I’m in the infusion suite at the John B. Amos Cancer Center. Sirius Deep Tracks channel coming through my headphones, needle in my arm pumping fluids in advance of tomorrow’s MRI with contrast. I’m in my favorite spot in the southeastern corner of the room. I guess it is my writing spot, because when I’m here, in spite of all the carnage that is taking place around me, I’m immersed in music and inundated with words.
This MRI is one of the regularly scheduled ones. Nothing alarming going on in the chest/abdomen/pelvis zone that I know about. In the interim between my last stream of posts and today, I’ve had a thyroid biopsy and am scheduled to get the results next week. I’m holding onto hope that this is a benign situation. Nobody deserves to be pounced upon by two different cancers. But even if it is bad news, thyroid cancer is kindergarten compared to renal cell cancer. I’m truly not worried about it. Maybe it is the celexa. Maybe it is my battle-hardened badassness. Or, maybe I’m just stupid.
I have really gotten tough minded about cancer. I feel badly about my response to a longtime, good friend’s admission to me that he is facing early-diagnosed prostate cancer. I remember thinking, “that ain’t shit, brother!” But, thankfully, I tempered my response to something like, “Well, that’s a good one to get if you gotta have one,” or something like that. That was insensitive, at best, and really downright rude. ANY cancer is scary, unwanted and threatening to someone who just got the diagnosis. I intend to try to soften my crusty, cancer-scarred exterior when I’m talking to cancer newbies from this point forward. I should have provided a soft shoulder and a dose of hope for a good outcome. I’d like to put that one on rewind. The one I likely offended reads this blog. This serves as my apology to him and to his beautiful wife. The older I get, the more apologies I find I have to make. I hope I’m around long enough to irritate many more people. I find a sincere apology can go a long way toward mending fences and sustaining long-lasting frindships.
I’ll be writing about the upcoming MRI results and the feedback from Dr. Leichter about my thyroid situation. I’m looking for good news from both of those tests. I’m energized with spring in the air and the prospects of getting back on my bicycle and getting back onto the water in a kayak.
If you’re a regular reader of this blog, you know about my interest in drum circles. I have started a facebook page that I hope is going to help us draw a crowd for the launching of a drum circle in UpTown Columbus. Please take a look, like the page, and get ready to shake something, even it is just your backside. Here is the facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/CSGDrumCircle
Sometimes life demands a bit of battle-hardened badassness.
Prayers continue for you AND your friends and family who care so much about you. I am excited to see the UpTown Drum Circle come to fruition.
Thinking of you and sending happy, healthy vibes your way.
Chronicling your battle as you have thus far has been very inspirational. Thank you for sharing. My prayers include you and your family. I hope the drum circle is a success!
Mike it was just wonderful finally meeting you and your sweet wife the other evening. Andy has talked about you so much and now I understand why. You are an amazing man and an insiration to many. Keep up that fightin spirit and know that you continue to be in our thoughts and prayers.
I don’t think you were being rude with your reply. You told the truth. Some cancers are much worse than others and I know you weren’t taking anything away from him. Your friend knew what you meant.
So good to see you and Jill at the ACS Crystal Ball. Don’t know the outcome yet, but I feel it was a success so off to research to SMASH this deadly disease!
Love to you both!
Debbie
Hey, Mike: You are all of the above … especially the bad-ass part. They asked how you were doing when we got to you on our church prayer list yesterday. Dusty and I said you were doing great.
Apologies require great grace. Thank you for reminding me … I owe quite a few. (A few of them, of course, I’ll make when hell freezes over. OK, I’m working on the grace part.)
Best of luck. Do you remember Dave Holland? Use to be with WTVM. Is now In Atlanta and BIG into Drum circles.Has lots of experience, web site etc. You can reach him n FAcebook.
My husband was told by a doctor friend when he was first diagnosed 19 years ago that, if you had to have cancer, it was one of the better ones to have. We found that very comforting then.
Good luck
Liz
Actually, I found solace in someone telling me the same thing….maybe it wasn’t as bad a thing as you think.