What cancer cannot do

Here’s the update: My scans were clear—no evidence of metastases. That’s great news—obviously. I do have a spot on my arm that I’ve been watching that’s likely a met, however. I’ll have it excised in the next month—strictly an office procedure. My oncologist wasn’t too concerned about it, given the much greater threat of something showing up on the PET/CT scan. There’s no need right now to consider systemic therapy, which is a huge relief.

There’s much to reflect on here, but I won’t go into it now. I have several yards of compost to move into my garden today. On my way out of the doctor’s office yesterday I picked up a bookmark with the following verse, which I believe has been around for some time. It packs a punch:

What cancer cannot do

Cancer is so limited:

It cannot cripple love

Shatter hope

Corrode faith

Destroy peace

Kill friendships

Suppress memories

Silence courage

Invade the soul

Steal eternal life, or

Conquer the spirit

I might add that cancer also cannot rob a person of dignity and honor. We are all made in God's image. It is he who bestows worthiness upon us, not the world and certainly not the healthcare system.