The Fight Begins!

All hooked up and sipping on his Ensure

Dad starts chemo and radiation today. The treatments will last all day. Dad began his chemo treatment today at 7 am. The chemo takes about 4 hours today, and then they will hook dad up to a pump which continues to pump a different chemo into him for the next 96 hours. He has one more treatment like this in 4 weeks. The radiation today takes a total of 30 minutes. There is more setup today. After this, for the next 6 weeks, it takes 10 minutes. He is all set to kick cancer's booty!

Dad has been checking email on his phone, and mom and Gretchen have shown him all of your Facebook comments and likes. The outpouring of love, faith, and support keep that million dollar smile on his face.

Message from Dad:
On 30 Dec 2013, I was diagnosed with stage III esophageal cancer. My wife and I decided immediately we would not keep this a secret and started letting people know--best decision we ever made. We met the Pastor at the Church and prayer support also started immediately. It just happened that at the Church at the time were a great group of people who prayed with me and laid on hands to heal. Our Church has been fantastic. The sermon at Church yesterday was on the power of Great Love, the kind of love God has for all of us. At the end of the sermon, I knew how to describe our Church. It is a Church of Great Love and their support is tremendous. My wife and daughters also started letting friends know through the Internet. Again, the outpouring of Great Love has been tremendous. God's love, peace, and strength and the support of our amazing friends has helped us to never doubt we would beat this. I am writing this as I sit receiving my initial chemo treatment. I am glad for all the advances in medicine and am not discounting this in the least, but it is the Great Love of God, Church, family, and friends which will sustain us through this and which has a healing power greater than any other. We cannot begin to express how much the love of God, Church, family, and friends means to us. We love you all and thank you.

Deuteronomy 31:6 “ …Be strong and courageous. Do not fear or be in dread of them, for it is the Lord your God who goes with you. He will not leave you or forsake you.”