Last year at this time.....

I was an emotional wreck.  My wife and I had just been told by my kidney doctor that I had a mass on the lower pole of my right kidney that appeared to be cancer.  He told us that he'd make an appointment request with our local Urologist for follow-up and to expect a call from them in the next week or two.  I was devastated.  No warnings--I felt great, was training for a half marathon and, by all appearances, was a 47-year-old healthy male.  I just couldn't sit around and wait for the phone to ring from the local hospital, so I sent an electronic appointment request to the Mayo Clinic.  The next business day Mayo called and set up an appointment for me.  Within a week I was at Mayo completing a series of scans and met with Dr. Chow and members of his team later in the afternoon.  He reviewed the scans with us and confirmed that it appeared to be cancer.  He told me that we needed to schedule surgery and went into detail about the procedure.  Dr. Chow and his team were compassionate and professional--answering all our questions.  My wife and I walked in to his office full of fear and uncertainty about our future.  We left with renewed hope and a strong sense of optimism.  In a few weeks I'll hit the official 1-year anniversary of my surgery.  What a year it’s been.

I've learned to celebrate life--take nothing for granted.  I'm better at showing my love and appreciation for family and friends.  We've taken trips, not put things off, and started planning for the future again.  I've celebrated birthdays, weddings, our daughter’s high school graduation (she was valedictorian), and most recently our 24th wedding anniversary.  I've grown in my faith and now put my trust in God.  Scan time is still unsettling, but I understand the importance of it.  So far, I'm NED with two scans under my belt.  

I'll be honest; you all are such an important part of my journey.  I can't tell you how important you are to me.  I check in almost daily and chime in to a few posts.  Without you and your support, encouragement, and compassion, I'm not sure how this year would have gone--especially those first few months.  Thank you so much for all you do!

Blessings,

Stub