IPad? More Like IGrateful

Before I get started, I want to thank everyone for all the support, emails, phone calls, etc.  It really does mean so much to me.  I am not just saying that, it really does.  I want to call out an especially amazing group this evening, and that is my UGA/tailgating friends who pooled together and bought me an IPad.  Thank you all so much, especially you Ross for leading the charge.  Once Ross gives me the list of those who were involved I will thank you again individually, most likely in a nice calligraphy note.  Thank you all so much, this will really help during those long days at the hospital receiving chemo.

So my personal update for tonight is about my lymph node biopsy surgery that is planned for tomorrow.  Basically what they will be doing is shooting a contrast into my tumor, and then watching it to see which lymph node(s) the contrast drains to.  They will then cut out the nodes and test them to see if any cancer cells have made their way into the node system.  This will give them a pretty good idea as to if the cancer has begun to travel.  Also during this procedure, they are going to put a "port" under my skin that will make it easier for them to inject the chemo drugs into my system. Please cross your fingers for a clean report tomorrow, although even in that fortunate situation my future treatment schedule will not change.  This is a full on surgery, so I will be off my feet for a few days, but unluckily for everyone my fingers will still work, so I fully intend on boring you all with updates. 

In regards to my current mental state, at this point I am more anxious than I am afraid of what is to come.  I am anxious to start chemo, because I have no idea how I am going to react to the drugs.  I am really anxious to see how the MRI looks after the 2nd round of treatment.  If you recall, this is when we will first get indication as to if the tumor is shrinking, and thus responding well to the poison medicine.  This talk of my attitude reminds me of Showtime's new series, "The Big C".  Not sure if anybody has watched this, but it is about a middle-aged woman who has late stage Melanoma, yet tries to keep it a secret from her husband and son.  My thoughts on the first episode were mixed, in that she apparently had denied the option of undergoing chemo in an effort to stop the spread of her disease.  She spends the rest of the episode living like she doesn't give a flip (pouring wine on the couch, rushing to put a pool in the backyard, etc).  Maybe this show will turn and become more inspiring as it moves forward, but through the first episode it left a lot to be desired.  I realize that when some people battle cancer that has become terminal, it gets to the point that you can't fight anymore, but merely try to enjoy your remaining days.  The key point there is they were actually fighting from the get go; this lady has given up before she even started to fight, which I find incomprehensible.   Again, I hope this show will turn and she will find some fight, but in its current state, it isn't something that will make you run through walls out of inspiration or anything.  Check it out, I'd love to hear your thoughts on the show.

I will close this evening with a follow-up to an early post regarding the potential for me to lose my fertility due to my treatment.  Well, I followed through this afternoon and made my first trip to the fertility clinic to ensure that the Oyler name will survive Max and I.  I will spare you all the details, though I will say that they give out some pretty creative key chains when you leave.  I will let your imaginations run wild in trying to figure out what they look like, but needless to say I am now taking orders from some coworkers in advance of my next appointment.

I promise the next post will be much more fun.  The last time I was under anesthesia things got real weird, so hopefully I have some good stories after tomorrow's surgery.


Thank you all for the support!

Michael