A Prom to Remember

Tonight is the 2018 Kennett High school prom.  It is a time of celebration as students think about the end of another school year.  For some this will be their last prom before taking the next steps toward adulthood.  Students celebrate what was and look toward the future.

Tonight is the Kennett High school prom.  For me it serves as a reminder of the beginning this journey I am on.

A Prom to Remember

It was prom night 2016 that I made my way to the Chester County hospital because I was having trouble breathing.  I remember sitting in my living room on Friday night into early Saturday morning struggling to get a full breath of air.  Rayann was at prom and I did not want to interrupt her special night.  I waited until she made it home safe early on Saturday morning and then Nancy and I headed out for the hospital.   After a few days of tests they told me I had stage IV colon cancer.

Every spring as prom season rolls around it is a reminder of that crazy night and the days that followed.  In a strange way I celebrate what has been and look forward to the future…much like those students who are at prom.

What has been

In the two short years since the 2016 prom I have had over twenty chemo treatments.  Round one consisted of 12 treatments followed by a few rounds of maintenance chemo.  I was blessed to be treatment free for most of 2017 into early 2018.  It was just over a year where my body slowly regained strength.  I am currently 5 treatments into my second round of chemotherapy.

I find myself celebrating each step of the past two years.  It is clear that God has used everything, the struggles and celebrations, to help shape me into the person he wants me to be.  It has been a long journey from that first post in April 2016, “My New Normal” where I shared the news of my cancer.

Looking to the future

Today I met with my oncologist.  As we talked of how I was doing he was encouraged and pleased with “stable”.  At one point he smiled and called me “the picture of health.”  I could not help but break out in laughter.  He chuckled and smiled some more.

We talked about some cutting edge, alternative treatments that I had read about in the papers.  I acknowledged that, “you must dread when patients read about new treatments online or in news reports.”  As usual he knew all about it and had much more knowledge to share.  He is well aware of my specific cancer and is watching for that “miracle treatment” which will potentially be a cure rather than simply a treatment.  I always feel confident that Dr. Saroha is “on top” of my treatment when we have these conversations.

As students head out for a time of celebration I will be sitting in my easy chair celebrating what has been and looking toward the future.

God is Good All the Time…All the Time God is Good