“The good news is, it’s curable.”
But that’s about the only good news I’ve received in the past two and a half weeks.
A little more than a month ago, I started having pain in my throat and trouble swallowing. After a bunch of tests, I got a “gut punch” late last week. There’s no easy way to share this …
I have a rare, advanced, and aggressive form of cancer at the base of my tongue and in the two lymph nodes on either side of my neck. It is one of the only cancers of the head and neck that is curable at this advanced stage. The only other good news is that it does NOT appear to have spread outside my neck region.
Last week, I met with the team at the UT Health Northeast MD Anderson Cancer Center here in Tyler. (GREAT people!) They have developed a treatment plan for me here. But that plan carries the potential for some serious side effects, including the risk of permanent damage to my voice. For a guy who’s made the bulk of his living talking into microphones for the past 30-plus years, that’s scary.
So, within the next few days, I will be traveling to Houston to meet with doctors at the MD Anderson Cancer Center’s Head and Neck Cancer Clinic. My hope and prayer is that some of the specialized treatments they offer will be able to kill my cancer while protecting my voice, (as well as my ability to taste and produce saliva).
Two things I want you to know:
First, I am NOT going to turn my social media accounts into 24/7 “Jeff’s got cancer” channels. Cancer is now a part of my life and will be for the rest of my life. But I don’t intend to let it consume my life, or my online activity. I’ll post to social media again when I’ve finished my treatment, unless something really big happens before then. So, If you want to keep up with my progress, let me know. I’ll have updates in another venue.
Second, I also have no intention of losing my “unique” sense of humor. I’ve named my tumor “FRED” which is an acronym for “Foreign Radical Eventually Destroyed,” because that’s what’s going to happen. FRED IS going to be destroyed! I AM going to be cancer-free! But between now and when that happens, I’m going to tease, taunt, and bully FRED mercilessly. (Feel free to join in!)
Note: I renamed FRED as Feeble Radiation-Eating Disease, both because it’s easier to remember and because I like making fun of FRED by calling him “feeble,” because he is … at least compared to God.
If you’re asking yourself, “What can I do?” please know that right now, more than anything else, my wife and daughter and I need your prayers. Please ask God to intervene in this situation in the way that he knows is best. I’m not asking to be miraculously healed, UNLESS that’s what will bring him the most glory. I do, very selfishly, want to protect my voice, my ability to taste, and my salivary glands. In addition to the selfish reasons, though, I want my voice protected so that I can shout from the rooftops how my God not only saved my soul, but also killed my cancer and, in the process, protected my ability to tell people about him!
After we find out where I’ll be treated, we’ll know more about real, tangible needs. We know we’re going to have them. And I know that I’m going to have to learn to humble myself to not only ask for, but also receive help. Many of you have already offered and some have already acted. Please know your love and kindness are appreciated more than I can ever explain!
The next three months are going to be uncomfortable and unpleasant for my wife and daughter. I appreciate my doctors’ honesty, telling me that the next 60-90 days are going to be “hell on earth” for me. But, when it’s all over, we will be stronger, our friendships will be stronger, our faith will be stronger, and our God WILL be glorified!
Now … Let’s Kill FRED!