When God & cancer meet-Dave's story

On 11/15/07 I woke up like any other day. It was payday so I went to go run some usual payday errands. I had got a CAT Scan done the previous day due to having reoccurring headaches for almost a month. I didn't think to much of it. I figured I would just go back to the doctor and he would tell me that my blood pressure had increased. But oh no, When I got home there was a message from my doctor and also his nurse telling me to call back ASAP. That terrified me, I had never really been sick besides a flu or cold here and there.


So I called and he said there was something strange on my scan and he was sending me for a MRI. He told me to go down to get the test right then and he would call me by the end of the day with the result. Of course he left the office afterwards and I did not hear from him until I called the next morning. He sent me to a neurosurgeon in Chico, Ca. I went there the following Monday. My doctor there sent me for another MRI that would tell him more specifically what it was in my head. He had me come back in a few days. So I waited anxiously to find out what it was. I couldn't remember ever having a old injury which they thought was a possibility. Then I came back and he told me that it was a tumor. I thought I was going to faint, my wife and step mom were there with me. They later told me, I turned white as a ghost, and my wife had to grab me from falling. At the end of the appointment the doctor asked what we want to do. He gave us two options; 1 take it out or 2 wait and come back in 90 days. I asked him what he recommended and he said to get it out. So me and my wife decided to get it done on 12/18/07.

That was about 3 weeks away. We did it then because she had a business trip in 2 weeks that was already paid for. It was a important trip. Also, I would get to be home for Christmas, and she would be home the next 2 weeks to take care of me. It was a nerve wracking wait. Then the day finally came. We left around 6 A.M. because I had yet another MRI before my surgery. I went in the hospital with strips all over my head. I remember going in the pre-op room and asking the anesthesiologist if the medicine he was giving me was the stuff to put me out. And he said no. Thats all I remember.

Next thing I know I was talking to a guy who had a knee surgery. I was told I was cracking jokes. My surgery started at 10 am and I was out of recovery at 1pm. I went to the ICU for the first night and they had me on a liquid diet, and I was hungry. My doctor came in that night checking on me and said are you hungry. I said yeah. He told the nurse to get me a sandwich. I thought I knew I came to him for a reason. I had tubes all over my body. It sucked. This is the first time EVER I was in the hospital. Except, having my boys, but that was fun (for me at least).

I moved down to the main floor the next morning and they wanted me to shower first. My head had been bandaged, and there was 27 pretty stainless steel staples in my head. I got in the shower and could not touch my head without shaking. It was horrible. My youngest son was scared to come by me at first. I called myself Zipper Head. I went home the next evening.

My surgery was on Tuesday and my tumor was sent to the University of San Francisco. My doctor said he would have the results Thursday or Friday. I waited until 5 o'clock Friday and finally called. They had not got the results. This sucked. I would have to wait the weekend and Monday and Tuesday because the Christmas Holiday. It made for a long Christmas, but we still stuck to our regular hectic schedule.

Finally, Wednesday came and first off the doctor told me it was cancer (olgendroglioma stage II). Then I got my staples out. That part I liked. He referred me to University of San Francisco to a brain oncologist. I went to my first visit 1/23/08 and the doctor there told me the last MRI my surgery area was not healed up enough to see if any of the tumor was left. He told me to come back in a month and get a MRI there and then see the doctor again. I made my appointment for 3/5/08. I am going on a cruise to Mexico on 2/25/08. Thats where I am at. I will add more when I get more.

I am now off the Temodar after a long 1 year cycle. I am divorcing but life is looking good and I feel good. I am going in every 3 months for a MRI to make sure there is no changes. I continue to pray daily for complete healing for myself as well as all infected by this ugly disease. God Bless, Dave = Team God Heals Cancer