July 2026 Status Update
Misadventures with slow posting time.
I have found that waiting too long to post an article can mean the thing I was about to say is no longer apparently true. I had sent almost an exact version of this status update to the O&H Newsletter, but found—whoops!—that because I took too long, the dire news had actually gotten significantly better.
The short version is, the nodule needs to come out. The good news is, it’s still probably not cancer.
So here’s the long version, starting with the original post.
The Original Dire Beginning to this Post
Cancer.
It’s a word that seems so binary from the outside. Either you physically have a mass inside your body or you don’t. What’s not obvious when actually facing it is sometimes, you just don’t know for certain, even if it’s very likely.
With the latest test results, there is now a 75% chance the nodule on my thyroid actually is cancer. The only way to know for sure is if it keeps growing, or if they take it out and test it. Beyond that, they’ve already done as much testing as they can.
The very good news is that thyroid cancer is one of the least bad forms of cancer. It doesn’t metastasize very fast, and there’s good treatment options available.
The not so great news is that it’s still very likely it’s cancer, a diagnosis in all but name. And the “good treatment” involves removing all or part of the thyroid.
The next step is to see a specialist, and I’ll have more news next month. But right now, it’s just waiting for the next thing. And at this point, I’m inured to waiting for the next thing after the specialist decides what to recommend.
What about other things?
The Less Dire Update
I have since seen the specialist. He thinks it’s still probably not cancer, but because of the various risk factors involved, it’s too dangerous to wait and see if it grows. This means what had started as, well, CANCER has become… appointments. But once it’s over, my life will probably be the same except for possibly needing thyroid hormones for the rest of my life. (And possibly not!)
If I did, it would mean I would change my prepping plans, since a disruption to my medicine supply would eventually kill me. But that would have happened in any case, with my other conditions. So in short, nothing will really change.
So again, what about other things?
Writing
C&D3
After talking with about it with a friend, for the first time in weeks, I’ve started to gain traction again. I had my first writing-session in weeks. God willing, it will start to gel again, soon.
Witch-Queen 2
I’ve been writing about fifteen minutes a day every day. That might not sound like a lot, but over time, it adds up. I’m getting close to finishing the first draft, though it’s not done yet.
WoW
No news since last time.
Refugeverse
I’ve been dreaming about the story again, which is always a good sign. But it may be a long time before I can get started on it again. I just don’t think it’s the right time to work on it.
Transmission
Transmission is at 35k, which is an important milestone, because it means I’m far enough along I’m very likely to complete it. Sometimes when I start a project, it dies earlier, but not so Transmission.
Other projects
I am getting close to launching the short story collection, but I’m hung up on little issues. But it will come soon, and it will have a brand new C&D story in it!
I’ve been working on a variety of other projects, too, including one experiment that I don’t know what will happen with. That I want to keep secret. :)
Newsletters
I did decide to start sending the same update to the two different lists. Otherwise, I haven’t been able to keep up with two newsletters, which brings me to the thing that’s in the O&H Newsletter and not the Substack Newsletter…
Random Unreciprocated Recommendation
I was one of the beta readers for this “anti-LitRPG” as the author calls it. A group of martial artists are isekai’d across time into a world ruled by a demon, where they have to clear a dungeon to escape. But unlike most dungeon crawls, this is written by a soldier, so the forces of humanity use modern tactics to venture through the floors and fight bosses. If it sounds like your thing, go give it a try!
In closing
This has a been rough couple of months. It’s not the worst months of my life—I’ve seen far worse periods and gotten through them. But what I cling more to is not “This is not as bad as it could be” but the true hope I have in Christ.
The hope Jesus offers is not “Things will get better” or even “Your life will eventually be fixed, just wait.” It’s the hope that, despite the worst the world can throw at you, there is still a better world and true, eternal happiness awaiting. There’s no guarantee that following Christ will make this life better, and in some ways it will get worse. But the eternal hope remains that the next one, no matter how screwed up this one gets, will be the ultimate place of final fulfillment of all desires, and joy without end.
To be clear, I am almost certainly not going to die of this nodule, whatever it is. There is a chance, yes, but it’s small. But even if I do die, I will be at peace. And while I am still afraid, I know that in truth, the only real thing to be afraid of is being estranged from God.
For those of you who pray, keep praying. I’m not dead yet!
Matthew.
Thanks for sharing. I am praying for you.