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From Cancer - to bigger things!

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Been a while since I posted and I have to tell you that beating cancer is phenomenal.  First, while I was laying there in the hospital at MD Anderson getting chemo (over 50 days total) I had a lot of time to think and one of the things that I wanted to do when I get over the Lymphoma was to help communities in need.  I found Team Rubicon while I was lying there - and you have a lot of time to google stuff while getting chem for Double Hit Lymphoma - and I decided I would join when I got out.   And I did - and did my first two deployments with them. You can read about it here: From Cancer to GSD GSD = Get Shit Done - and that we do. AND now, I am riding with Navy 83 Ride Across America - a group of Navy 83 Grads who decided to cycle to their 40th reunion.  I have been getting in better shape since chemo and I feel like this is a great statement on where I am 4 years after I finished chemo - to ride 585 miles from Toledo to Annapolis averaging 70-80 miles a day.  This is crazy for me -
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It is another great day to be alive

A year ago on New Years day 2019 I woke up with a large lump at the top inside of my thigh. It may have been growing for a while but I noticed it for the first time that morning as I woke up.  We had toasted the New Year's with champagne and were full of excitement about what 2019 would bring - so much promise and not a real care in the world - which was immediately dashed with a diagnosis of stage 4 lymphoma, double hit, with lesions in my skull, spinal cord and hip. And I had to go through hell to get here - but here I am. As you make your New Year's resolutions - please stick to them. Because you seriously do not know what you will wake up to tomorrow. Love your family - keep them close - almost losing them is too much to bear -  believe me. And I needed all of them close to get through this.  Love your friends - the prayers I got from around the world are a big reason I am here You need your health - the chemo will kill ya just as much as the cancer it seems - you
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I have changed - and this is the last post for now.

We gave away the last of the cancer supplies to another person doing battle so that there is nothing in the house to remind me of our journey through cancer. My hair is actually filling in and has a little color  - it has a lot of white there - but also some color. The sinus issue that made me think of brain cancer is gone. Food tastes so good again I have gained back 12 of the pounds I lost - and I could easily gain it all back if I don't slow down. So basically I am a normal guy again. So it is time to put the blog to bed as well. I will still post after scans (October 21st is already on the schedule). But if I put cancer behind me - there is no reason to blog. One last thing to post is that people ask if the ordeal changed me and I have to say of course it changed me. You don't come that close to losing your life and act the same. I am more patient. I looked at the blue sky both mornings this weekend with awe and appreciation. I bought Lee flowers at the farmers market -
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SCANS ARE CLEAR!! SABA BEATS CANCER

Picc line coming out today. The final scans are all clear and I am cancer free.  So amazing - so much support, love, prayers and amazing medical got us here.  I started this blog in February that Saba Beats Cancer which seemed a little arrogant at the time based on the bad cancer we had but we did!! HELL YES!! This last few weeks has been stressful to say the least - they call it scanxiety - waiting on the scans where every ache and pain feels like cancer returning. I have dealt with this damn picc line since mid February having to flush it every day, change the dressing each week and put a shower sleeve on it to shower every time.  So sick of this damn thing that you cannot imagine the feeling to get rid of it. The last piece of being a cancer patient being removed. Now that is amazing!! Let's get back to living. Going out to our favorite Italian restaurant tonight and an Astro's game this weekend. LIFE!!
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Banish the Cancer

I got this great note during the last full moon from Pete that his daughter had gone to a yoga instructor course and there were some of the participants there who told her that during a full moon you can banish negative things from your life by writing them in red ink on paper and burning them in a bonfire. So they did that with Dave's cancer last full moon.    He reminded me that tonight is also a full moon and never one to miss an opportunity to have things weigh in my favor - I will be banishing my cancer in the grill fire tonight. It is the night before my scans and why not a little pagan ritual to go along with the prayers.  So annoying that the scans are tomorrow afternoon but the doctor's appointment with the results is not until Thursday. So a little tense waiting until the appointment. Yay. But feeling great - no swollen lymph nodes and no headaches/double vision - so things are looking great for tomorrow. And with the cancer banished in flames - how can I lose. 
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I have eyebrows dammit!!!

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What a great feeling to have hair growing in the right places now!  Eyebrows, eyelashes and hair on my head all coming in nicely. Hard to believe that it has only been a month since chemo ended - because things are so normal. On Friday I actually got my first full paycheck since February - now that's a good feeling! Based on all I read and heard from others, I am way ahead of the game on recovery working 8 hour days and doing very well.  Every so often I get a feeling like chemo side effects but then it goes away.  So other than that I am doing great. Side note on the blood work - the webisphere was correct - cranberry juice does help the kidneys but my platelet count went down. The only thing on my blood work that went down - I was still in the good range so no big deal, but important thing to note. And it's probably good that the beach house is rented through August - we won't be able to use it until Labor Day weekend - so guy recovering from cancer just died from
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Blood work good again

All is well in my blood again.  And the numbers keep getting better. While my hemoglobin and red count are still a little low, they crept ever so closer to the good range. And those damn creatinines kept going down at the right pace - and should be in the good range by next week. So all in all more good news. Next week is the big week with my MRI and PET scan on the 17th followed by the doc on the 18th. I ran into a guy who was a step ahead of me on the double hit lymphoma party. He had is first scan after chemo 3 and still had just a bit of cancer left in his lymphs at that scan. He just found out that it kept growing after that scan and even though he is down with chemo, he has to go for another fight. They are debating T cell or Stem Cell. Prayers for him. And of course that scares the hell out of me as well. But my scans were clean so we should be good to go. But will be saying a few extra prayers myself.
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