If you want something to get your attention early in the morning, try getting a call from your dermatologist saying “Come back in, we’ve found a melanoma on your left arm.” After what I went though 48 years ago with a melanoma, I was instantly awake and calling M.D. Anderson cancer hospital in Houston, Texas. It took 4 days to get my appointment with the head of the melanoma department but I never considered going anywhere else.

After arriving in Houston I drove to the medical center to see if things were as remembered it. I was astounded to see blocks and blocks of medical buildings and the hospital I had my first surgery in 48 years ago was completely gone. I was glad because I remember thinking that building had looked like a giant headstone in a graveyard.

After two days of ultrasounds tests, blood work, x rays, etc I went into surgery that lasted three hours. I have an eight inch scar where they excised flesh. I’m afraid Cameron Diaz won’t make anymore movies with me now. The doctors also took three lymph nodes under my left armpit to determine if the cancer had spread. The doctors confirmed they had removed all of the cancer from my arm but it would take a week to get the biopsy report on the lymph nodes. So, I decided to be optimistic and come back to Vegas after one day rest. I feel reasonable well but awaiting the test results is pretty stressful.

There were thousands of cancer patients in the M.D Anderson Medical Center. I was struck by the attitude and obvious determination of the patients. Even in the more severe cases you could see the resolve to beat this deadly disease. Something like this helps get your priorities straight. Someone caught a two outer at the river against you? Big deal, just be thankful if you have your health.

One pretty neat thing happened in my first examination. A doctor came into the room laughing and said “you came into this hospital almost 50 years ago and had a life expectancy of 3-6 months!” He showed me an old chart from 1962 that said Mr. Brunson’s cancer had disappeared with no explanation. It was a “spontaneous remission”  which we have only seen a few times. That brought back lots of old memories and thank God my “spontaneous remission” happened.

Whoopee! I just got the call from the hospital that the surgery had removed all the cancer from my arm and it hadn’t spread. They said come back in 6 months for a check-up which I’ll certainly do. I ducked one more bullet and I’m grateful again.

Now I have to arrange my poker schedule. I was supposed to play in Poker Stars Big Game but I certainly wasn’t up to it. Now, I am supposed to play the NBC Heads Up Championship the 4th of next month. If I don’t feel good, I’m going to pass on that one also. Winning bracelets and poker tournaments aren’t as important to me as they were a few weeks ago.
Thank you God!

-DB