Carcinoma Campaign
Donation protected
Dear Family and Friends,
As the year 2020 continues to bring bad news to all of us, I hate the fact that I am adding more to the pile.
Just yesterday I was diagnosed with cancer.
More specifically, I have been diagnosed with squamous cell carcinoma, which is a form of skin cancer that develops “inside” the skin (as it were) rather than “outside” (e.g., a melanoma).
About three or four weeks ago I noticed a swollen lymph node on my neck while shaving—it was about the size of the tip of my thumb, hard, immovable, and painless. These are all symptoms of something malignant. The all-knowing internet recommended a waiting period of about three or four weeks before getting it checked out. When I finally went for a checkup my doctor did not initially think it was much to be concerned about, but nevertheless arranged a CT scan for me, where it did show a swollen lymph node (and even a few others) consistent with some type of lymphoma. And so, for the past week, I have been assuming that that is what I probably have. Last Thursday the lymph node was biopsied, and the results came in yesterday.
I am now in the process of making all of the arrangements with doctors to determine the source of the carcinoma, as well as set up protocols for my treatments. The treatments will be rigorous and painful: about 7 wks of radiation therapy, 5 days a wk; 7 wks of chemotherapy, 1 day a wk. I will definitely get weaker and weaker as I endure the procedures, and I may even lose my voice for several days or even weeks. If the timeline for all of this holds (and, of course, things may change), I begin treatments in two weeks, on the Tuesday before Thanksgiving (11-24-2020), which means that my treatments will end by the second week of January (give or take). From there it will take about a month or so to recover from all of this. In short, I am looking at about 12 wks of hell.
The good news is that, if the treatments go according to plan, we are looking at not only a full remission, but even a total cure of the disease. You read that right! 85% of those treated for this type of cancer are cured, with little-to-no residual effects. It is not irrational to believe that I can be cured of this condition and walk away from it without any worry of ever having to endure it again!
I am extremely grateful to those I have already spoken to about this, who have all asked what they can do for me at this time. So, if I may indulge myself for a moment, here are a few things you can do for me: First, pray that I remain strong—spiritually, emotionally, and physically—while I go through this; second, that I am, in fact, totally cured of this cancer when my treatments are over; and third, pray for my family as they endure this with me—that their faith does not falter, and that they maintain their optimism during this time.
Also, I am considering starting a “Go Fund Me” page. Having traveled this road before, I know that, no matter how good your insurance is, there are always unexpected financial contingencies that spring up from time to time. I will post the information about this in the near future when and if the decision is made to go in that direction.
If you hear someone giving “the latest” about me, ask them where they got their information. If is not from me, or at least found on this Facebook page, then it is a rumor and nothing more.
For those of you who are worried about me, or are even asking God why he would allow something like this to happen, I guess I should remind you what I try to demonstrate in my book, The Wonderful Decree. There I argue that God allows us to go through great suffering so as to draw from it an even greater qualitative good otherwise unobtainable. I am not sure why he’s allowing me to have cancer, especially while a pandemic is gaining momentum in its second wave. I am even less sure what greater good he could be drawing from all of this. But I am confident that his reasons for allowing me to go through this are wholly justified and good. “Therefore we do not lose heart, but though our outer man is decaying, yet our inner man is being renewed day by day. For this momentary, light affliction is producing for us an eternal weight of glory far beyond all comparison, while we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen; for the things which are seen are temporal, but the things which are not seen are eternal. For we know that if the earthly tent which is our house is torn down, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens” (2 Cor 4.16-5.1).
Cheers,
Travis
As the year 2020 continues to bring bad news to all of us, I hate the fact that I am adding more to the pile.
Just yesterday I was diagnosed with cancer.
More specifically, I have been diagnosed with squamous cell carcinoma, which is a form of skin cancer that develops “inside” the skin (as it were) rather than “outside” (e.g., a melanoma).
About three or four weeks ago I noticed a swollen lymph node on my neck while shaving—it was about the size of the tip of my thumb, hard, immovable, and painless. These are all symptoms of something malignant. The all-knowing internet recommended a waiting period of about three or four weeks before getting it checked out. When I finally went for a checkup my doctor did not initially think it was much to be concerned about, but nevertheless arranged a CT scan for me, where it did show a swollen lymph node (and even a few others) consistent with some type of lymphoma. And so, for the past week, I have been assuming that that is what I probably have. Last Thursday the lymph node was biopsied, and the results came in yesterday.
I am now in the process of making all of the arrangements with doctors to determine the source of the carcinoma, as well as set up protocols for my treatments. The treatments will be rigorous and painful: about 7 wks of radiation therapy, 5 days a wk; 7 wks of chemotherapy, 1 day a wk. I will definitely get weaker and weaker as I endure the procedures, and I may even lose my voice for several days or even weeks. If the timeline for all of this holds (and, of course, things may change), I begin treatments in two weeks, on the Tuesday before Thanksgiving (11-24-2020), which means that my treatments will end by the second week of January (give or take). From there it will take about a month or so to recover from all of this. In short, I am looking at about 12 wks of hell.
The good news is that, if the treatments go according to plan, we are looking at not only a full remission, but even a total cure of the disease. You read that right! 85% of those treated for this type of cancer are cured, with little-to-no residual effects. It is not irrational to believe that I can be cured of this condition and walk away from it without any worry of ever having to endure it again!
I am extremely grateful to those I have already spoken to about this, who have all asked what they can do for me at this time. So, if I may indulge myself for a moment, here are a few things you can do for me: First, pray that I remain strong—spiritually, emotionally, and physically—while I go through this; second, that I am, in fact, totally cured of this cancer when my treatments are over; and third, pray for my family as they endure this with me—that their faith does not falter, and that they maintain their optimism during this time.
Also, I am considering starting a “Go Fund Me” page. Having traveled this road before, I know that, no matter how good your insurance is, there are always unexpected financial contingencies that spring up from time to time. I will post the information about this in the near future when and if the decision is made to go in that direction.
If you hear someone giving “the latest” about me, ask them where they got their information. If is not from me, or at least found on this Facebook page, then it is a rumor and nothing more.
For those of you who are worried about me, or are even asking God why he would allow something like this to happen, I guess I should remind you what I try to demonstrate in my book, The Wonderful Decree. There I argue that God allows us to go through great suffering so as to draw from it an even greater qualitative good otherwise unobtainable. I am not sure why he’s allowing me to have cancer, especially while a pandemic is gaining momentum in its second wave. I am even less sure what greater good he could be drawing from all of this. But I am confident that his reasons for allowing me to go through this are wholly justified and good. “Therefore we do not lose heart, but though our outer man is decaying, yet our inner man is being renewed day by day. For this momentary, light affliction is producing for us an eternal weight of glory far beyond all comparison, while we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen; for the things which are seen are temporal, but the things which are not seen are eternal. For we know that if the earthly tent which is our house is torn down, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens” (2 Cor 4.16-5.1).
Cheers,
Travis
Organizer
Travis Campbell
Organizer
Albany, GA