How it started, or another watershed moment in my life

At the end of June, our son Will graduated from Stetson University. Glorious time…senior recital…getting ready for the Franco American Vocal Academy in Perigueux,
France…relocating back to Milton and home base…

After returning home from DeLand, I began to have some mid-back pain…no deal breakers and I could still work like a horse. July 31 something shifted in the back and I made a little trip to North Fulton Regional Hospital ER. CT-scan, X Ray and much pain meds, later, I learn that I have a collapsed Thoracic-9 vertebra with a lesion. Get an oncologist appointment tomorrow, Mr. Green.

Of course, I was motivated at that point. After seeing My oncologist that Monday she had me in Saint Joseph’s outpatient Radiology Clinic for PET scan and MRI, Thursday, August 4th.

We returned to my oncologist, on Monday, August 8th. She had me admitted to Saint Joseph’s Hospital for bone biopsy and bone marrow biopsy and to consult with my Neurosurgeon, and Radiation Oncologist, that same day. These biopsies and consultations completed, I returned home, Tuesday, August 9th.

I started four weeks of every weekday radiation treatment Tuesday, August 16. I received my official diagnosis Wednesday, August 17th. The diagnosis was better than anticipated:

I have an isolated or solitary Plasmacytoma on the T9 vertebra. My oncologist is cautiously optimistic that it can be dissolved by the radiation therapy. She says that she has several patients rocking along with this condition, healthy and in remission. As for restoration of the bone, we reassess after the radiation therapy.

Those are the quick facts of an unsettling time. Amazing how, I always seem to be in hyper-speed in my life…always been that way…

Enough for now!

Dinner with Merry, Will and Mary Old Blinde Dog.

This is an exciting day! Treatment for my back at Saint Joseph’s, Mary starts on campus classes at KSU, diagnosis and treatment conference with Dr. Silpa, Will returns from Paris

Eager, ready, prepared…almost!

This is not as easy as I thought it would be.