Brain surgery and Cancer Update

[Ken in Iowa]

We are nearing 2 months since an egg-sized brain tumor was discovered. The tumor is indeed a new cancer in addition to the advanced prostate cancer that has been with me for the last few years. I officially have two incurable cancers.

The tumor was mostly removed by surgery and I am now receiving chemo and radiation therapy simultaneously. A fellow Cowboy shooter has been my driver and companion for treatments. God has given me another great friend!

My prognosis is that I will have another year or two here. I'm aiming for four more but preparing for less as God is in control.

I'm carrying quite a burden right now, so a few words to our father in heaven would be welcome. You folks know how to make the right supplications.

More later and blessings to all of God's children.

Ken

[richhodg66]

Prayers sent.

[Boaz]

Ken you never left my prayer list . Praying for you brother .

[jcren]

Prayers sent

[square butte]

Ken - May God make His presence known to you, And may His hand be upon you all the rest of your days here. Only God knows the number of our days

[Wayne Smith]

Praying for you, Ken.

[GhostHawk]

Doctors know a lot, but they do not know it all.

Laughter is the best medicine. Avoid stress of any kind like the Devil. Shy away from it.
Do your best to treasure every day, remain calm, cool, collected, self contained.

Tell those around you that you love and care about that you love them at least 5 times a day.

None of this may make you live longer. Perhaps it will help you to live better.

I leave you with a particually apt joke please bear in mind I used to be a Minnesota farm boy. We loved picking on you Iowa guys.

So doc tells the guy sitting there "Well the news is bad, you have if your lucky a year to live. And the guy gets up, puts on his coat. Doc asks him where he is heading? I'm moving to Iowa. "Why Iowa?"

Well it won't make me live any longer, but life's so slow there it will make my last year seem like two.

Make it seem like 8 Ken, best of luck brother.

[jmort]

Praying for you Brother

[Hickok]

Heavenly Father, may your grace and tender mercy be with Ken in this time of trial. Because of Your love, we call on thee, because You are our God, our strength, and our refuge.

We commit our brother, Ken, to You our Lord, that you may be his strength, his comfort and his Rock. All our hope and faith is in You, our Redeemer, our King and our Lord, may it all glorify thee, as we Pray in the Name of Our Savior, Christ Jesus, Amen and Amen!

[Pine Baron]

Praying for you brother.

[USMC87]

Hello Ken, I will be praying for your health both spiritual and physical.

[w5pv]

Prayers sent

[pjames32]

Prayers are with you Ken.

[dverna]

Kem, praying for the best and for God to give you strength.

[Preacher Jim]

Ken you are still on my church list for prayers. Remember the Lord holds your days not some doctor.

[Bzcraig]

Heavenly Father, may your grace and tender mercy be with Ken in this time of trial. Because of Your love, we call on thee, because You are our God, our strength, and our refuge.

We commit our brother, Ken, to You our Lord, that you may be his strength, his comfort and his Rock. All our hope and faith is in You, our Redeemer, our King and our Lord, may it all glorify thee, as we Pray in the Name of Our Savior, Christ Jesus, Amen and Amen!

Amen!

[big bore 99]

Prayers sent.

[shoot-n-lead]

Prayer sent.

[Ken in Iowa]

Doctors know a lot, but they do not know it all.

Laughter is the best medicine. Avoid stress of any kind like the Devil. Shy away from it.
Do your best to treasure every day, remain calm, cool, collected, self contained.

Tell those around you that you love and care about that you love them at least 5 times a day.

None of this may make you live longer. Perhaps it will help you to live better.

I leave you with a particually apt joke please bear in mind I used to be a Minnesota farm boy. We loved picking on you Iowa guys.

So doc tells the guy sitting there "Well the news is bad, you have if your lucky a year to live. And the guy gets up, puts on his coat. Doc asks him where he is heading? I'm moving to Iowa. "Why Iowa?"

Well it won't make me live any longer, but life's so slow there it will make my last year seem like two.

Make it seem like 8 Ken, best of luck brother.

Now THAT made me laugh!

[375supermag]

We are nearing 2 months since an egg-sized brain tumor was discovered. The tumor is indeed a new cancer in addition to the advanced prostate cancer that has been with me for the last few years. I officially have two incurable cancers.

The tumor was mostly removed by surgery and I am now receiving chemo and radiation therapy simultaneously. A fellow Cowboy shooter has been my driver and companion for treatments. God has given me another great friend!

My prognosis is that I will have another year or two here. I'm aiming for four more but preparing for less as God is in control.

I'm carrying quite a burden right now, so a few words to our father in heaven would be welcome. You folks know how to make the right supplications.

More later and blessings to all of God's children.

Ken

Hi...

I am sorry to hear of your prognosis.
If you may recall, I sent you a private message a couple of months ago so you understand that I know full well what you are dealing with.

I will continue to pray for you.
I implore you to not give up...a good attitude, a cheerful disposition and belief in a cure or long-term remission is extremely important. You must fight back.

You can prevail against the odds. Be strong.

[Blackwater]

Ken, I'm still praying for you here, and won't cease until I know you're cured or gone Home. And as to the estimates docs give you, take them all with a grain of salt. Most give you the minimum estimate because they're afraid of being sued, and if you get past their own estimates, it helps them look good, so like Jim said, don't try to know or accept predictions of the future. Just take it one day at a time, and be happy. My sister in law was given less than 6 months, and she lasted more than 6 years. She wretched over it for a couple of months, and finally got tired of the drama, and said she was going to LIVE whatever time she had left, whether it be 6 days or 6 years, and she came to know the Lord SO much more intimately than she ever had before! And she was quite literally happier than she'd ever been in her life. Prior to her epiphany, she had always qualified her "happiness." After it, she just drank up any happiness that found her like a thirsty horse drinks cool, fresh water.

Only God decides how many years or days you have left. I've seen it too many times to not know this well. Docs today CAN do some miraculous seeming things. But they are still just humans, like you and I. Listen to what they tell you, and follow the best regimen they can offer you, and let God worry about how long you'll be here. Your job is just to enjoy and enrich yourself for whatever time that is, and in so doing, whenever you leave, you'll leave behind you some things that will never die, and will always be honored. THAT is what our life here is really all about, anyway, isn't it?

Good luck to you my friend, and with as many good Christians as are praying for you, don't be shocked if you don't see a lot of "healthy" people fall while you march on. I think it's one of the ways God keeps us all humble?

[retread]

My prayers are with you Ken. Remember, all things are possible with God.

[Ken in Iowa]

Thanks to all of you. God has provided richly in this time of need.

I did receive good news yesterday about the tumor pathology. Advanced testing shows that chemo will be fairly effective. God's healing will be much more effective of course. :)

[Pine Baron]

That is good news. Praise God. Prayers continue.

[shoot-n-lead]

More prayer sent and glad to hear the good report.

[Blackwater]

Ken, I'm not much of one to tear up, but your post above made my eyes kind'a damp. Is our God a wonderful and loving and powerful God, or what?