Diagnosis

After I finished posting about the drama with my Dad's surgeries and Kerry's wedding, I realized that I never did write about my Dad's actual diagnosis. That came after the wedding. When my Dad went in for his second surgery to set his bowel right, the surgeon took a biopsy of the nodules on his liver. That was sent for testing in California. It took a week or so to get the results back. We were all very hopeful because the doctors thought the nodules on his liver and lungs looked to be the same as what was removed with his kidney - and that was a contained tumor. But how lucky can we be twice, right? So, my Dad does in fact have cancer. It is called cromaphobe renal cell carcinoma. Basicly he has a rare form of Kidney cancer. Only 5% of those who get kidney cancer get this kind. He is in stage IV, which means that his cancer is not curable nor operable. If the oncologist gave my Dad any kind of time line, he did not share that with the rest of us. The question of time has a lot to do with factors like, how early the cancer was detected, age, and overall health. If you know my Dad, he is about as healthy as a sixty-one year old can be. He doesn't smoke, drink, and he is in excellent shape. All of that will help. Chemotherapy will only prolong my Dad's life and slow the growth of the cancer. BUT, I am choosing to stay positive and remind myself of the priesthood blessings that were given to my Dad. Miracles do happen, that I know for sure!

Thank you to all who have expressed their concern for me and my family during this time. I have such wonderful friends, neighbors and family members. I feel your prayers and know that I have been strengthened by them.