Topic: Prayer/Thought Request

[Shadowfleet]

As some of you know from my posts, I have struggled with degenerative disc disease for the past few years. Last year, two discs ruptured into my spinal cord. They had to be removed and I had to have a multi-level fusion which took away a great love - the gift and privilege of flying  in service of the USAF. A few days after the surgery, my father was diagnosed with an aggressive cancer; he passed away within weeks.

I was a little lost, personally and professionally, and wasn't sure what to do. As is the standard, my family, friends, and comrades in arms took care of me and presented me with options to continue using my experience to serve my country and provide for my family - thanks to the success of the surgery and support from loved ones, I had renewed motivation and pride.

Unfortunately (or fortunately as I look at it now), I had a fall in December and had to have some tests over the following months to ensure the fusion was not interrupted. The fusion was okay, but the results found some problems with my thyroid and lymphatic system -- more tests and follow-ups occurred. News appeared to be good, at first, but it recently turned worse. Right about now, I can tell you what a pin cushion feels like    but I most certainly feel very lucky to have excellent physicians watching over me.

Bottom line - There is a chance that I have papillary thyroid cancer and thus, I am scheduled for surgery on 29 April 09. My Mother is a 15+ year survivor of thyroid cancer. So a positive outcome is likely. I'm planning on celebrating that outcome with THE love of my life, my beautiful bride for 20 years, on a cruise in June, the month that will mark my 20th year of service in the USAF.

I am blessed to have the treatment of USAF health care machine, awesome doctors, and the friendship and support of so many people. That combined with the love of my family and guidance of the Lord will carry me through whatever I might face. If I've seemed a little out of pocket lately or over the next few weeks, I wanted you all to know what was going on and ask you to keep my family and I in your prayers and thoughts.

I'll try and put my convalescent leave to good use and finish the rest of the "Shadows of the Federation" mini mod I've been working on for so long

Trek on!
Shadowfleet

[Czar Mohab]

...

I ... ask you to keep my family and I in your prayers and thoughts.

...

Done and done, Shipmate (can't really think of a better word for brother-in-arms at the moment). Done and done.

Czar "Before I forget, thanks for the 20" Mohab

[Rod ONeal]

Praying for all the best for you.

[Tus-XC]

Got my prayers mate

[Kevlar]

Cancer is a vicious disease, cancer treatments (apart surgery) are not particularly better IMHO-  I have tackled cancer twice, in my case, leukemia so actually have some experience on the subject.

Do things that you like (modding games, see movies etc) in this period. Beating cancer starts often in the mind.


 I'll pray. In the ancient language of my ancestors, and supposedly the language of jesus, "anol shalom: flavum"   -wish you to be free [of disease].

[intermech]

You have my prayers.

[Starfox1701]

May you have Clear skys and a strong tail wind for all of your journey

[pepperman]

May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God our Father, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you and your family as you grieve the loss of your father. I also pray that God will bless you with an extra measure of peace and comfort, grant you the strength to carry on and provide you with wisdom in dealing with your own medical concerns.

==========================================

Let me come in where you are weeping, friend,
And let me take your hand.
I, who have known a sorrow such as yours,
Can understand.
Let me come in—I would be very still
Beside you in your grief;
I would not bid you cease your weeping, friend,
Tears bring relief.
Let me come in—I would only breathe a prayer,
And hold your hand,
For I have known a sorrow such as yours,
And understand.
- GRACE NOLL CROWELL

[Fedman NCC-3758]

Got my prayers mate

Ditto.

We will lift your name before the throne of Grace.

[Greenvalv]

Got my prayers mate

Ditto.

We will lift your name before the throne of Grace.

Here here...

[Khalee1]

Well I hope you beat this and get well and hange around the forums for a long time to come.

[Bernard Guignard]

Get well soon

[Atolm-Rising]

I don't pray mate...But I will have you in my thoughts

[Klingon Fanatic]

  Best wishes for a speedy recovery!

Qapla'

KF

[FoaS_XC]

I keep most of you taldrenites in my thoughts, but I will do so more for you now SF.

[Shadowfleet]

Hey everybody!
 
I just got back from my one week checkup after discharge from my thyroidectomy. I feel pretty darn good, nearly pain free and just a little tired. I have mostly good news so thanks for all the prayers and positive thoughts - I believe they are working. Also, thanks for all the posts.
 
I will have a procedure done next week to biopsy the lymph nodes in my chest but it is highly unlikely that their enlargement has anything to do with my thyroid since all lymph nodes surrounding my thyroid appeared perfectly normal. They could be reacting to something I was exposed to over the past year or they could have enlarged and formed scar tissue in reaction to something else I was exposed to in the past and thus stayed large (the pneumonia I had when I was a kid or anthrax vaccine shots... I may never know). It may be something worse. The scans I've had over the past five months have shown them to be stable in size so I'm betting on a positive prognosis.
 
As for the thyroid itself. It's been sliced and diced into a million pieces and I'm sure will be used to train lots of Dr. McCoys in the future.  Apparently I am a medical mystery wrapped in enigma  . Just as the needle biopsy got confusing results, so did the largest tumor in my thyroid - Half the pathologists believe I have papillary carcinoma and half think it was only precancerous signs of papillary carcinoma. So, slides have been sent to another cancer center to be screened by other pathologists to determine if I need radioactive iodine treatment. However, my surgeon told me the abnormal cells were entirely encapsulated in the one nodule and it is unlikely, even if it is papillary carcinoma, that it had begun to spread. In the mean time, I have started to take thyroid medication and should get my energy back and be my feisty old self soon. Bottom line - I'm not completely out of the woods but I've found a pretty good path to walk.
 
I've been working on a few kitbashes that I should be done tweaking by next week. I'll upload them too Battelclinic as soon as I finish them. I've really enjoyed seeing some of the activity at dyna lately - My releases won't be a fraction of the quality that FoaS has in his re-release of the Churchill or Lexington. Nor will they be as creative or original as Atolm's designs. But I had fun with some of WZ's and Pepperman's "legos" and I hope you'll all enjoy them as well.

Thanks again for all the posts, thoughts, and prayers.
Shadowfleet out.

[Atolm-Rising]

Great to hear mate!
I'm glad your doing great

[Rod ONeal]

Great news!!!

[Rogue NineCH]

I just saw this thread and I am glad to hear that you are doing better. Keep us updated please.