Cancer update 12/19 - It Is Well with My Soul

As I've mentioned here, starting last Saturday, I developed an intense pain in my upper left chest. The pain ran pretty much from the left breast around my ribs close to my left shoulder blade on my back. I have had this pain there before and had a stress test and chest x-rays done and nothing was found. It was attributed to muscular pain. It was a nuisance but generally not unbearable and usually went away after a day or two.

This time, the pain was almost unbearable -- far worse than any pain I've had in my pelvis, and Lortab hardly made a dent in it, and it wasn't going away. I went to see my PCP on Tuesday and he prescribed me Percocet, which is an even more powerful pain killer than Lortab. It has seemed to do the trick at keeping the pain at bay, but the side effects have been worse than Lortab. I've been more fatigued and loopy than usual (which I didn't think was possible :) ).

My PCP said that insurance wouldn't approve another CAT scan with a CAT scan already approved for 1/14, so he sent me for a chest and rib x-ray instead. I had that done on Thursday. The results came back this morning and the doctor gave me a call. The good news is that the x-ray shows nothing on my ribs and my lungs are fine. This is where the pain is, so nothing bone-related. He thinks it is likely muscular again, probably something I pulled. The pain has been lessening, so that's good. Hopefully I can go back to just Lortab soon.

The cause for concern does not appear to be related to this pain, but may just be a coincidence that showed up, but on the x-ray, a "sclerotic" area was noted on my left upper humerus (upper arm bone) close to my shoulder. The report says that it is unclear whether this is arthritis, something benign, or another cancerous lesion like the ones on my pelvis. The only way to truly know would be to biopsy this, which I would rather not go through again unless it's absolutely necessary. Since this area didn't show up on the octreatide scan which was full body, my primary said it's really not possible to give me an accurate diagnosis of what this area is.

He wants me to call my new oncologist's office on Monday to have my initial appointment asap and start the infusion of the Zometa. I also intend to contact my new neuroendocrine oncologist in Tampa and request if they aren't already doing so, that they also scan my left arm and shoulder when they do the CAT scan on 1/14. This may not tell us much, but if spot radiation will be coming down the road, we would certainly want to include this area if it were to turn out to be cancer. I'm having absolutely no pain in my arm praise God, so this is an unpleasant surprise to say the least.

This is in the Lord's hands, and His name be praised. May His will be done. His ways are not my ways, nor His thoughts my thoughts. There are some things that just can't be explained, but I know one thing, that God is good. He didn't cause this, but He will finish it. His ways are always best. I wouldn't have made it through all of this without Him to sustain me, and He will carry me through this all the way to healing, which is what I'm standing in faith was already done by the Lord Jesus at Calvary and I pray will become a reality on Earth as it is in Heaven very soon. He has me in His hand and is not letting go. Praise be to His name!

I keep thinking of the lyrics of my very favorite hymn, "It Is Well With My Soul". The first verse says, "When peace like a river attendeth my way. When sorrows like sea billows roll. Whatever my lot, Thou hast taught me to say, 'It is well, It is well with my soul'." It is well with my soul, even as my spirit fights for healing of my body. It is well with my soul.

Thank you for your continued thoughts and prayers. Hopefully this area will turn out to be nothing, but I appreciate your prayers. This has definitely thrown Cindy and I for a loop this morning, but our faith is high, and we believe that all will be well in the end. It is well with my soul.