My brother has terminal cancer

[snuffy]

We just got confirmation of what we had suspected for several months. My brother Tom has bone cancer. Not just one tumor, but wide spread throughout his ribcage and upper pelvis. Doc has given him about 2 months.

This is NOT the first time. He survived testicular cancer about 30 years ago.

About 6 months back he had twisted bowel syndrome. No clear cause, but the small intestine got cut off from it's blood supply and he lost more than 50% of it. He got over it pretty quickly, but couldn't gain weight. Then it recurred, scar tissue had grown around it this time. He was experiencing the bad pain in his ribcage, the doctor ordered a PET scan. Said he lit up like a Christmas tree! A biopsy of a site that showed strongest revealed the bone cancer.

There's little that can be done as far as therapy. Beamed radiation needs a concentrated target. Because it's so wide spread, it would be impossible to do, and it would only stall the inevitable. Chemo would be bad for him because he lost so much weight. Any treatment would only have a 1 in 3 chance of remission.

Tom will be 75 on 06-06. I'm the baby of 4 boys, 66. My oldest brother is 81, he's still doing well. Next oldest will be 77 in Nov.

Please pray for Tom, his/my family, and his friends. That they may be able to cope with this. We're Christians, so his grace will suffice!

[41 mag fan]

I'm sorry to hear that...I pray God will take him peacefully, if tats His will

[LUCKYDAWG13]

they are sent

[Lloyd Smale]

prayers will be said for him

[puddledog]

Prayers sent .

[waynem34]

Sounds like a very strong guy.Never know.He may still have alittle left.May he be happy while he is here.Salut Prayers sent.

[reloader28]

You have my sincere prayers.

Its tough. We lost my younger brother to bone cancer 1 month before his 21st birthday. We were best friends.
Theres still not hardly a day goes by that I dont think of him for the last 17 years.

[Wayne Smith]

Prayers going up for the family. God has already determined on taking him home apparantly. The family needs prayer, he's going home.

[little willie]

Your entire family has my thoughts, prayers and heartfelt sympathy.
Although I know none of you personally, I lost my older sister to cancer in January.

little willie

[Roundnoser]

Cancer is such a terrible thing. I wish we could cure it. I'm sorry to read of your brother's condition, but hope you will make the very best of the time you have together!

[ScottJ]

Pray for God's comfort. I have for you all just now. Just remember that the best healing from this fallen and imperfect world is to be home with Him.

Sent from my Lumia 900 using Board Express

[wgr]

sorry

[303Guy]

My thoughts go out to you and your brother, snuffy. I lost a brother to cancer three years ago. I too am the youngest of four but I'm only 59 - a youngster! My Dad just turned ninety three. He lost his second wife to cancer not that long ago.

[429421Cowboy]

Prayers will be said for him, you and your family. My mother is a doctor and the one thing she always refuses to do is give a date to the person and their family, no one can know when or how, if your brother doesn't think it is his time he won't go! We as Armenians have a saying that roughly translates into "it is written on our forehead the moment we are born, but only He can read it, so we will never know"
He gives us the strength to deal with any challenge, if we remember to look to Him.

[Charlie Two Tracks]

I have done so.... May the peace and comfort of God be with you all.

[WILCO]

Sorry to hear of this Snuffy. I'll fire off a prayer. Stay strong. Keep moving forward.

[Recluse]

Please pray for Tom, his/my family, and his friends. That they may be able to cope with this. We're Christians, so his grace will suffice!

I'm praying for all of you and for the gift of the final weeks in which families of faith grow even stronger.

:coffee:

[snuffy]

Thanks everybody for the prayers and well wishes. It certainly helps when men of good faith pray in one accord.

It's going to be a rough couple of months. I'm sure time will heal the fresh wound.

[firefly1957]

Prayers for your brother and your family.

[gwpercle]

Will be praying for you, your brother and families. God will give you strength .
Do not give up hope.

[Bullet Caster]

Prayers sent for you and your family and praise said for another one going home to be forever in His presence. Now we celebrate his life not mourn his death. To be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord. May His peace be with you and your family, that peace that passeth all understanding. BC

[tanstafl10]

My prayers and very best wishes to all. Stay strong.

[lead-1]

Prayers sent. <><

[NZSarge]

In His perfect time your loved brother will hear "Well done my true and faithful servant"

[missionary5155]

Good morning Snuffy
Sure will pray for Tom. Good to read your family commitment to trusting in the Lord Jesus Christ. Mike in Peru

[Steelbanger]

Peace to you and your family and your brother. Prayers for all.

[GT27]

My family's prayers are with your brother and family! Don't give up hope my forum brother! GT27

[SharuLady]

My prayers for you, your brother and family's during this time.

Ruth

[blackthorn]

Our prayers are with you and your brother. My wife is a one year survivor of breast cancer. Never lose hope, never give up!

[fatelk]

I'm so sorry to hear it, will pray. I'm a survivor myself; cancer stinks.

I had an acquaintance with a relative going through the same thing. He told me it could be a blessing or a curse for one to know their days are imminently numbered. They can either live each day in terror of impending doom or they can find peace with God and family and put their house in order with the faith that His timing is perfect. Every day is a gift.

My little boy is going through a flareup with his JRA, and I have to remind my wife that it will be OK. It's controllable and he will be fine. So many people go through a lot worse.

[Circuit Rider]

Prayers raised for your Family Snuffy.

[snuffy]

I'm pulling this up for one more comment.

An idea was hatched to have a family/friends get-together last Sunday, 6-10. A local county park has shelters just up the road from me. You can reserve one for a meager $35.00, includes bathrooms and power outlets. Plenty of shade trees, picnic tables and parking. All to the tune of about 6 english sparrow nests in the roof beams of the shelter!

Tom's oldest son got the ball rolling, I got the reservation and all Tom's rowdy friends were rounded up/called to come celebrate his life. Also, since it was only 4 days past his 75th B-day, some cards were given as well.

I got a new Webber grill, had that stoked up for anybody that had meat to grill. There was enough other food there to feed an army. All told, we at one time or another had 50 people, friends and family there. It was indeed a celebration of his life.

It took some trickery to get him pried loose from his couch, see it was a surprise. Especially because there was a NASCAR race on that afternoon, he's a huge NASCAR fan! One of his oldest friends has a very pretty young daughter. She was part of the bait to get him to come down, IT WORKED! That part of him is NOT dead-----yet!:D

Tom clearly enjoyed himself. He tolerated the stress, actually was there for almost 3 hours. The weather was quite hot for us northern tundra stompers, 93 degrees with plenty of humidity. The saving grace was a strong wind, as long as you could find shade,, you could stay comfortable.

I highly recommend this sort of "party" if someone you know, or a family member is facing this kind of trial. I suppose there's some families that this would result in a fight(s), that's too bad if true.

Tom and I have hunted together many times. Several of his old buddies that came Sunday, I had hunted with also. I got to see several of them, hardly recognized them, it's been at least 20 years! They aged when I wasn't looking!;-)

[jcwit]

Good to hear, probably one of the best things you or anyone else could have done for him.

You folks are still in my thoughts and Prayers.

[Dumpy]

May your brother be at peace and I will pray for him. I will also pray that his family will be at peace also & remember him for the joy he brought into your lives and not this devastating disease.

[Bullet Caster]

Thank you for posting. Like I said, it is a life to be celebrated. Good for you. I'm sure it meant more to him than you'll ever know. BC

[snuffy]

It's sad to report the passing of my brother Tom. 08-01-12 @ 10:00 pm. He beat the docs prediction by about 10 days! The past 2 weeks he's been pretty much out of it, massive doses of morphine needed to control the pain pretty much caused him to sleep most of the time.

I can only imagine the rejoicing going on right now in heaven. Seeing mom & dad, his 2nd wife, and his son Tommy again. They all preceded him in death.

Brother, YOU WILL BE MISSED I hope the transition was easy! :cry:

[chboats]

Prayers to you and your family. Just know he is in a better place now

God bless

Carl

[gray wolf]

My condolences for you and your family,
Prayers to our Lord to watch over him now.
I am very sorry to hear this.

Sam in Maine

[Recluse]

Snuffy, our prayers and thoughts are with you and your family.

We should all be so fortunate as to have a brother like yourself.

:coffee:

[41mag]

Bless you and yours Snuffy, you all will be in my prayers.

I lost my brother from another mother at the young age of 38, he is sorely missed, but your right, the celebration which followed him into Heaven surely got some notice.

God Bless...

[Roundnoser]

Sorry to hear that Snuffy. He is certainly in a better place now.

[jcwit]

So Sorry to hear. All his pain is now healed.

[44man]

I HATE this stuff! I have tears right now. I don't respond much because on the pain I feel for my friends.
I have to go, I am crying.

[popper]

Snuffy Kudos to you and your family for giving him the good love and appreciation day before the morphine took over. Son lost an in-law to cancer 7/31. She was on morphine for weeks. 2 yrs ago, my MIL(92) wasn't feeling good and I told her I was taking her to the ER. She said she 'wasn't going to go' and promptly was gone. Enjoy while their here.

[Don Purcell]

He is at peace. In this case the grass IS greener on the other side where he is.

[snuffy]

Thanks everybody. Today was classic, gray, cooler, and lots of rain. I think the clouds are weeping down on us. A good thing, we need the rain badly.

The sun just broke through the gloom. Sort of reassurance that he's home, safe and not in pain any longer. Mom has her favorite boy back. Makes ME homesick!

[Bret4207]

Thoughts and prayers to you and yours. Do what you can to make his time left happy, and be secure in the knowledge you'll all be together again one day.

[Crawdaddy]

My condolences. You will be in my prayers.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk HD

[Wayne Smith]

Snuff, both sorry you will miss him so much and proud and happy he's home and happy. Home sickness isn't bad, The Lord takes us home in His time, not ours.

[Fishman]

I am sorry for your loss. My sister died of cancer at the age of 37 and I guess I'll finally be over that when I die. It sounds like your brother was quite a fighter. Prayers for you and your family.

[zaphod042]

I am sorry for your loss. You will be in my prayers.

[Grandpas50AE]

Snuffy, my prayers are sent for you and your caring family. My best huntin' buddy and I adopted each other as brothers not long after we met, and had 30 years of hunting, camping, and other adventures together in the 30 years we had. He was a brother to me, and losing someone that close leaves an empty space that never gets completely filled back up until we are re-united with them. Even to my wife and the rest of my family, my buddy Phil was family. My wife and I took care of him the year he was fighting cancer until he lost the battle and The Lord called him home. He passed away two months after our last hunt together, but sharing that last adventure was something special.

As Christians, we have faith in the Resurrection, and I believe that we will see our loved ones again, in His time. God bless you and your family for the special time you gave him while he was still here to enjoy it.

[fatelk]

Snuffy, I'm so sorry to hear about your loss.

I'm glad you were able to organize such a nice gathering of friends and family before he left; that is awesome!

Also, thank you for your kind words on my thread regarding my son. This really is a nice place, lot of good folks here.

[WILCO]

Snuffy, our prayers and thoughts are with you and your family.

We should all be so fortunate as to have a brother like yourself.



Well said and ditto for me.

[375supermag]

I am sorry for your loss...

The Lord will give you the strength to get through this, of that I am sure.