MRI Update

Click here to jump down to the medical update (if you prefer to get down to business and skip the personal thoughts in red). It’s good news. But as I sit here suffering from the usual post-vaccination chills and fever while self-medicating on miso soup and green tea, I am compelled to share a personal thought.

I am glad that I am the one who was stricken with this cancer, rather than my wife, Tina.

The reason? I confess that it’s more than the altruistic and romantic sentiments expected between spouses. It’s equally rooted in selfishness. Selfish, because I want to spend a long, healthy life with Tina. And Tina is the one in this relationship with the tenacity, passion, gumption, endurance and fight that it takes to navigate the hurdles that one encounters in these life struggles.

Sure, I would do everything in my power to support Tina if the tables were turned, but truth be told, she is the more powerful one. Her propensity for compassion and talent for getting things done are innate.

Doctors, healers, family, friends, neighbors and peers are of invaluable importance to my healing. But I credit her with saving me.

The update

This morning I had an MRI — the first one since my craniotomy. Dr. Aiken reviewed the images and declared them “unremarkable.” Not the most vibrant nomenclature, but nonetheless, the news we hoped to hear.

To clarify, there is no detectable tumor growth. While this news is celebration-worthy, it’s a small victory. Doctors didn’t really expect to see any growth yet anyway. We have a long, ongoing regimen of medication, monitoring, treatments, research, discipline, planning and doctors’ visits ahead of us.

Tomorrow we take the MRI images to Emory to be reviewed by my oncologist and radiologist for second and third opinions. Keep you posted if anything interesting comes of it.

Mila shows she is glad we're home by snuggling up to me. Our other cat, Pickles, couldn't care less.