Dear friends and family,

It’s been some time since my last update and honestly these are getting hard to write while staying upbeat. Following my second round of chemotherapy on March 12th, I’ve faced some serious complications that have left me in a difficult position.

Initially, this second round seemed easier than the first as I didn’t experience the mouth sores, nosebleeds, sinus problems or any of the other smaller side-effect I had previously. This is a huge answer to prayer. My hair loss has even stopped recently with even my beard growing again, but only the grey hairs! Ha! However, what followed has been one of the most difficult experiences of my journey so far.

In the early hours of March 17th, I woke at 2:30am with severe abdominal pain. Despite taking anti-cramping medication and strong pain relievers, nothing helped. By 4:30am, I made the decision to drive myself to the ER, in retrospect, not the wisest choice given my condition, but I was desperate for relief.

Upon arrival, my heart rate was around 120 beats per minute due to the intense pain, which I would rate at an 8.5 out of 10. Even after receiving morphine, the pain remained high. With the hospital at full capacity, I spent 16 hours in the ER before being admitted, watching as patients were lined up in hallways due to the overflow.

After numerous tests including an EKG, chest X-ray, and CT scan, doctors discovered my bowel was severely inflamed from the chemotherapy, worse than after my first treatment. With warning signs of possible sepsis, they began IV antibiotics immediately while working to manage my pain.

The situation became more complicated when, after 3.5 days, additional testing revealed I actually had C. Diff meaning I had been receiving the wrong treatment. Once correctly diagnosed, they quickly changed my medication regimen to three different antibiotics administered both intravenously and orally.

Anyone familiar with C. Diff understands the extreme difficulty of managing such an infection, especially when already weakened by cancer and chemotherapy. Simple tasks like showering became monumental challenges. I am deeply grateful for the friends and family who helped me through this time, and for my seven wonderful nurses at Hillcrest who provided exceptional care.

I want to give a shout out to those nurses (and one tech who provided the best comedic relife)  who literally saved my life over those 7 days. They are some of the most amazing people. 

RNs: Mach, Sherry, Cody, Kallyn, Ana, Juliette, Glory and PCT Lauren. If I ever go back to Hillcrest, I will only want to be placed on 4th Floor South so I can be with my people again. 

What I expected to be a shorter 3 day hospital stay extended to seven and a half days. I missed Norah’s birthday and birthday party with her friends as well as other important events. I have now been home for a week, finishing my course of antibiotics, I’m trying to recover while dealing with extreme fatigue from the combined effects of cancer, chemotherapy, infection, medications being a Dad and still working. 

Yesterday brought another layer of complexity after meeting with a colorectal surgeon at UT Southwestern. She expressed serious concerns about proceeding with my third chemotherapy treatment scheduled for tomorrow (April 2). She explained that when on chemotherapy, wounds and infections take two to three times longer to heal, raising concerns about being able to heal properly at all.

Meanwhile, my oncologist is hesitant to stop or pause the chemotherapy unless absolutely necessary. The treatment is working, the tumor is visibly shrinking, and other outward signs of cancer have disappeared after just two rounds. But this effectiveness comes at a serious cost to my overall health.

I now find myself caught between difficult medical options, with my team of doctors conferring about the best path forward. I should receive their recommendation today, but the reality is stark: the chemotherapy that’s killing my cancer is also threatening my life.

This is why I’m reaching out to ask for your prayers more urgently than before. I need prayers for:

  • Direction as we make critical decisions about treatment
  • Healing of both the cancer and the damage from treatment
  • Wisdom for myself and my medical team as we navigate these complex choices

I deeply want to get better, but beyond a miracle, I feel caught in an impossible situation. Your support, thoughts, and prayers mean everything right now as I face these life-threatening complications.

I will update everyone on our decision once it’s made. Thank you for walking alongside me through this difficult journey. I have grand gratitude and hope despite the challenges.

Beau and Norah visiting me. Thanks for bringing them Aunt Jess!
God Bless my family. My Aunt Joan mowing my yard.
After the wind damage blew 180 feet of my fence down, my Dad, Brother, Uncle Greg and Aunt Joan all came together to tear down the damaged fence so the fencing company could replace it for less cost. Thank you guys!