Cancer Kinda Sucks...

  This week brought a wave of great news! My blood work came back clear—no signs of my specific cancer. The CT scan showed that my lymph nodes have returned to a normal size. Even better, my white blood cell counts are up, and I’m no longer considered immunocompromised. I’ve got a few more appointments before I can head home to be with my family, but everything is moving in the right direction!

Last week’s appointments and checkups brought good news—everything went well. There’s no visible sign of the mass anymore, which suggests that the treatment has been effective. My throat is gradually healing, and I’m finding it easier to talk, eat, and drink—slowly but surely, things are getting back to normal in that regard. However, my sense of taste is still completely gone. With no appetite to speak of, eating remains a challenge, and most meals end in disappointment. That said, I’m starting to adjust. I’ve begun making myself eat, even though the enjoyment of flavor just isn’t there. It’s more about nourishment now than pleasure, but I’m adapting. There’s not a lot more to share right now, but I just wanted to give a quick update—things are going well, and I’m feeling encouraged by the progress so far.

Thank you to everyone who’s reached out with concern—I know I’ve been unusually quiet. I truly appreciate you checking in; honestly, I’d probably do the same if the roles were reversed. For those who’ve given me space, trusting that I’d speak up when I was ready, I’m grateful for you too. The purpose of this blog has always been to put my thoughts in one place, so we can all stay on the same page. But over the past couple of weeks, the problem is… I haven’t really known what I think or feel.  Hence the title... Type... Erase... I miss home. I miss my wife. I miss Emily, Aya, and Thomas. I miss the rhythm of normal life—sleeping through the night, having routines, feeling grounded. I just want things to go back to normal as soon as possible. The hardest part? None of this is in my hands. What stands between me and my family? Tomorrow, I meet with the radiation oncologist. I assume I’ll be scoped, and then I’ll find out if he thinks the past nine weeks of hell were effective. H...