Great News

I just left Dr. Alappan’s office and got the results of the very extensive testing that was done on Strainer. I have spent a lot of time in doctor’s offices over the last 11 months and I’ve been told quite a bit of bad news. I was told that I had cancer and that I would need surgery. I had that surgery ten days later and Jill was summoned out in the waiting room and was told that the cancer had spread beyond my kidney and that they would need to spend another several hours making sure that all the lymph nodes that should be removed were removed and that a clear, cancer-free field was left inside of me. I got more bad news after the surgery with drain tubes that had to be left inside me because the lymph fluid that was draining out of me wasn’t diminishing as quickly as it should. I never shed a single tear in front of a physician — until today. The good news that I got today was the news we were hoping for. Cancer is a scary thing, but I have made my peace with cancer. What I have been terrified of facing was CKD, chronic kidney disease. The real possibility of having a chronic condition that would rob me of my strength and vitality and might cause me to have to submit to dialysis or even worse, a kidney transplant, is almost more than I have been able to stand. Despite the difficulties of a small business in these rough economic waters and despite the trials and tribulations of rearing 4 sons and despite the fact that I am a cancer survivor, we have a beautiful life. We are blessed with wonderful sons, thousands of friends, a warm, loving church family, incredible office mates and a good home. There was a chance that the news I got today could take some of that away from us.

This visit to the doctor today was, oddly enough, the one I was most worried about. When Raj told me the good news, that ALL my tests were “excellent,” and that Strainer is performing at 60% of the level at which both of my kidneys had formerly performed, I lost it. I just let the tears run as he reported that my creatinine is at 1.68, and that I don’t have a single concern about either my kidney function or any of the lab tests that I have recently endured. My vegetarian diet is serving me very well. I will continue on the nutritional path that I am on.

We talked in great detail about vitamin D, my thyroid gland, my overall health and of course, Strainer. I have been given a very positive prognosis for the future and I feel as if a great load has been lifted from my heart. I left his office, holding Jill’s hand and holding in my heart the sweet knowledge that I can now get back to my life. We’ve been to a place that I don’t want to go back to again.

I’m looking forward to looking forward. Thanks for going along with us.