My sixth chemotherapy treatment was March 31. I hoped it would be my last, but that would depend on what the CT scan I'd get in late April would show - and what Dr. Rado at Columbia Basin Hematology and Oncology would say at my appointment five days later.
Considering just how bleak things looked Dec. 12 - the day of my first chemotherapy, when Dr. Rado said a CT scan revealed my stage 2 lymphoma actually was stage 4 and my prognosis was not great - my hopes and expectations were all over the place.
Three days after those dark moments, the first miracle occurred when the grapefruit-sized growth at the base of my neck vanished.
The second miracle came Feb. 17, when a CT after my third chemo showed significant - even profound - decreases in the cancerous growths ravaging my body.
On April 28, I was looking for one more.
Family and friends were on edge for the weeks following that last chemo treatment, and especially the days leading up to my appointment with Dr. Rado. I did my best to not put too much hope in the cancer being gone, but that was difficult. The day prior, I was at my Kiwanis club. I let everyone know what the next day would bring. "If you pray, I'd appreciate you praying for me tomorrow," I said. "And if you don't pray, I'd appreciate you taking it up for a day."
I was looking for every edge.
My wife, Melissa, and I walked into the Tri-Cities Cancer Center the next morning, receiving the usual warm greetings from all the staff there. After a brief wait, we went to one of the examination rooms, where my vitals were taken and recorded. The nurse then smiled and said Dr. Rado would be with us in a few minutes.
The next 10 minutes were among the longest I'd experienced. When Dr. Rado walked in, the suspense evaporated as he smiled warmly, shook my hand and congratulated me.
"No evidence of disease," he said, adding he would have been in to see us sooner but he decided to examine the CT scan himself after reading the report, just to be certain.
Feelings of relief and exaltation swept over me. This horrible nightmare was over. Well, not quite. I'll receive another CT scan along with a PET scan in three months, just to make sure nothing bad is lurking about. After that, I'll receive another CT scan every three months for the next year or so, then every six months, then annually. We'll be keeping a close eye on this for the next decade - and a wary watch for the rest of my life.
To come from where I was in November and December to this in such a seemingly short time is nothing short of a miracle.
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Faces of Cancer: Tri-City doctor has cancer on his mind
Faces of Cancer: Tri-City doctor has cancer on his mind
Dr. Thomas Rado never stops thinking about cancer.
He spends long hours at Columbia Basin Hematology & Oncology in Kennewick helping 12 to 14 patients per day and checking their treatments. When he isn't with a patient, he is overseeing the burgeoning research department he has built at CBHO.
When he gets home from work, he and his wife, Mitra -- a nurse practitioner at CBHO -- talk late into the evening about how to help someone stricken with cancer, and they start again at the breakfast table. At the grocery store, at a restaurant, on an airplane, all he thinks about is cancer.
"It doesn't leave my mind for very long," he said. "Whatever creativity I can bring to bear, maybe it will make it a little better."
Faces of Cancer: Fighting for your life
Faces of Cancer: Fighting for your life
WEST RICHLAND — There is no more "normal" after a cancer diagnosis.
There is life before cancer and life with cancer, but there is no life after cancer -- even with successful treatment.
Cancer is always a presence.
Faces of cancer: Richland dad makes sure every minute counts
Faces of cancer: Richland dad makes sure every minute counts
When you face an uphill battle against a deadly disease, you find strength wherever you can.
Josh Pearson of Richland spent eight years in a job where he was gone more than he was home. As he fights brain cancer, he is making every minute count.
"My biggest focus is my wife and kids," said Pearson, 36. "I traveled for eight months a year for the past eight years. Now, I'm home. When my kids get home, we're playing and having a good time."
About Face
About Face
Humor is a good crutch to lean on for portraiture. If your subject is uncomfortable in front of the camera, crack a joke to loosen her up. Even terrible jokes can work if it makes someone realize the photographer is a bigger dork than he is. If there are multiple subjects, I like having them reminisce about funny situations to get a more spontaneous feel to the set-up situation.
It's an easy way to get a fun photo because even though some people look a little goofy when they're really laughing, there's always a certain charm to it.
Obviously, this technique isn't always appropriate, and our recent month-long series, Faces of Cancer , is a prime example.
Faces of Cancer: Breast cancer saves West Richland woman's life
Faces of Cancer: Breast cancer saves West Richland woman's life
WEST RICHLAND -- When Patt Mosley sees pink this month, she doesn't cry anymore. Four years ago, that wasn't the case.
The 41-year-old West Richland woman was diagnosed with breast cancer in September 2007.
At the time, the Hanford High School graduate was living in Portland with her husband and 2-year-old son.
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