Hurdle (mostly) cleared

This is being written in haste, so I'll likely go back and polish it later.
In a nutshell, the consultation went as good as I could hope for. The surgeon agreed with me that my four surgeries in the past four years were proving more problematic than the cancer, especially considering that each procedure was unsuccessful.
He said that as medical science stands now, there's little hope for a surgical cure for my parathyroid cancer. Instead, hope rests in the development of medications to control its symptoms, and the use of existing drugs, such as the one I'm taking, to do the job until better ones are available.
He added that surgery would be a likelihood in the future. Whether it's in a few months or a few years is the question. Though surgery likely won't result in a cure, it will buy time, and thus it must be included in any approach to this disease, at least in my case.
As he put it, it's not living with cancer that's the problem -- it's dying of it. And I have some of the greatest medical and surgical minds in the world -- in the world -- working on my behalf.
I have no right to ask for any more than that, especially when there are so many people on the planet who can't get even a simple infection properly treated.
The doctor -- who really set me at ease with his calm, straightforward demeanor and no-nonsense talk -- said he doesn't think I'll die anytime soon. But, I'll have to face a lifetime of surgeries and a side career as a human pincushion, what with all the tests, for the rest of my days.
After the consultation, I went to my "home" hospital, the one where, "Cheers"-like, everyone knows my name, for a blood test to check on my serum calcium level. If it is elevated, then the dosage of oral medication I'm taking will likely be increased and the prospect of adding an intravenous drug to the mix becomes that much closer to reality. I'll find out Monday. How I hate needles!
But, I'm alive, I'm in excellent physical shape, I have a will to live, and I am grateful for all my many, many blessings -- especially that of having people concerned for my well-being.
Thank you all for your support! Now, on to other topics...