Unbowed, Unbent, Broken - Part II

9/29/17

Yesterday was an incredibly tough day. The morning was filed with Miralax bathroom rushes and an uncertain, worried mind racing in 200 different directions. I was rough and, for someone that usually holds things close to the vest, emotionally draining.

I spent the morning racing to the bathroom fairly certain the testing I was preparing for in the afternoon would reveal stage 4 colon cancer and that I would be overrun with polyps throughout. The doctor would come out and tell me I have very little in the way of treatment options and that weeks/months is what I am looking at.

The answer I received, though still not great, was much more hopeful.

He found 2 small polyps in my colon, 2 small polyps in my rectum, and a large rectal mass. Once again, the rectal mass has passed through the colon wall and moved into the liver (bad, bad news), but rectal cancer is more treatable than colon cancer.

Biopsies have been taken and sent to the lab. I should have results back next week hopefully confirming rectal, not colon, cancer.

I have not spoken with an oncologist yet, but setting that up is what today is all about.

I will have many more answers coming as we learn more about my specific cancer.

Sharon and I will have options and many hard choices to make.

Most importantly, for the 1st time in a week, I have hope to see my sons finish growing into adulthood and becoming fine men following the path God has for them in their lives.

Is it too much to hope for the opportunity to hold and love grandchildren some day? I hope not! Imagining life cut short of that is more than I can process right now.

So here I am, standing in the storm of my life. The wind is blowing. Lightning is crashing all around me. The trees are swaying and there are branches falling. There are shingles flying as hail batters all around me.

But I dare to hope. I am defiant in the storm. Head up. Mind clear. Standing. My body may be breaking, but my spirit will not be crushed by cancer.

Unbowed and Unbent to cancer.

Broken and hopeful in the arms of Jesus.

UNBOWED, UNBENT, BROKEN

Thadd