At the risk of sounding like Sheldon Cooper...

My brother has been impressed with how many of you continue to follow this blog and to make comments. I am most grateful. as I have told you before it bouys me up, helps me stay strong.
He said it reminded him of a quote from Lord of the Rings:
" You can trust us to stick to you through thick and thin ...But you cannot trust us to let you face trouble alone, and go off without a word. We are your friends, Frodo. Anyway there it is. ... We are horribly afraid but we are coming with you or following you like hounds."

No reason for you to be horribly afraid, of course, but the rest of the sentiment seemed appropriate. And I am so grateful.

Here is an update:
I have my wedge procedure on January 3rd. I am grateful for the change of date: gift-buying and giving is over,  baking and cooking and decorating are finished, holiday celebrations are done. By that time people will be ready to concentrate on work again and that is comforting to me.
This is what I know about the procedure; They will mark the spot where the infection is and my right lung/side of the chest. The Doctor will make 3 small incisions in the skin and then make a slice/wedge on the lung, gathering up the infected spot. They will put a chest tube in and keep my overnight in the hospital. If all goes well, they will release me to come home the next day.

So, that is the goal - for all to go well so I can come home, heal up, and get ready for the big surgery to remove the left side of my lung.

Thank you again for all you do; for the comments, the e-mails, the texts, the cards and most of all the prayers and good wishes. I am thankful for everything and for each and every one of you. I hope you have the Merriest of Christmasses!! Enjoy your friends and families to the maximum.... and then get some rest for yourselves.

News from Swedish visit

So, on the day of my latest /chemo infusion, December 1st, Dr. Aye's office called and asked if I could come a day early for another needle biopsy December 5th.
I had a minor meltdown but of course said "Yes".
Dr. Aye called me that evening to re=-assure me it was not more cancer. It was a tiny spot on my right lung that the Swedish radiologists thought might be growing. He said those guys "are among
 the best in the world" and they wanted to take a look at it.
It was an "Opportunistic infection"; when the immune system is depressed by the chemo other things can pop up. But they were not able to identify precisely what it is. So to get rid of it they are going to remove a small wedge of that lung, maybe December 27th.

The other news is that the cancerous tumor has shrunk about 50%!! He is hoping to see further shrinkage with this round of chemotherapy. They will let me heal from the wedge (which is just an overnight stay at Swedish) and probably remove that left lung in mid January. Dr. aye was really pleased with the way the tumor had responded to the chemo.

Please, if you are so inclined, do not stop the prayers and good wishes. I know they are part of this equation, too! I am beyond grateful for those of you who keep in touch and who comment on the blog or reach out in other ways. Thank you for helping me along this journey.