The treatments start soon.. also Dave Dravecky story..

I don't update this blog nearly enough but find it hard to come up with new stuff to write.  My purpose is really to just get my thoughts down when I feel so led, today is such a day.

Yesterday I came across the story of Dave Dravesky, you can find info on his struggles and battles with the exact disease that I have.  A brief synopsis is that he was a major league pitcher for a brief time, found out that he had the same tumors that I have in his pitching arm.. Same location too, how odd.. He ended up having surgery and going through rehab to only pitch two games before snapping his arm.  The tumors came back and radiation or surgery did not work. His arm was amputated and so was his career.  Google him for more info.. It's really inspirational.

Next week I start my 6 weeks of daily radiation treatments.  This is kind of freaking me out but I know that God is in control and I should not worry.  Easier said than done, it's easy to let it consume me but luckily through my wife, family, friends and God I cope with it pretty well.  The odds are in my favor of keeping my arm but the unknown is just that.  Nothing I can control but it's still tough to not think about it.

Praying for successful radiation treatments but most of all for God's will.  Whatever happens to me, I just hope that I can glorify him with whatever outcome I face.

I appreciate any and all prayers and continue to put my faith in Him.  I hope that my small journey can be of help to someone else that may be facing life struggles.  Lucky for me that I have a great wife that supports and takes great care of me even though I can be a little difficult at times..

Enough ramblings for now.. In Christ I trust!

When it rains, it pours.. Lucky for me God taught me to swim..

In recent weeks, things have not gone so well for me medically.  I had my 4th surgery on 4/22/10 to remove more desmoid tumors from my right upper arm.  These boogers keep coming back so the doctors are trying some more aggressive treatment this time.  Under this is a bit of how life has gone the past 10 days or so since my last entry.

First thing, they were not able to get all of the tumors and cancer cells out without damaging my arm to a potentially, nonfunctional state.  They are hoping the radiation will kill the remaining tumor cells and margins, if not, the news is not optimistic for keeping my arm. Still, it could be worse so I am not giving up.  I could still function with 1 arm if that is His will.  Time will tell.

I will be doing 6 weeks of radiation,  5 days per week starting in a few weeks.  I meet the radiologist next Monday.

To make things worse, I was rushed to the ER this past Thursday night with heart attack symptoms, the most horrendous pain I have ever been in my life, hands down. 

After 3 hours of tests, x-rays, Catscans and ultra sounds they concluded that I needed to have my gall  bladder removed immediately.  I had abnormally large gall stones and an acute infection around the gall bladder.  Surgery took twice as long as expected and I just got home Sat evening.  Brutal pain with the cutting through the abdominal wall in 4 places and I have a drain tube coming from my right side to get rid of the infection.

Hopefully I'll start feeling better soon.  I see the surgeon today that did the gall bladder removal and will know more after that.  Ill be off at least 2 more weeks.  As of this morning I am feeling a little better, each day is an improvement.




I have so much to be thankful for it's not even funny.  I'm going to list just a couple of things that I can't say enough about.


First and foremost, my faith in Jesus Christ as my savior certainly helps me put it all into perspective.  Without my faith in him and a promise of a better tommorw, I'm now sure I would be able to get through it.  This is my real secret to it all, I know that things will get better and that everything I endure is part of a much bigger plan.  "I do all things through Him who gives me strength".  Phil 4:13


My wife is absolutely freaking amazing!!!  She has been absolutely amazing and has shown me such patience and love, I am utterly speechless.  Without her, I honestly, don't know how I'd get through this all either.  God has really blessed and strengthened our marriage through all of these trials too so I can already see one area of purpose for the pain and suffering.  She rarely reads these and may not read them at all but I must say, to her I owe so much.  She is everything to me.


Enough of this for now, I just wanted to update anyone that may be reading this, keeping up.  I'm pretty sure no one reads my blog because Bobbie is the only one that follows it but if that's the case, it's ok.

Thanks for my friends and family that are and have shown support as well.  For all of them, I am truly thankful as well.

By the way, it's a beautiful day today..