As I rested and recovered from surgery involving partial amputation of my right thumb and sentinel node biopsy for my malignant melanoma, we began the process of waiting for the pathology on the lymph nodes to be resulted. Whether or not they were positive or not would determine my final stage. The status of the two sentinel nodes would affect my staging, prognosis, and treatment. What I am about to reveal is what happened exactly as it unfolded. I have used the term “providential” with others, and you can make your own conclusions. I still get chills down my spine every time I tell this story.

My surgery was on a Wednesday, so we really did not expect any results until the following week. However, 5 days later, on Monday, I began to get very anxious and started checking my email more frequently. As a few days turned into a week, both Kellee and l were getting more anxious for the results by the hour. I began to have difficulty concentrating on anything else and developed some insomnia.  A complete week went by and still nothing. However, on Thursday morning, 8 days after my procedure, Kellee sat straight up in bed, just before 5 am, and woke me from a deep sleep (I believe I had just finally gotten to sleep in the wee hours of the morning with a sore armpit and elevated right upper extremity). She conveyed to me that she had a vivid dream or communication that my test results were revealed at “4:05.”  She never ever mentioned or discussed remembering dreams with me in the past.  Anyway, it was so clear to her that she woke me up and asked me to check my email on my phone, which I did, and there was nothing there. We went back to sleep. Later that day, my son Gray’s fiancée, Molly, called at lunchtime, and asked if “Dr. B’s path results were back.”  Gray and Molly are both fourth year medical students, and Molly called during a lunch break on one of her clerkships. Kellee and I were both in the kitchen, and I heard Kellee specifically tell Molly, “No,” but then explain how she had a vivid dream that morning that my test results came back at “4:05.”  She explained to Molly how she even woke me up to check my phone. Kels and I really did not think anymore about that conversation for a while…..

 Later in the day, at approximately 4:01 or 4:02 pm,  I checked my email (as I has been doing all day), and finally there was an email from the medical center time stamped at  “3:58 pm “ (and still there on my phone today) that I had a new test result on my patient portal.   My heart began to beat faster, and I knew that this likely represented my path results. Kels and I were in the den together, and I asked her to sit down beside me to pray with me.  Next, after our prayer, I opened the portal (not realizing at the time it was 4:05 pm) and clicked on my path results, revealing “sentinel lymph node 1 was negative for tumor and sentinel lymph node 2 was negative for tumor.”  We stopped right there and began crying and praising Jesus. I will be honest with you: I began jumping up and down all over the den and fist pumping liked I had just scored a touchdown! Another answered prayer!

Later in the afternoon, after we had called Molly and Gray with the good news of my path results, Molly remembered her conversation with Kellee, and asked her what time she dreamed the path was revealed.  Chills went up and down both of our spines as we retraced the sequence of events and realized we opened the patient portal likely exactly at “4:05.”  I assure you that this sequence of events unfolded exactly as I have shared them. Please interpret this encounter as you see fit. But through this journey, I have genuinely felt God’s presence in my life, and I assure you that it is 100 percent genuine and not a self-serving, hyper-religious coping mechanism. There will be more providential moments to share, and maybe we all have them…but are just not slowing down enough to listen to them.

Now that my tumor was staged, I could get on with a more definitive treatment plan. We already knew that based on the depth of my tumor and the presence of other features, such as ulceration and high mitotic activity, that I would likely need some more systemic therapy called immunotherapy, but the fact that my tumor was more localized was great news.

That weekend, I reached out to a longtime friend and former head and neck cancer patient of mine who now lives in Texas, Matt Lee.  My words to him by text were exactly as follows: “I felt compelled to reach out to you when I got the news. We are very similar in our world views. And I walked you through your fight with cancer. You and God beat it. He had more Kingdom work for you on earth.”  Matt, formerly a professional golfer and still a scratch golfer, spent a large part of his adult life educating others on the dangers of tobacco use and risk factors for head and neck cancer. He texted back these exact words: “And now it’s my honor to be here for you and you should know I will do what I say. Support, prayers, friendship, whatever you need to win the war.”  And we came up with this plan for cancer: “1. Surviving and thriving for others to be brought closer to Christ (through my victory over cancer) or 2. Battling with such a spiritual demeanor that I am a witness through the battles until I get to go home = my job well done.”

I have pledged to stay the course with this plan. You will soon be caught up to present with my story, which is still being written. It is my hope and prayer that it helps some others battling cancer or other adversity in their lives.