The Twelve Round Fight Against Cancer

When I finally met with my oncologist Dr. Beck, his recommendation was to get 12 treatments over a six month period. I have to admit, I wasn't excited by this number, but I was excited at the "Fully Cured" prognosis at the end of it. Then he went into the potential side-effects.

First, he addressed hair-loss. He said in nineteen years he only had one patient to lose their hair on this treatment. I figured I would be number two, but it didn't matter as my hair has been going MIA for years. Then he told me about the expected nausea, stomach issues and one that brought fear into my life, cold sensitivity. 

​All of these side effects are easily manageable with medicine. The only two that could not be managed are exhaustion and the cold sensitivity. He warned me that I would only forget the cold sensitivity one time. I will admit this scared me a little. I was responsible to remember that for about 72 hours after the treatment was over, I couldn't eat, drink or touch anything cold.

I like ice cream, but I don't usually crave it. After I learned of this side effect for some strange reason I started craving ice cream and yogurt. Yuck, not like Yoplait, but the good stuff with all the toppings. I will be honest, 12 treatments in comparison to what many go through is minimal to me. My prayer is that it does end up only being 12. I like to think of myself as a fighter, but I have never stepped into a ring like this one. 

I am thankful I have my faith in Christ, my two boys, my family and friends. These are the times when you come together for a common goal, to win. As a Christian, I know either way there is victory at the end of this, but my desire is to remain here to continue being a father to my kids and to finish the race for Christ strong.