Six Years Out From Stage III Base of Tongue- Hang Tough!

That weekend was the Pumpkin Fest which I was taking the family to. I did not want to tell my wife, so I kept my secret for another five days.

It's not everybody's belief, but it's mine. I'm still here and I believe it's due to the good Lord. Because I believe at the end of the day, He calls all the shots.

However, there are so many others who played a roll that are special to me. My wife and her family, my children, our church family at that time and those wonderful doctors and nurses.

There's also the Oral Cancer Foundation. People like Eric Statler and Brian R. Hill who are just the tip of the many heroes amongst that group who have impacted the lives of oral cancer patients.

Many people don't know about oral cancer, that it often does not have symptoms until late stage, that a simple screening by an informed dentist can many times detect oral cancer.

I have some serious and not so serious side affects. To wake up each day to the six other faces in my family makes everything worthwhile.

To all my friends I met and knew with oral cancer who are no longer with us. I think of you often. You and your families are in my thoughts. I live for you as much as I do for myself and my family.

There is a saying I have come to love, "cancer did not bring me to my knees, it brought me to my feet"

I'll continue on for as long as I am blessed to be here. I'll live like I've never done and I'll be grateful for every day I have.

I would like to add that last year, September 2016 I went on a feeding tube, most likely for life they tell me.  I don't use it as I should, not on purpose, just trying to give up drinking and eating via mouth is very difficult. 

In the last 6 years I have lived and done things I always wanted to do.  Since I was 16 years old I had a dream of living in Alaska.  I told my wife "if I get well, you know we are moving to Alaska".  Got to alaska 3+ years ago!!!  Having five children (now ages 7-19 - but at my diagnosis they were ages 2-13) I keep busy.  I'm the stay at home dad now and my wife, who was a stay at home mom for 16 years, went back to work 3 years ago.  I worke for 5 years after treatments, but some of the complicagtions got so hairy I truly could not work a regular job (I have good days and bad days so to speak) so I applied for and was granted disablility.  I filled out my own paperwork and fortunately I was granted disability with no rejection or delays (other than the normal 6 month waiting period).

So for those of you going through the worst of it or just starting, just remember this, we do what we have to do.  Take the treatments, fight like heck, say your prayers (if that's for you) and lean on those you can....there is no guarantee of what short or long term side affects one can have, we are all different, but the bottom line is if you are having a good day, go do something with it.  If you are having a bad day, listen to your body and rest, take care of it, do what you need to do to get another good day  

Whispered prayers for any and all of us on this crazy bus ride.

To all my friends on here who I use to chat with and see, I miss you all and pray all of you are doing well.

I included a recent picture of me and my children as well as one from my neck burns during treatments.  I'm 100 pounds lighter (yes, 100lbs) and I have aged in appearance due to treatments, but I wouldn't trade places with anyone   I hunt, trap, split wood by hand, snowmachine and pretty much do anything I want.  We all go from something and if I go from recurrence of cancer or if I get mauled by a bear, it doesn't matter to me anymore because in my mind, I won.