Stage Four

Well, most of the test results are back.

David had his PET/CT late last week, and today he had his bone marrow biopsy and port placement. Things are moving quickly, and we're starting to get a much clearer picture of what we're dealing with.

I'm incredibly grateful that someone from our tribe was able to come with us to the appointment. Having another person there meant David and I could focus on listening to the doctor and supporting each other instead of worrying about remembering every detail and writing everything down.

The oncologist showed us David's PET/CT scan and explained what they were seeing.

There was activity in four areas:

• Abdomen — where the original biopsy was performed

• Neck — where David had noticed a lump

• Near the lungs — a small area of activity

• Near the spleen — another small area of activity

There also appeared to be something showing in the area of his backbone. Thankfully, the bone marrow biopsy came back clean.

The doctors are doing additional testing on the original biopsy to determine the specific type of lymphoma David has. That information is important because it will determine exactly which chemotherapy treatment they use.

We were told there are two possible approaches.

The first is an outpatient treatment. David would spend a day receiving chemotherapy through an IV and then have approximately three weeks before his next treatment. This would happen six times.

The second option is an inpatient treatment. He would check into the hospital on Monday and stay until late Friday while receiving a very slow IV chemotherapy treatment. He would then have.approximately two weeks to recover before the next round. This would also happen six times.

Which treatment approach they choose will depend on the specific type of lymphoma they identify.

And then came the part we desperately needed to hear.

Dr. Buroker is very optimistic.

He told us that although David has stage 4 large B-cell lymphoma, this is very different from what people often think of when they hear the words “stage 4 cancer.” Lymphoma is a blood cancer, and its staging and treatment are different from many solid-tumor cancers.

Most importantly, Dr. Buroker feels very confident that David's cancer is curable.

That word—curable—is one we're going to hold onto.

Of course, chemotherapy comes with its own list of potential side effects. Fatigue, nausea, numbness or tingling in the fingers and toes, hair loss, and loss of appetite are among the things we may encounter.

But we're not there yet.

Right now, we're waiting for the additional testing to tell us exactly what type of lymphoma we're dealing with and which treatment plan will be best for David.

And I'll be honest...

This is moving really fast.

David is overwhelmed by how quickly everything is happening.

So am I.

One minute we're waiting for answers, and the next we're talking about chemotherapy schedules, hospital stays, ports, side effects, and treatment plans.

There are still so many unknowns.But there is one thing I know for certain.

We have each other.

We've been through some pretty unbelievable things together already, and we're not about to stop now.

David will fight.

I'll fight right alongside him.

And together, we're going to beat this.

Tuesday

September 22, 2026

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