Through her tears, and mine, I shaved the hair my wife loved so much.
She hung her head and said she “looked like a boy”. So I kissed her. I told her I loved her and that she was fiercely beautiful. We'd had this conversation before. My words were "nice" but I was "contractually obligated to say nice things". So I told her I’dshowher.
After looking at data, doing our research, and spending time in prayer, we've decided that I'll start chemotherapy on May 12. My oncologist and radiologist were both surprised and concerned by the results from my oncotype test. We've decided to take cautionary measures now rather than run the risk of letting the cancer spread.
This was my view from the exam room during my oncology appointment today. Looking from this perspective I can see things that I never noticed before. Who knew the city is so green? From here, I can see Baltimore very differently compared to my view on the streets. Looking back to what brought me here, I see the events from the last few months differently from how I did when I was going through them. Some things that felt so horrible at the time just might be saving my life now.
According to my oncology report, I have stage IIA with grade 2 cancer. Grade 2 means that the cancer is slow growing. When the surgeon removed the tumor, all of the margjns (the tissue around the tumor) were clear. This is very good. It’s classified as stage IIA, because they found cancer in my lymph nodes.
Right before the surgery when they were going over all the risks one more time, I could feel my eyes well up, but I remembered all the messages, hugs, impromptu visits and said: I got this because God and a whole tribe of amazing people got me!!
After the screaming and the crying, pleading and pity party this was the crux of the conversation. When God looks for someone to testify, God looks first for someone who can carry the weight. So while we grind and fight cancer this spring - we’ll be promoting two books. The one we wrote and the one we write everyday.
