It's been two and a half years since I was first diagnosed with cancer. What began as a one-year journey, later turned into a two-year journey, and now who knows how long the treatment process will take? I am now facing the biggest decision of my life, as I decide whether or not to pursue a very complex surgical procedure in Seattle.
* August 1, 2012 - Diagnosed with stage three cancer.
Numerous surgical procedures, radiation therapy, and chemotherapy.
* January, 2014 - Unofficially declared cancer free, as all cancer treatment comes to an end.
* May 13, 2014 - Diagnosed with stage four cancer, when a routine CT scan reveals a tennis ball size tumor in the pelvic region. Chemotherapy resumes.
* April (?), 2015 - Surgery to remove the tumor at University of Washington Medical Center.
I don't intend to present myself as a martyr, but I am experiencing many difficulties that most people with cancer never experience. For one thing, the upcoming surgical procedure is so challenging, that no doctor/hospital in Oregon is willing to perform it. The twelve-hour procedure will involve three different surgeons, and there is a "100 percent chance" of complications after the surgery.
I hope to be able to post future updates on my medical recovery, but for now, this chronology will have to suffice in case I don't get around to posting future updates.
Monte Muirhead
P.O. Box 401
Oakland, OR 97462
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