A Pause in the Journey

Last Friday, October 1st, I had an appointment with my renal surgeon, Dr. Takayama at the University of Washington Medical Center. It was a check up six weeks after my surgery. Dr. Takayama is a very personable individual with a reputation for being somewhat conservative in his medical practice. That is just fine with me. Marilyn and I had scheduled a cruise to Alaska long before these medical conditions were discovered. The cruise was to begin about four weeks after my surgery and I was feeling pretty good. I thought it would be a nice way to continue my recovery. I mentioned the idea to Dr. Takayama and encountered a stone wall. . . . He said that complications were possible for during the six weeks following surgery and that a complication to my surgery would be beyond the medical skills of doctors on the ship or in Alaska. He told us that he received frequent calls from Alaskan doctors who were treating people in crisis. "You can go to San Francisco or Los Angeles," he said, "there are plenty of doctors there. But you don't want to have an emergency in Alaska." So we cancelled out trip, feeling very badly about the companions who were traveling without us. Fortunately our tour guides had recommended cancellation insurance and we should have a refund of the cost of the trip. On Friday Dr. Takayama seemed very pleased with the work he had done on my body and indicated that my healing was progressing very well. He signed an approval for me to return to work which I have already done. I intend to watch my energy level and work a 40 hour week which is ½ to 3/4 the usual work week for clergy. I think it will go well. My visit with the doctor also reminded me that I am at a way-station in this journey and there will be many medical adventures ahead. As the doctor put it, I have an advanced form of kidney cancer which has been treated through surgery. We will have CT scans every three months to look for any spread of the cancer. No further treatment is indicated unless there is indication of new tumors. On the other hand I have an advanced case of prostate cancer which now needs attention. After seeing Dr. Takayama, Marilyn and I drove over to the Seattle Cancer Care Alliance (SCCA) at Fred Hutchinson to deliver several vials of blood and other body fluids in preparation for an appointment next Friday with the nurse practitioner who works closely with Dr. Higano, the prostate cancer specialist. Last August I received a hormone shot which more-or-less puts the prostate cancer to sleep for a time. I suspect that Friday I will learn about the next steps in treatment. Although I don't look forward to further medial intervention, I am fully aware that my first hospital visit and surgery in August literally saved me from a serious, and perhaps fatal, problem from the renal tumor. I still receive each day as a gift from God and literally am buoyed up by the prayers and concerns of so many friends and members of congregations I have served. This means that the future, whatever it may bring is to be received with gratitude. Posted by Donel at October 3, 2004 09:01 PM