I will finally shed that 16.4 grams I have been trying to lose (average weight for a thyroid gland)

It has been a long long time since I have updated everyone on my battle with cancer (November 16^th to be exact). A lot has happened since that beautiful fall day. I have had ups and downs. In fact, the drug I started taking last October has been working! When I went for my routine 3-month scans over Christmas break I had a CAT Scan. The cancer in my chest/diaphragm had decreased in size (not a lot, but just like technology smaller is better).

However, during the CAT Scan of my chest the radiologist accidentally included my throat in the field being scanned. This in itself is no big deal (I mean come on I have been radiated more than the Hulk: see below), however after analysis a nodule on my thyroid was discovered. My doctor suspected that it was just a growth due to my thyroid overworking (once I began my new drug in August I became very lethargic and exhausted. It was discovered that my thyroid levels were out of whack). This made perfect sense.

Nevertheless with my cancer history the most amazing BEST doctor (Dr. Schiff) wanted to have a biopsy done on the growth. After a carousel of new ENT doctors and multiple biopsies and test (I was stabbed in the neck 6 times with rather large needles and to get material from the growth they jab the needle back and forth…it is one of my favorite feeling in the world…it brings me as much happiness as seeing my mother doing her world famous flat foot dance), the results came back and the genetic make-up of the nodule is 77% suspicious (of cancer). What does this mean? (Hint to keep reading).

This means that I will be having surgery lucky #13

(For some reason right after I wrote this line images of the movie Watcher in the Woods popped into my head….NERAK!!!! YouTube it if you haven’t seen it. It caused 5-7 year old Dave to have many nightmares).

My thyroid is to be removed. The surgery is scheduled for this Tuesday the 16^th of April. They will be removing my entire thyroid and I will be on thyroid medication for the duration of my life. I have had many surgeries of different magnitudes and evasiveness, so I am not nervous to go under the knife once again. In fact I oddly enjoy the anesthesia, I try to fight it see how long I can last until my next memory is walking up in the recovery room.

The main difference with this surgery is that it will be my first surgery in Utah. I will see if their anesthesia is weaker than California’s (hopefully it is not regulated like the alcohol content of beer in Utah….this would make the surgery not as HIGH a memory...sorry for the horrible pun...but not really).

I am writing this to update everyone on my cancerous journey and I will update after the surgery (once I am no longer high from morphine).

Lastly, I wanted to share the theme song for surgery #13! So listen to it for me on Tuesday as you give positive thoughts/vibes/prayers my way!

Thyroid Removal Theme Song   (Please listen) It is by the band A GREAT BIG WORLD! (They also write my theme song for life)

Summer Update

This summer has been absolutely amazing so far! I have been traveling, eating, serving, driving, flying, sleeping, and getting pretty gross spider bites.

So here is the update so far:

Driving:

Utah to Washington D.C.: aprox 2,122 miles

Utah to Phoenix, AZ: aprox 632 miles

Utah to Vista, CA (Roundtrip): 1372 miles

And countless driving around town and to and from airports.

Flying:

Dulles, VA to SLC, UT: 1,842 miles  Flight Time: 3 hours 39 minutes

SLC, UT to Long Beach, CA (Round Trip): 1188 miles Flight Time: 2 hours 23 minutes

Los Angeles, CA to Nadi, Fiji (Round Trip): 11,004 miles Flight TIme: 21 hours 5 minutes

Totals:

Driving: 4,126 miles

Flying: 14,034 miles

Flight Time: 27 hours and 7 minutes

There is the update of my traveling so far this summer. I still have Houston and Dallas, Texas; Calgary, Canada; Rhode Island; Baltimore, Maryland; and a road trip from Virginia to Utah before my summer will be over!

Also: My birthday was yesterday and I listened to my favorite song as a both reflected on the past year and planned for the upcoming one. Life is so EXCITING! even with cancer.

Here it is:

"Embrace the past so you can live for now!"

How do you do it?

I am often asked the question, How do you do it?

This question is in reference to keeping up with the stresses and high demand of graduate school while fighting cancer.

My initial response is that I know no difference. Since I was 16 I have been fighting cancer and trying to live as 'normal' a life as I can.

During deeper contemplation on this question I asked myself, WHY DO I DO IT? I could easily coast through life with small aspiration and as long as I fought cancer no one could blame no for no having high asprations or expectation of myself. It was during this thinking that I was listening to one of my favorite artist Ian Axel. The song entitled 'Gone' started playing and I feel it best describes the WHY behind why I fight  so hard against cancer to extend my life and do not use cancer as a crutch to coast through life.

Here is the video of the song with the lyrics:

PLEASE TAKE THE 4 MINUTES TO LISTEN TO THIS SONG AND LISTEN TO THE LYRICS.....IT IS THE BEST WAY TO CONVEY THE "WHY" AND "HOW" OF MY FIGHT AGAINST CANCER!

I fight because I want to make a lasting impression on the world no matter how small it is, who doesn't. The harder you fight the stronger impact that you make. That is Why and How I do it?