MP 43

Matt: Praise the Lord! Its 2024 and overall, things are good, stable, and slowly improving. My scans in the Fall revealed significant inflammation in my chest related to infection from aspiration pneumonia earlier in the year. My doctor raised the possibility of changing me to a new targeted therapy, but wanted to wait and monitor my progress before making a decision. My scans from this month showed things continue to remain stable with some areas of improvement. There remain several small tumors in my chest and brain, but I am not experiencing any symptoms other than a chronic cough.

These are scary sentences to write, but stable is good. Stable precedes shrinking. Stable can indicate that healing is happening and to persevere. Some survivors take several years to fully heal. I’ve regained 40 pounds over the past 9 months and my vitals and blood markers are great. So I am staying positive and hopeful. I’ll continue to be monitored and expect things to continue shrinking away in time.

For the time being, I remain on my original medication. There isn’t a need to change medicines as long as I am benefitting from what I am on. I am also in a good rhythm of juicing carrots, beets, salad or micro greens, apples, lemon, turmeric, ginger, red onion, blueberries, and celery daily. I also add minced raw garlic, apricot kernel powder, green tea, vitamin D, black seed oil, and curcumin. Yes, my kitchen smells very strange at 7am each morning.

I remain unable to swallow. A visit to my SLP in January confirmed liquids slip down my airway when I attempt to swallow. In March, I have an appointment with the swallowing specialists at a clinic in Seattle. I made this appointment in November(!). I’m hoping their long backlog reflects their expertise and that they can recommend a solution. I haven’t experienced the pleasure of a meal eaten through my mouth since June 2023.

I feel comfortable driving short distances now and am glad to contribute to the weekly errands. I’ve done some short hikes in the area and changes in scenery are very refreshing.

An ongoing challenge is feeling isolated and not knowing how to spend all my excess free time. But as I reflected on this, I came across this helpful teaching on the principle of solitude. Solitude is something one can choose. Many who choose solitude do so for important reasons. I am learning how to meditate and pray in new ways. However, solitude feels against my nature. There’s many other things I’d rather be doing, but I am grateful that I have enough for right now.

Prayer requests:

Better communication with my oncologist or wisdom to find a new doctor.
Continued healing overall, especially the ability to swallow.
Wisdom and clarity during my appointment with the swallowing specialists and insight into any potential complications from my esophageal stent.