NEWS AND RAMBLINS

Yes its been a while since my last post.

So here's the news, recovery went well from my surgery and was preparing to take several more chemo treatments when my incision from my surgery developed a hole, not a big one but it was still a hole in my belly. The doctors here in Odessa decided not to start chemo until that healed all the way, well that took a while. Finally it healed enough that the surgeon here would put another port-cath in my chest and I get to start my chemo Monday.

The bad part is my last c t scan at M.D.Anderson showed another spot on my liver, it is a small one only the size of a Lima bean and the doc there said if he's not happy with the shrinkage the chemo causes then this one would be fairly easy to cut out, at least easier than my last time.

Thank all for your prayers

Hello everyone, I'm back from Houston and the surgery went well. I had the surgery on December 8, 2008 and was supposed to spend a week in the hospital and be released that didn't happen. I had an infection hiding behind my portacath and once my surgery was done my immune system wasn't strong enough to fight it off. The wife says they nearly lost me twice because of that. But that's why we went to M.D.Anderson, they are the best at this sort of surgery and they removed the portacath and the infection and here I am. I was finally released on December 17 to go home. Then on January 7, 2009 went back for check up, doctors were very happy with my progress and said I was healing well, they also recommended about three more chemo treatments . Once this is done my survival chances are at about 65% that the cancer will not come back. That's not to bad if you consider the first doctor only gave me 18 months.

Thank you all for your prayers, may GOD bless your lives more than you can imagine.

Surgery to come

This will be my pre surgery thoughts and wishes, to have GOD guide the surgeons hand to give my family strength while they wait to see if all is well and to show the strength that my faith has given me in this time of trial.

I've always considered life as a test, just a test to show how much each person has grown in their personel relationship with GOD. Yes bad things happen to Christians just like they happen to any one else, the difference is how you let it affect you and those around you . I've said this illness was just a tool to use in witnessing and I need to treat it as such. I have been able to talk about GOD and his mercies and the many wonders he has seen fit to allow me to see, I have been allowed to witness about GOD to the toughest people a man like me could witness to,family the people who have seen all my mistakes and know me like no other , the people who watched me in my sin full youth.

LIVE LIFE LIKE YOU WERE GOING TO DIE TOMORROW AND MEET GOD.

Yes I'm very afraid of this Monday and what it has in store for me the surgery, the recovery, the waiting for the biopsy . But GOD has given me a strange kind of peace which will be hard to explain so I will not try, all I can do is trust GOD. His will be done.

New News

Here we are back from M.D.Anderson cancer center and here's the word from the doctor.

The plan is to gain strenght and not take any more chemo , and eat right of course so that my system can stand the surgery. I'm supposed to go back to Houston December 5th for lab work, an ekg, and talks with doctor and anesthesiologist about what to expect.

In the meantime I will be talking with all the accounting departments about what I already owe and of course what I will owe and trying to find all available funding I might be eligible for to help pay for this.

I think they already have so much invested in me that they have to keep me alive just for a slight chance of them ever getting paid. I just thought I was in debt....wait till I get this bill.

Until then I plan on riding my motorcycle on every nice day, playing with these three gran kids, and giving Brenda all the trouble she can stand....now that sounds like fun.

Please continue to pray for me and I will continue to pray for you.

Just Tired

Just finished my 19th chemo treatment and I'm sure eveyone has heard the expression "I'm sick and tired of being sick and tired". Believe me I feel that way. On november 3 I have more test at M.D.Anderson cancer center in Houston and then on the 5th the doctors will give me results and discuss surgery to try and remove the infected parts of my liver, sounds like fun don't it!! I must admit the idea of getting cut on was not high on my list of things to have done, however these treatments keep getting worse. They make me sicker while I'm on them and it takes longer to recover. At first a couple of days and I would be allright now it takes almost two weeks before the effects wear off. So maybe surgery is'nt such a bad idea after all.

I still believe GOD can and will take care of me and strenghten my family for whatever he has planned for me. I still believe that this is just a way for me to wittness about GOD's love and to show the faith that I have placed in his hands for so many years now.

Thanks to all who have prayed for me , may GOD's blessings pour forth on you all.

People I've Met

So most of you know I'm fighting the cancer thing again, and not looking forward to it. However I have some new insights to share with everyone. I was reading this book at the cancer center about other cancer patients about how some of them think its so unfair that they came down with cancer at this time in their lives. One man was in his eighty's another in her thirty's and another still a teenager. Then I looked around the center and saw many different age groups represented and came to the conclusion that there isn't a time in any life when its fair.

I've lived a very interesting life and I've seen some sights , I've been around and been to a lot of places and met some strange and wonderful people. Yes you could say I've had a full life. I haven't always been the best kind of person some one would want to meet and there are things in my past I wish I had never done. I have so many people I should probably apologize to there just may not be time.

So here it is... always live your life like you were gonna die next week.

We need to live our lives to the best of our ability's, always do the right thing, be kind to all people, never do anything to any one you woundn't want done to you. Yes I know if you would just follow a few simple guidelines set down in a little book called the Bible we could all be better off, if I had only known this earlier in my life. There are a lot of people who would be better off because I would have treated them better. I may never have the chance to say I'm sorry to all of them, but I am.

I know that GOD has forgiven me for my sins I just have a hard time forgiving myself.

ROUND 2

Went in for a checkup and have doctor give me last results of MRI and recieved some bad news. That durn cancer is back, so now we get to start another round of chemotherapy and you all know how much I enjoy that.

So believe it or not its not that big of a deal because I'm not afraid of death just unhappy about having to leave and not see my grankids get big, you know what I mean.

I still believe GOD has a plan for me and will never give me more than I can handel and he will always be there for me. For those who read this blog I hope with all my heart that you have a relationship with GOD and I pray you will not have to go through a experience like mine.

Maybe my witness is to show someone the peace that GOD can give anyone even if the doctors tell him he's gonna die. Not anytime soon, I'm still going for the treatments and whatever else the doctors recomend, but I'm keeping my faith in GOD knowing that if it comes to that I am ready......are you !!