Diagnosis

There’s been rather a lot going on recently, and I just noticed that I didn’t post an update on the results of the biopsy they did after my mouth operation.

It turns out that the lump they took out from the floor of my mouth contained the primary site, or most of it, for the cancer I had back in 2001. I have a cancer called Adenoid Cystic Carcinoma (ACC), a slow-growing salivary-gland cancer with a tendency to spread along nerves.

Obviously, removing the primary is a step forward. However, as they didn’t get it all, I need to have a further operation to remove the rest. This will probably create a larger hole than can just be sewn together, so they intend to fill it with a lump taken out of my upper leg. (In the past, it has been remarked that I’m rather prone to foot-in-mouth disease; I didn’t expect I’d prove everyone right in quite such a literal way…) This operation is scheduled for April 13th. The primary risk is probably nerve damage – I’ve already lost feeling in part of my tongue as a result of the initial procedure.

I also have between one and four, depending on how pessimistic you are, metastatic nodes in my lungs. These can only be removed when they are big enough for the surgeon to feel, which should be in about 12 months.

Survival rates for ACC are, according to one website, 89% at five years but 40% at fifteen years. In that context, I stand behind Paul’s words in Philippians 1:

“I eagerly expect and hope that I will in no way be ashamed, but will have sufficient courage so that now as always Christ will be exalted in my body, whether by life or by death. For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain.”

Paul goes on to say how torn he is between continuing to serve Christ on earth, and departing to be with him. I already understand somewhat how he felt and, as this goes on, I’m sure I will do so more and more.

Those (few…) of you who are Christians, please pray for me the same thing – that Christ would be exalted in my body and my actions.

21 thoughts on “Diagnosis

  1. Hi Gerv,
    I will pray for you. I am a christian. I hope everything goes well. Remember the saying always look on the bright side of life. Some people lif long and don’t have a nothing to look back on. Even if you live not very long anymore make sure you do the things you want to do. (i hope to see you around a very long time)

    greetingszzzzz

    Ferdi

  2. I wish you all the fortitude possible and a long life defeating all odds.

    (I just realised that my English education didn’t teach me anything regarding “best wishes”. I hope it doesn’t sound to strange.)

  3. Hi Gervase! I just wanted you to know that I’m your brother in Christ and that I’ve been reading your blog for a while and will be praying for you.
    God Bless!

  4. Hi Gerv. As a fellow Christian, I pray for you, not only that you would survive your cancer, but that God would continue to bless and strengthen you to be a bold witness for Him, as you have already been doing. I have been encouraged in my own faith by seeing your public confesssion of Christ. Keep speaking the truth.

  5. I’m not a Christian, but I wish you well. I hope the operation goes smoothly and that they get everything this time around.

  6. Hi Gerv, good luck and my very best wishes.. Your story really touched me. If there is any way someone here can help you, please let us know.

  7. Best of luck and best wishes. I don’t know you outside of your blog here, but it is my impression that if there is anyone who can beat this, its you.

  8. Hang in there, mate.

    I’m sure you already know that, but heck, 4 out of 10 is still pretty good, almost 50/50 and that’s the kind of probability we face every day…

    Just don’t cave in, you know, don’t give up. (and no matter how much you trust in God – don’t you neglect the medicine! ;) )

    Best of luck.

  9. Gerv,
    I’ll be keeping you in my prayers. Please keep us informed as best you can. You give me courage in my own faith. Thank you.

  10. Hi, Gerv,
    With moistened eyes, I write to you, as a Christian, being always in Christ is the ONLY way to live. If you really wanted the body to be cured, it will, Jesus not only cured, but also rose the dead.

    The fundamental fabric behind all religions is the acceptance of a higher power and incarnations like Jesus, Krishna are manifestations of those powers which has come to earth, bore a human body and lived with ignorant people like us, to remind us that there is something beyond our day-to-day awareness. They prove that in innumerable ways to remind one of that. Keep strong. I know it is tough. Give everything to Christ everyday, including your body. Hold His hands tightly like a child wants to do, when he is afraid. Depend on Him, put all your faith in Him, be in Him. We didn’t have any awareness of our body before we were born, we won’t have it after we are gone, we are here for a very short period, and this keeps on repeating in this world. You will be well, with the trust in God, have a STRONG WILL to be cured, the power of Will is the power of God.

    Give everything to Him everyday(I know you are doing that), body becomes secondary then, and what you gain is a lot more. (Why carry baggage with you when you have aboarded a train. Leave everything to him, and carry on with your life. As someone else mentioned, don’t forget your medicines, still.

    Cheers and praying for your body to be healed, Hem

  11. Thank you to everyone for their prayers and best wishes. I very much appreciate your support :-)

    Laurens said: It must be awful living in such uncertainty.

    Actually, it’s not. It doesn’t worry me at all. “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.” (Romans 8:28) With a promise like that, who could be worried?

    Hem said: The fundamental fabric behind all religions is the acceptance of a higher power and incarnations like Jesus, Krishna are manifestations of those powers which has come to earth, bore a human body and lived with ignorant people like us, to remind us that there is something beyond our day-to-day awareness.

    Hem, we’ve discussed these issues before – but I feel compelled to point out again that this is not the fundamental fabric behind Christianity. The point of Christianity is not to “accept a higher power”, it’s to find a relationship with a personal God. Jesus is not “a manifestation of that power”, he is God himself. And he didn’t come to “remind us that there is something beyond our day-to-day awareness”, he came to take the punishment for our rebellion against God so that we can have that key relationship I mentioned.

    This is what the Bible says. You could claim that it’s rubbish, but you can’t claim that it’s saying something entirely different, because merely reading the words shows that’s wrong. You can continue to insist that all religions are really the same, but that doesn’t make it true :-)

  12. Hi, Gerv,I will pray for you too.
    I know very well you had gone through,I got same scar than you have (Squamous Carcinoma of Tongue).

    Best wishes man.

  13. The point of Christianity is not to “accept a higher power”, it’s to find a relationship with a personal God. Jesus is not “a manifestation of that power”, he is God himself. And he didn’t come to “remind us that there is something beyond our day-to-day awareness”, he came to take the punishment for our rebellion against God so that we can have that key relationship I mentioned.

    Well stated. I wish you well and will be praying that you will grow stronger day by day in God’s grace and in His Word and that His will be done… as is my prayer for all Christians.

  14. Gerv,

    I have been an active reader of your blog for some time and have enjoyed your stance of faith. I am a believer and am praying for you. Thank you for taking on a humble, yet kingdom mindset.

    Rejoice in the Lord always and again I say rejoice. Do not grow weary in doing good, reach forward to what lies ahead, and press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.

    May God bless you and your family and may the results bring glory to our Father in heaven.

  15. Gerv,

    As a fellow Christian, I pray that God gives you a good outcome and complete recovery from this and other ailments.

    Your faith in Christ has helped to reinvigorate my faith. Jesus’ death and resurrection were as real as the lost of our Trade Center and over 3000 lives not too long ago. His resurrection is a promise of things to come and gives hope for the future. Ten of the 12 original disciples were killed (some very brutally), an 11th died in prison, rather than recant the fact of His death and resurrection. Would Jesus’ closest associates choose to die for a lie — along with thousands of other First Century believers? I do not think so.

    Bob

  16. Chances for Mozilla surviving and thriving in the 21st century actually looked worse in 1998, and we’re doing quite well ;-)

    I’m really praying for you to beat the odds as well as our project does every day. And from the reading of your entry, I’m pretty confident you’ll make your way in a good Christian sense – one way or the other. I really wish everything turns out for you the best way it can.