versus treatment battle as a boxing match - sticking with the round theme - I would give the round one victory to the combo of radiation/chemo.  Valiant effort by Doug but it beat me up pretty good.  Doug bounced back and won the round two battle, as side effects were handled quite nicely, and energy returned to allow me to walk and complete significant tasks.  Some mental acuity returned as well!  Round three, while still in progress until the end of the month, has been the most challenging thus far, with an increased intolerance for screens and even print materials from time to time!  Stomach is knotted and nauseous for most of the day and food is less appealing.  I am still able to get out and walk and bike daily, which is the only relief that I have from the nausea.  Pray that I make a strong comeback in this round!

One positive of round three is that I have officially been approved to be road-worthy again.  I had voluntarily given up driving since the operation, wanting to ensure that once I started driving again that I would pose no harm to others.  A few friends mocked me about this stated desire because they suggested that my daily driving has always been a threat to others.  The test involved two parts, the first being a computer based test that tests the brain’s ability to interact with the quadrants and other things like reflexes and spatial awareness and decision making.  I passed part one, which allowed me to take an official on-the-road driving test.  

Back to driver's tests at age 56!  After a 5 month layoff! Nervous!  The 45 minute walk to the test was stressful, as I imagined myself having totally forgotten how to drive and wondering if I could still parallel park.  What if the evaluator was one of those super sticky driving drill sergeant types who would treat me like a brand new 16 year old driver and expect me to follow all those technical rules about distances and lane changes and...

God had a cool plan in place as the evaluator was “Motorcycle Mike”, with the looks and feel of a motorcycle gang alumnus, complete with tattoos, bushy beard, and earrings!  He assured me that he knew that I was a competent driver so wouldn't go through a “first license” type test; he would only grade me on driving competency and safety.  Forty-five minutes later, I was good to go.  Having my license back is huge at this time of year as Loretta is working crazy hours to complete tax season. My ability to run errands and grab supplies helps.

I will begin the next round of chemo in the first week of May, pending a positive blood test result.  I will take the chemo pills for 5 days and then have a 23-day recovery period.   

I do have an MRI scheduled for late April that will provide, we hope and pray, a positive update on the success of the treatments to-date.  We will continue to pray for patience, and persist in the treatments.  

We will soon hit the five month anniversary of the first onset of the cancer journey. It is so hard to believe that the past five months have included the initial diagnosis, major brain surgery, and three rounds of treatment.  Through it all, a list of some blessings!

• On the prayer list at a Hebrew congregation
• Africa friends
• Daily prayers
• Notes of encouragement
• Thanks that in the constant uncertainty hope abounds

It’s a blue sky day in Edmonton today, with fresh snow!  Time to go  throw some snowballs at neighbourhood kids!

Please continue to storm the gates with prayers that the beast will be slain!!!