As we left off, Kellee and I had received some good news about the MRI of my brain that was clear and about the whole-body PET/CT scan which also came back clear. The very next day after the PET scan, I met with yet another surgeon, a Surgical Oncologist, who prepared me for additional surgery that would be needed. In addition to the partial amputation and reconstruction of my right thumb to clear the margins of the malignant melanoma, I would need to undergo a sentinel node biopsy. I will explain more about the details of this part of the procedure later, but the procedure allows the surgeon to determine the lymph nodes to which tumor cells most likely would travel if it spread via the lymphatic system.  Next the most representative of those nodes is removed and sampled to assess for the presence of tumor and to help with staging. I also met with my Medical Oncologist that same day, who was encouraged about my imaging results, but also said that my staging and thus prognosis would be determined more once the pathology of the sentinel node or nodes is back. The very next day I reached back out to my Orthopedic Oncologist, and my surgery was set to be performed the following week, with a team of 3 surgeons. Everyone was ready to go.

Next, Kellee and I were discussing all the possibilities of how to move forward, receiving healthcare, and how to manage our finances if I would be limited in my ability to work or not be able to return to work at all. In our mid-50s, our only debt was really the mortgage on our house. Everyone says not to make major life decisions under duress, but we had talked about downsizing in the past. We had 3 bedrooms and 3 baths upstairs with an additional bonus room….and we hardly ever went up there. So, we were considering a change, but we love our neighborhood with lots of yard space. We went to an open house that night less than 2 miles from our house, but smaller than our house, more of a ranch style. We loved the house and decided to make an offer. The very next day on a Friday, the sellers countered, and we accepted. We had a deal! Another answered prayer! After we got the contract, Kels and I worked until the wee hours of the morning cleaning out our den in preparation to put our house on the market. There was so much uncertainty at this time regarding my health status, work status, and now we had a contract on a house before selling ours. Kels and I were both anxious but trusting in God.

On Saturday morning, we frantically worked on the house all day to get ready to place it on the market. I placed new pine straw in the beds out front and sold several items on Facebook Marketplace. Kellee worked tirelessly cleaning out and staging the house. My daughter Alex, our realtor, and our son-in-law, Brad, came over that evening to help us start the process of listing our house. Time was of the essence, since we had a contract on the new house, and needed to sell ours to make it all work. We had planned to do a lot of painting, book a professional photographer, do professional staging, and have an open house. On a whim, I took a few pictures, and we listed the house that night. Within 24 hours, we had several showings, an offer on the spot, and a contract! Another answered prayer! Over the next few weeks, we began to reflect on how so many things were working out for us. And we began to anticipate a future with less financial liability, less dependency on material things, and more happiness and joy in glorifying God and spending more time with Him rather than the everyday business of life.

So, by this time, I had one day to rest on a Tuesday before my anticipated surgery date on Wednesday, August 4. I had continued my training for my triathlon, even though I knew I would not be able to compete in it.  I needed some rest after a hard cycle workout that morning and a hard swim workout just 2 days before.  But I had a pleasant surprise coming…….

I got a surprise visit from my cousin, Lee Randolph, and two of my closest friends since childhood: Ronnie Carter and James Sutton. Kellee knew they were coming, but I had no idea. I want to share just a little bit about the days of our youth in Goodlettsville, TN, and then share a little bit about that evening. Lee Randolph, along with another Lee with the last name Harris, grew up with me almost like brothers. Our parents took us to Goodlettsville First Baptist Church, taught us to love God, and taught us right from wrong. Now I know that the community in which we grew up in the 70s and 80s was a much different time and place than now, but we grew up with little to no rules, at least for me personally, and freedom to learn from our mistakes (lots of them). Lee Randolph and I spent many hours together working and playing on my parent’s farm. We imagined ourselves as cowboys around 9 and 10 years old, except that we rode real horses and shot real pellet guns. We rode 4 wheelers, mopeds, motorcycles, and bicycles and never had a helmet. One favorite activity was to head our bicycles down the steep road, Draper Drive, in front of Randolph’s house, take a sharp turn onto his gravel driveway, then hit a homemade ramp in his front yard and see how far we could fly. We did not always stick the landing, and I remember when Randolph broke his femur. I had to help carry him in the house when he came home from the hospital in a full body cast in the back of my parent’s station wagon. We had to turn him sideways to get him in the door and almost dropped him! He will not find this funny! Later, I competed in horse shows, learned to start horses, and learned to always get back on when bucked off. I was driving tractors by age 10 and had an actual driver’s license at age 14, the age at which I got my first two speeding tickets! I never had a curfew growing up and took full advantage of that! The 3 “Lees,” Ronnie, and James all played a lot of ball together, and James’ father was one of our coaches for years. One of our favorite pastimes was to put on actual boxing gloves and fight each other; yes, there were technical knockouts and real knockouts. We were all a little crazy. People could call us a lot of things, but one thing they could not say is that we were not tough (apology for the double negative). My toughness and my ability to fight this cancer come from those days, from working with horses, and from all the team sports in which I participated in high school.

So Lee Randolph, Ronnie, and James all showed up at my house, the evening before surgery, and spent time. We had been “brothers” since we were in diapers in the Goodlettsville First Baptist Church nursery. We always show up for each other in time of need or crisis, and there is no doubt that we would take a bullet for each other. As a matter of fact, Ronnie is an Ivy league educated long standing officer in the Marines and is one of those guys who would sacrifice for all of our freedoms. The boys just sat around and reminisced about the “good ole days.”  James always keeps us laughing, and continued to command the room like he always does, our ring leader. And then I got in the middle of the room as they all gathered around me. They laid their hands on me and we all hugged as they prayed over me. They asked for Father God to give me peace and strength and prayed for my healing if it be God’s will. I love those guys, and they know it. I was ready for surgery, which will be the next episode.