Summer is in full swing now, and so is the last phase of my treatment. When we got home from Toronto at the end of April, I was expecting to start radiation soon, and we were discussing with doctors whether there would be value in doing more rounds of chemotherapy.

Since then, the plan has changed a few times. I’ve learned that delivering a course of radiation starts with developing a 3D model of the patient, and then a detailed set of machine instructions. The goal is to get enough radiation to the target area (to kill any remaining cancer), without getting too much radiation on anything else (my heart, for instance). This turned out to be pretty complicated in my case, so we circled back around to all the various doctors who have been involved in treating me, plus a couple new specialists. That took some time!

In the meantime, we have been having a pleasant time. I have continued to focus on daily walking, adding in some exercises from my physical therapist. I’m especially glad to be back at preaching, and a variety of other ministry work. Most days, I have felt quite well, and I’m generally feeling stronger week by week. There was one unexpected ambulance ride about a month ago, when one morning at home I felt like I was going to black out. The ambulance and emergency doctors were able to help right away, and tests ruled out any really serious issues. It seems that a major nerve in my chest was agitated and caused a reaction. A good reminder that life after surgery is a bit unpredictable!

The plan for radiation finally came together last week, and we got started this past Monday. I will receive radiation over 25 days (each weekday for five weeks). The doctors will also use a chemotherapy drug to make the cancer cells more sensitive to the radiation. The chemotherapy is administered during week 1 and week 5 of the radiation course.

If you’re following all that, you’ll have figured out that I’m presently finishing my first week of chemotherapy and radiation. Compared to the rounds of chemotherapy I was doing before the surgery, it has been quite a mild experience. Since I’m only getting one chemo drug this time, I’m taking in a lot less medication and fluid. Also, I’m an outpatient this time, so I get to go home and enjoy time outside every day. As the week has progressed, I’ve been feeling a bit more drowsy, but I’m thankful for how manageable it has been.

Receiving radiation is an interesting experience. I lie down for about 20 minutes on a very hard table, with a couple cushions for my neck and legs, with my hands up over my head. The room is lined with laser lights that help the technicians position my body correctly. The machine looks like an engineering dream. It has x-ray cameras which they use to study my position before starting the treatment. The arm that delivers the radiation has a swivel head and a square black mouth filled with what I can only describe as long teeth. As the arm swivels over me, the head rotates in various ways, and the teeth slide back and forth in the square, making very precise shapes. The radiation comes through those shapes and into me! All that planning, alignment, and machinery makes it possible to deliver radiation with precision down to less than a millimeter. Amazing stuff.

By God’s grace, I’ve made it almost to four months post-surgery, and now I’ve reached the end of week 1 in this final 5 weeks of treatment. After several months with very few doctor appointments, it has been a bit of a drag to have daily treatment again, but the good thing is that after just five weeks, I’ll be done!

It has been nine months now since all this started, and looking back over that time I’m thankful to see countless evidences of God’s faithfulness. As I come to the end of my treatment, I’m thankful to know that I can trust God for the years ahead as well.

This is God, our God forever and ever. He will guide us forever. (Psalm 48:13-14)