TIM’S FIGHT WITH CANCER, PART IV
Posted by Tim Bryce on March 15, 2022
BRYCE ON LIFE
– My concluding entry.
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* In PART I – I discussed learning of my liver cancer and what went through my mind.
* In PART II – I described the first phase of my treatment.
* In PART III – I discussed the second round which was a turning point for me.
Now, in PART IV, I want to conclude the series and discuss where I stand and what I have learned.
As many of you know, I have been on a roller-coaster ride with my liver since last October; today marks six months which may not sound very long for treating cancer but it seemed like an eternity to me. I am not fully cured, but I have made remarkable progress. I underwent two procedures to kill two sizeable tumors, then began Immunotherapy representing a monthly drip to cause my immune system to attack the micro-tumors in the liver. I have taken several such treatments already this year. The fact is, I may never be 100% cured of cancer but things are shaping up nicely. However, I’ll likely have to monitor it for the rest of my life.
My last operation was in January and I’ve been undergoing the Immunotherapy ever since. In late February, I underwent a CTscan to check on my progress. The doctor’s office called and left a Voice Mail message informing me the results were good, but little else about my condition. I ended up playing “phone tag” with the doctor, but we never hooked up. I was beginning to worry about this, but assumed if the CTscan was bad, I would have received an urgent call from the doctor. Fortunately, I was right.
Finally, on March 10th, I sat down with the doctor and reviewed the results. First, he claimed I made great progress and I am actually getting better, but I still had a way to go on my road to recovery.
“Think of it this way Tim,” he said, “Your liver was in a boxing match and got pretty beat up. It is now on the mend, but it still needs some time to heal before it climbs back into the ring.”
For all intents and purposes, my two tumors are dead and the Immunotherapy has done its job in terms of arresting the micro-tumors. The CTscan showed some lesions on the liver from the operations, but the doctors were impressed on how well I responded to the treatment. As I said, I am certainly not cured, but I have made significant progress and hopefully, later this year, I can stop my monthly Immunotherapy drip.
Although this was all good news, the one tidbit that caught my attention was that I was now allowed an occasional glass of Scotch, something I haven’t tasted in six months. Oh-la-la!
Because of my condition, this will be my last installment on this subject unless something Earth-shattering occurs. So, what did I learn from this? Am I any wiser? I would like to believe so. Here is what I learned:
LESSONS LEARNED
* Be sure to attend your primary care physician appointments and take pertinent tests. As for me, routine blood tests detected my problem. Fortunately, we caught it early.
* Take nothing for granted; life is precious and we should enjoy every day.
* Make sure your estate paperwork is in order. When was the last time you checked it? In my case, it was thirty years ago.
* Maintain a positive attitude. Now is not the time for depression or resignation. Contact your doctor if you have such negative feelings. I went into this mentally preparing myself like I did when I was a young man playing football, with determination and “stug” (as my old football coach said, “That’s guts spelled backwards.”) We used it as a code-word.
* Surround yourself with good people who can offer sound advice. I was fortunate to have two retired doctors who coached me accordingly. The support from my family and close friends was also invaluable. I was also fortunate to have a good medical team on my side, people I literally trusted with my life.
* Listen to your body and allow it to heal. The two procedures I underwent took the wind out of my sails. I would try to do some simple chores, but my body said, “No, you’re going to sit down and rest!” Fortunately, I acquiesced.
* Prayer works – I experienced an avalanche of messages and e-mails from people all over the world praying for my recovery. This inspired me greatly. With so many pulling for you, it can motivate just about anyone. However, you must first believe!
Actually, I feel rather lucky. Sure, I wish I hadn’t gotten sick in the first place, but to turn things around in six months is not too bad. In hindsight, having been a full-time caregiver for my wife and mother over five years was rather exhausting. When the last one passed, I think my body succumbed to the pressure and I slept hard afterwards. It was during this time when I believe the cancer took root. The point is, even though I took care of them, I wasn’t taking care of myself. As we get older, it is necessary for us to pace ourselves and know our limitations.
Finally, God bless all of you fighting this horrible disease, and all of you who support them.
Keep the Faith!
P.S. – For a listing of my books, click HERE.
Note: All trademarks both marked and unmarked belong to their respective companies.
Tim Bryce is an author, freelance writer and the Managing Director of M&JB Investment Company (M&JB) of Palm Harbor, Florida and has over 40 years of experience in the management consulting field. He can be reached at timb1557@gmail.com
For Tim’s columns, see: timbryce.com
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Copyright © 2022 by Tim Bryce. All rights reserved.
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THE BRYCE IS RIGHT! 
xeriscapelady@yahoo.com said
God bless you that you are doing so well. The part you said about listen to your body is ABSOLUTELY RIGHT. I had a friend who had surgery and was told not to do anything but rest for a month. He got up and went out to clean his pool 2 weeks later as he had always been a workaholic. I had just told him day before, do not do chores around your home. Hire it, you need to rest. But he did not listen and knelled over dead on the concrete. I don’t know if anything could be done to save him as when I called and called for 2 days ( he is 23 miles away and I don’t drive as much as I used to. I finally called the police to do a wellness check and they found him dead. It broke my heart. he was one of the kindest, sweetest, people I have ever known. GONE. And he had just inherited from his father, over $3milion, and had gone to Kentucky to get his home in order to sell ( down from Mitch McConnell’s home, so it would bring at least $1 million). Hed never lived to get it sold. All that money he inherited, and useless to him…sad. Now some relative he hated will get all of that, as he did not have a live relative he cared about. He had never even updated his will, still had his late wife on it. The only thing he updated was to add me as his health care person. The Dr’s offices would call me about things when he went in for surgery emergency, etc.. I told him to get his papers in order the year before, like I was doing and he didn’t think that was important as his Dad lived to be 93 yrs, so somehow he assumed he would, even though his Mom, brother and sister had died at a young age. he is gone, but I know he is in heaven, as he loved Jesus. But I will so miss him. He breaks my heart when I think of his smiling face…gone. When I send things out, there is his email coming up all the time, and I can’t help but have ears come t my eyes. So I am always glad when a good person is doing well, following what they know they should do, listening to their body. Keep up the good work of that Tim, and hopefully you will have a long life. I know of many who have had serious problems but took very good care of themselves, ate right, and lived a long life that they were told would not even happen. Stay well, and lets hope nothing comes up again, but you fighting it. Hopefully just how well you are doing.Adel
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Derryl said
God bless you and let me know if I can help in anyway!
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Lawrence Marlin said
Good luck Tim. I do pray for you each night. You are a good friend and I appreciate your usual honesty on this subject and others. I will take your advice on what to do about health.
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Tim Bryce said
An H.N. of East Lake, Florida wrote…
“So glad to read how well you are recovering from your cancer. I am so happy for you and my prayers continue to be with you Tim.”
A C.H. of Palm Harbor, Florida wrote…
“Awesome news!!!”
A D.E. of Jupiter, Florida wrote…
“Good news, sip slowly to make it last and we all will keep you in our prayers for continued good news reports.”
An L.B. of Palm Harbor, Florida wrote…
“God Bless you Tim. And keep the faith. Prayer is powerful.”
An S.E. of Albertville, Minnesota wrote…
“Keep the Faith my Friend.”
An M.B. of Palm Harbor, Florida wrote…
“Great news Tim !! From a medical perspective and clarify this with your doctor friends. Let’s hear it for Big Pharma !! Immunotherapy is wonderful treatment. Keep up the positive attitude and the glass of scotch!”
An N.F. of Spring Hill, Florida wrote…
“Great job buddy!!! Keep up the strive forward! We are all here for ya!!!”
An R.W. of Clearwater, Florida wrote…
“Nice end to a scary year! Happy for you!”
A C.T. of Palm Harbor, Florida wrote…
“Beautiful! I loved reading your story and really love your positive attitude! God Bless!”
A P.W. of Dunedin, Florida wrote…
“Keep up your faith!”
An S.M. of Seminole, Florida wrote…
“God bless you!!!”
A J.H. of New Port Richey, Florida wrote…
“Healing in JESUS, name!”
An S.B. of Palm Harbor, Florida wrote…
“You definitely have stug!”
An M.W. of Palm Harbor, Florida wrote…
“Wonderful news Tim!”
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zeroto60 said
Loved this one, especially the learnings!
*Kelly (Bryce) Craven*
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https://andwhatajournjeyitsbeen.blogspot.com said
So good to hear Tim! (sorry about the scotch 😂)
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Susan Morgan said
Oh Tim, I am so pleased to read your latest news! I agree that prayer does work, and just knowing that people care about you is inspiring and humbling. Thanks you for your transparency, it’s one of my favorite things about you. And…..save that scotch for our reunion in May!
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Tim Bryce said
A P.E. in Tampa, Florida wrote…
“GREAT news! Thanks for the update; had been wondering about how you were doing.”
A T.P. of Oldsmar wrote…
“Good news! Onward!”
An A.L. of Palm Harbor, Florida wrote…
“Glad you’re doing better Tim. Blessings to you.”
A J.D. of Hancock, Michigan wrote…
“Thanks for the update and your thoughts on the experience.”
An S.S. of Palm Harbor, Florida wrote…
“Glad you are doing well!”
A C.M-C. of Beverly Hills, Florida wrote…
“I am so proud of you. You did it. Feel good about yourself. Keep up that blood work as the test tells everything going on inside your body.”
A C.F. of Tampa, Florida wrote…
“God Bless You!”
A J.B. of New Port Richey wrote…
“Great news Tim!”
A B.H. of New Port Richey, Florida wrote…
“Tim this is Awesome news …..hang in there my friend you inspire all of us….God Bless you!”
An L.F. of Palm Harbor, Florida wrote…
“So happy to hear this Tim.”
An A.L-T. of Cincinnati, Ohio wrote…
“Thanks for the update Tim. There are a lot of words of wisdom in your article. I’ll keep you in my prayers.”
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Tim Bryce said
A J.D. of Colorado wrote…
“Tim,
Very glad to hear your cancer is retreating. At this stage in life we don’t declare victory but rather stay vigilant in the battle against diseases. Your article was well written and it sounds like mentally and physically you are in a good place. Thanks for forwarding. Most of us seniors have some sort of chronic condition, or conditions, that we must always be cognizant of. I have been treated for kidney disease for the last five years. Once a month I pee in a bottle, they draw blood, and I see my doctor. Next week I start a drip procedure because my current medication hasn’t been keeping my numbers in check. Us old people start to realize life is very precious and we can’t be as carefree as we once were. While I haven’t had to give up beer, I will always be on a low sodium diet which means many foods are a no no. “
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