The Battle With Cancer Was Won

You might think of the following situation as David battling Goliath in an epic fight. One person in a fierce, contentious battle with an 800-pound gorilla, if you please. Those things make great stories with an ending everyone can enjoy.

My life the last several months has been a story in and of itself, for I had to deal with something that I've never had to deal with before. I had one day discovered a growth in my neck. The trouble is, I got so scared that I thought the growth would go away, but sure enough, it didn't. Face it, I couldn't keep playing the fool any longer, and it had to get to a point where something needed to get done, and fast. When I made an appointment with my physician to check out the problem, I knew I was going to be in for a long few months to follow.

The ensuing months in the early part of 2010 would include something else I never had to deal with, at least, outside of a dentist's chair. That something else would be surgery. That's right, surgery. In a hospital. Surgeons. Scalpel. Swab. Retractors. You know, all that stuff you sometimes see on TV. Who woulda thunk it, what with your favorite blogger going under the knife to get anything taken out?? Well, it did happen.

Oh, and that uninvited guest residing inside my neck? Know what that was?? Follicular cancer. Yep. It was follicular cancer inside my left thyroid. I ended up having both sides of thyroid removed during said surgery. It wasn't an injury or a crazed woman's hickey or some giant insect that I might have accidentally swallered. Follicular cancer. The aforementioned Goliath. It was case44 in the role of David trying to fight the good fight against same. Luckily, and incredibly, it was not worse than it actually was.

Subsequent follow-up treatment in the months thereafter consisted of one nuclear iodine pill, taken last week, to kill any cancer cells that may still be forming or have formed in the neck and possibly elsewhere. I have good news, sports fans: The cells are being killed and eliminated with the radioactive iodine. In other words, I am now cancer-free! I have fought the good fight and came out the victor. There are no trophies, no medals, no big prizes. None needed. Just my life to be given back to me is all I can be thankful for.

I'd be amiss if I didn't thank those who've prayed for me during this time, both in my immediate family and my workplace, as well as those in my church, and on City-Data. Thank you, everyone, for your kind thoughts during this battle in my life for my life. You are loved and there are no adequate words to give my highest thanks. This recent war on cancer has been won. I now get another heartbeat, and with it, another step forward.