Hunka Hunka Burning Love

More on the Vacation of a lifetime

I wanted to follow up on my earlier entry about our vacation. My guys and gal loved San Diego. We went on Tuesday night to see the San Diego Padres play and it was a wonderful venue. All the sites and sounds of a live baseball game. The hotdogs and pretzels were wonderful. Kaye and I enjoyed large burgers and fries! We loved it. Kaye and the boys also went to the San Diego Zoo which is world class. They took lots of pics and Clay Fussell was such a whiz on all the animals. He know something about each one. If you ever see him ask him about the dung beetles! Quite an amazing story. We had an opportunity to take the mass transit downtown to eat one night. Mass Transit is just not for us if you know what I mean.

Here's a quick update on me. 3 treatments are in the books and I feel great! Gonna lose my hair again so I am taking suggestions on a hat this time.

Love to you all
Tim

sights, sounds, smells of a great vacation

we left bright and early Sunday morning headed for the San Diego Bay! The boys were excited even though we left the house at 5:30 am! Cali is all I heard from Ryan every week! We landed in beautiful sunny San Diego and quickly caught a cab to our destination.....well at least I thought it was our destination, the hotel del coronado! We hauled our luggage up to this magnificant mansion style hotel and asked to check in. Here's the bad news, I was at the wrong hotel! Gipes! After some wrangling with the desk clerk she sadly told me we were staying at the Lowes Del Cornado which was 5 miles further down the penninsula! Soooo back we went to the cab line and down the bay we went! uggghhh. The Lowes property was beautiful as it sat on the bay along side multi-million dollar yachts! The boys quickly found a local at the pool, Hannah and she was very kind to show them around. One of the most memorable experiences they had was going to the beach and rushing to jump into the surf only to find the water ice cold! seems the currents that flow down the california cost come out of Alaska where the east coast has Bermuda currents! Big difference!

More later
God Bless you all

Fast Forward to August 2

today is our real 28th wedding anniversary! It was been 28 wonderful years. I know everyone says that but I really has been wonderful, yea there have been ups and downs but the downs have been far and few and I don't even remember them which is what you are supposed to do I guess!
I did want to tell everyone that in the last 30 days we have gone on a wonderful 10 day trip to San Diego, then to Las Vegas and back. Unfortunately in those 30 days, I have had my scan and according to the results, I have spots on my lungs and liver and in the bottom of my spine. Spots that are undetermined for malenoma or hodgkins so we are going to have a biopsy on August 8 to determine what these "spots" are. I pray that God has already healed me and taken those spots away for his glory and by his word. As I have told you before, it is always tough going around scan time because you just never know what the results are going to be. Bottom line is God is in control and there is His plan and I am his child so I will have to be patient and wait upon the Lord.

The travel begins

Well, Tomorrow we leave for San Diego and Las Vegas. The plans are set. The wedding in Las Vegas is set. We are getting remarried on Thursday July 2 at 2:00 in the little white chapel in Las Vegas. The package includes a limo ride to and from our hotel. "Elvis" will walk Kaye down the aisle and serenade us with 2 songs. There will be pictures galore. I hope to post one on the site here! We are excited.

Kaye has shopped for a dress to wear for several weeks and has come up with a couple of good ones.

While in San Diego we are going to attend a baseball game between the padres and astros. We have first baseline seats.

While in Las Vegas, we are going to go see the blueman group on Wednesday night! Matt says he is going to ride the roller coaster that is atop one of the casinos while there! Mike Murray and his Wife Lynn is going to fly out Wednesday. Robin Chriscoe who works with me will be there and Courtney Webb will be there to take pics and video! We should have a rip roaring time.

Speaking of time, July is my next month for a scan so of course I will let you know how it turns out. I feel fine. May face has healed a lot from the surgery.

Speaking of prayers. This week I lost a good friend. He was the President of Texas Pete, Reg Garner. He fought pancreatic cancer for over a year. I will miss him as will his family and our industry.

I pray also for Debbie Matthews. She got some great news about a biopsy this week. The test showed no malignancy in a spot she had. I pray for Ginger Combs who had a cancerous spot removed this week as well.

I pray for the families of Farah Fawcett and Michael Jackson. We sometimes wonder over the will of God but we also see that God is in control and none of us are guaranteed tomorrow. We must live everyday because we are not in control of our lives. We must trust God and pray to be in God's will not matter our circumstances.

The Press of a kiss

I am so sorry it has been over a month since I last Blogged. A day then a week then a month and before I know it, I realize I have not let anyone (other than my family) know what is going on in our lives and mine. It occurred to me last week that a kiss, the press of your lips on your spouse, family, friends or others has so much meaning and if you stop for just a moment and forget the sensation you feel and just savor the moment of a kiss. Imagine what you are saying.

Last week, as I do everyday, I leaned over to kiss my wife goodbye as I left for work. The feeling of our lips pressing together may not sound like much but it felt great. It felt comfortable. It felt safe. I did not want to part lips I wanted to just remember the feelings that come to mind when we kiss. I wanted to remember the comfort and all the times she has taken care of me. I wanted to remember the feeling of being together at that precise moment.

After I left, while riding in the car, I remembered a couple of things about a Kiss. I remembered that I always greet my sons with a firm kiss on their necks. I always say goodbye to them with a firm kiss on the neck. I love them and that kiss makes me feel I am showing how much I love them.

I remembered that as a youngster, I always would come up to my mom while she was sitting around the table and I would press my lips to her cheek. I will always remember that I did it a lot. I can't say it was to show my love for her as much as I just loved kissing her cheek and feeling her smooth skin. I now know it was to show her that I loved her.

I remember in the bible the Father of the prodigal son greeting his contrite son with a kiss and a ring. He welcomed him back into the family with no strings attached, no compromises just 100% back. I am not saying I have two prodigal sons I am saying his father greeted him with a kiss. Symbolic of his love and unending support I suspect. Remember the significance of a kiss and you will appreciate everyone one you give and get.

Summer - Graduations- Travel- Long term

I wanted to update you all on all the above. I am so proud to update you. I tell everyone it is so much better than the alternative! We are fastly approaching summer. I remember just a short 12 months ago this month, I was preparing for a new approach to my spot that was just behind my stomach. The cut they did on me from the top of my chest to my navel and opening me up only revealed that it was too risky to try to remove the tumor so the option came up about Gamma Knife. I took it! It started in July and lasted the whole month. It is a highly concentrated laser beam of radiation that pinpoints a spot and treats it. It did miracles for me!

Last year I was sickly and now 12 months later, I feel alive and healthy again. Wiser but healther. I believe God has performed a miracle in me just as he can everyone.

Matt Graduated two weeks ago and we are so proud. He is so much more a man now and I love him and respect him. Ryan has decided that two years of NC State are enough he wants to come out and go in a different direction and so he shall. He moves into his own apartment in the fall!

Matt will continue to student teach until December when he gets his teaching certificate then it is on to Graduate School with a degree in Sports Medicine and teaching credentials.

Ryan has aspirations of going into Culinary. He has our full support.

Kaye and I have traveled to Baltimore a few weeks ago on business and now we are planning a trip to San Diego and Las Vegas.....are the boys coming????? what do you think they said when I asked?....... UH YEA! Although Ryan wanted to stay in San Diego and see the Pads play the Dodgers....sorry Mom nixed that, we are scheduled to be in Las Vegas for the National School Show and then stay the weekend of the 4th of July in Las Vegas.

The reason I say all that is to show you how good God is. He is a giving, caring God. He is compassionate, healing, rewarding. God undergurds us everytime we call on him....everytime...everytime, I know it is not instantious and it never will be. God has delivered me on the other side of 5 years of worry, doubt, fear, sickness you name it. But in the end God is in control. I praise him for what he has taught me in 5 years. Things I thought I knew but never did.

Have a great summer
God bless you

Tim

Joel Weldon

I was thinking today of a seminar I attended about 20 years ago from a person named Joel Weldon. It was all about "coyote thinking" It was held at the San Diego Del Cornado Hotel and I was fortunate enough to hear him use the survival instincts of a coyote and apply them to business tactics. It was very informative but at the end he recited a little passaged that I will always remember. It goes something like this....


And God said, "your task is to build a better world"
and I replied, "how?"
The world is such a large place now and I so small and useless am,
there is nothing I can do
And God in all his wisdom said
"just build a better you!"

Yes you can

Prayer Warriors UNITE!

Just a real quick Blurb, Pray for my nephew Carson Weaver. He is 1 and 1/2 years old and is in the hospital with pneumonia. He had a fever yesterday of 104. He is the grandson of my mother, Toby. He is doing better but needs your prayers!

Love you all
Tim

Jesus was a business man

I do most of my best thinking when I am in the shower. I don't exactly know why, it just happens that way. I wanted to relay a story to you and show you what I mean by Jesus was a businessman.
Last month we had our company quarterly salesmeeting. It is when we all get together and go through presentations from our manufactuers and increase our knowledge of their products both new and old. At the end of the meetings, we always have Sharin' business which is when mgmt gets to address the "troops" so to speak. Well I stood up and began. (earlier I had purchased some kool aid and asked for it to be brought in when I began to speak) As I spoke, I addressed our group saying that word was out in "the street" that Sharin' was in trouble. That we were somehow suffering financially and with our mgmt team. I assured them this was NOT the case. Anyway, I offered everyone a dixie cup with kool aid in it and I asked them to drink WITH me the kool aid. We everyone had a hoot because it has direct correlation to the disasterous mass suicide with Jim Jones but I quickly told them that only a few cups had been laced so those we wanted to fire would just die! Everyone howled. I did tell them in all honesty that I wanted them to share the Kool aid with me as a sign that we are all in this together. I wanted to express that we are a good company with positive earnings and strong income streams and that IF we were in trouble they would be the first to know NOT the street. We all drank the same kool aid and made a decision then and there that we were all in this together.

You know today, in the shower it came to me. Jesus did the same thing by taking communion with his disciples. He made them drink the wine and said this is my blood that was shed for you and they ate the bread as a sign that this was his body that was broken for all. Jesus was demonstrating that when everyone drinks the same kool aid they are agreeing in unison that they will all do the same things. Think in unison, form a bond, a commitment to a cause. Jesus truly was looking down and saying in a constructive way, join me and drink and eat so that we can agree on these things,. He looked down through the ages and knew I too would need to drink the kool aid of healing and agree that by his stripes we are healed. I did drink the kool aid and I am here today because of it and because of your prayers in my behalf..........praise God

We love you
Tim

This day in April

just wanted to update everyone! The drain is out! That's the good news. Here is the bad, I think I pushed for it to come out a week too early. This Monday, I went for my three month scan and as I was lying down on the scan bed, I got dizzy and I mean real dizzy; to the point that I was feeling sick. As a matter of fact I did get sick but that was a good thing because I was able to get rid of that Barium solution that I had to drink. If you have had to drink it then you know....YUK! Come to find out fluid was backing up from my surgery into my ear causing inner ear imbalance and vertigo! Ever had Vertigo? Oh my it is something that is really bad. Your head spins and you can't stop it. I got some medicine to help me but lying in bed for three straight days was what I had to do! Oh my gosh does that hurt. I could not get my balance, I could not sit up without being sick. Anyway, I am over that and thank God! Sometimes we think we can "tough out" a situation when we should be listening to our bodies. My body was telling me it was too soon and I ran right through that stop sign and look how I ended up. Sometimes the soft whisper of God's spirit says here is a stop sign and we plow right on thru it only to suffer for it. We have so many friends who are suffering not because they ran a stop sign but because the economy has made them victims. Many of our friends have lost their jobs and they are in their 50's so starting over in very hard. Please help me pray that God will open his doors of opportunity for them. I could call their names but there are so many. We all have to be mindful that we too can be put in a tough spot without any of our own doing. Continue to pray for me and my family as we move through all my ordeals. There is not enough time for Kaye to get sick because we take up all our time on me!

We love you all
Tim and Kaye my wonderful, precious bride!

Catch up time

Well, I imagine since my last posting and pictures you have begun to think I had vanished. The answer of course is no. Here it the catch up part. My cut is healing very nicely. I don't look near as bad as the picture I posted on my site. At least I think so. I have had a drain in my cut on my neck for a month now. Thank goodness it comes out this Wednesday. It has been a nuisance more than anything because it is always hanging around my neck. I won't tell you what I call it!

We have had visits with my doctor (mike meyers) imagine that, over in Chapel Hill every week since March 12. He said I am progressing nicely and my scar will barely be noticable in 6 months or so. Wow, this is amazing. The human body has a remarkable way of healing itself! God created such a magnificant machine when he created the human body. It is a miracle machine with the ability to regenerate itself and heal itself from the most devestating illnesses.

We did receive some somber news this week. One of my folks in my office had to be with his mother. She has never been sick until a few weeks ago and now she has been diagnosed with Squalmous Carcinoma in her lung. She will begin a regimine of chemotherapy and radiation. I ask all you prayer warriors to remember her in your prayers! God is still in the healing business. I used to take that statement for granted but now I believe it more than ever.

Last week we traveled to Gastonia to visit my mother and sisters and Kaye's aunt Ella Mae. We had a wonderful time! We spent the night with my sister Beth and had lunch at her house! It was a fantastic time!

Kaye and I will be traveling the first week of May AND coming back to attend Matthew's college graduation. Can you believe he has succeeded in graduating in 4 years with two majors! We asked him today of the 98 people who entered with him 4 years ago, how many will graduate in May and he said 5. Wow! we were amazed. Of his entire incoming class only 9 will have graduated by December. This was a very rigorious program and he will be well trained when he gets out.

I will try to keep you better updated on my progress instead of keeping you in the dark. I promise!

Until next time
God Bless you all
Tim

Edward Scissorhands looking better

Ain't I a beaut

Uh, I am not sleeping. Kaye took this with her camera phone, actually I was standing up and had my eyes closed....sorry for the grotesque image, it looks worse than it feels. They did not cut muscle just skin.....that me with the facelift and no double chin!!!!

Random thoughts of a mad man

I was thinking the other night of some of my firsts and it felt like I should post them because they provided grounding for me as I was growing up.

First death: A man named Red Rector. He was the grandfather of the kids I grew up with. I was so young and I did not know how he was suddenly gone. I could not understand what others were talking about when they said he had died and there was a funeral. I later learned. His grandsons were my best friends. We had names for each other, Terry was Birdog, Steve was Duck. Larry was little Larry. Our other friend Joey was called Toy, We had another neighbor and he was Bean......me I was called Goat.....not sure how we came up with these names but they stuck with us for years.

First person with special needs: Mr Andrews was a man who went to my church on Fifth Street. I was not aware of who he was until a tragic fall from the roof a house made him a parapalegic for the rest of his life. I remember him sitting at the right side of our church every Sunday. Ready to testify to God's goodness. He never once complained of his plight. That was so long ago it was before the new laws about building structures for the handicapped but it cause our church to modify and install ramps and other things to help Mr. Andrews. I do remember he was steadfast in the matters of Church business. If he believed something was going wrong he spoke his mind. I will always remember Mr. Andrews.

First person I ever admired for how they prayed: A kindly old man in my first church named Mr. Parton. He was a man of impoverishment. He and his family lived behind the giant screen of the Monte Vista Drive in. (this is now the site of the gigantic and breath taking First Assembly of God) Mr. Parton was so gentle. He never complained about the poor conditions he lived in. When called up to pray he always ended his prayer with the saying of the Lord's Prayer. Always and when I realized what he was doing, I then realized what the Lord's Prayer meant and how it asked for everything we need on a daily basis from God. Mr. Parton, gentle, kindly, softspoken, never much of a conversationalist, shy, humble.

First Preacher to really help me understand what he did: Billy Allen. A small framed man whose raspy voice spoke boldly and made good sense of what he was trying to get across. I remember the day he preached his last sermon in my church. I was so emotional I just could not imagine life without him but he went on to another church and did well and I went on to enjoy the next preacher that came in.

First time I saw a corpse. It was a girl about my age. Her name was Cheryl Lee. She has ashma and was sickly all her life. I remember seeing her in a cofin at her home (back then, visitation was not at a funeral home but in THE home. I wondered how she breathed and how she slept and Mrs. Lee explained to me that she was peaceful now and not gasping for air and happy but I would never see her again in this life.

First Time I was truly disgusted with myself: Fathers Day when I was 13. This one still hurts but I told my dad before he died I regretted not doing it. The preacher preached on fathers and at the end of the sermon he called up all the kids to hug their dads. At 13 I was in that semi-adult world and hugging a parent was just not something that was do-able. I elected not to hug my dad, he never said a word about it, but I knew it hurt. Since that day, I have never failed to greet my sons with a hug, no matter where, when or how. I kiss them squarely on the neck and hug them.

First Time I felt the sting of failure: It was the 8th grade and I went out for basketball and got cut it hurt to see my name on the list, but not to be deterred Iwent out for baseball and got cut again. I knew I was not good enough to make those teams but I wanted a uniform so badly. I decided from then on when I did something I would study, train, and be determined to be the best. Later as a senior in high school, I made the wrestling team, lettered, and helped our team to a conference championship. I felt so good about that.

First Trophy: I had wanted some kind of recognition for a long time and believed that being awarded a trophy made me that successful person. I played Church softball in my senior season in high school and in one of the tournaments I played, I was possessed to make the all tournament team and get that darn trophy.......turns out I did make the all tourney team and was the MVP of the tournament to boot,,,,,,,imagine that,,,,the guy who was cut from two teams just a few years earlier now an MVP. I never coveted a trophy in that way since.

enough rambling God Bless you

Tim

Man do we have some catching up to do

Oh my gosh how time flies. I am so sorry I have let you guys down with no postings. Shame on me! Bad Blogger! Ha! I will tell you I have some company on the blog network now and I am so happy to see him. It is Chris Stowe. Check out his blog "from the black chair" at http://chrisstowe.blogspot.com. He lays it all out there for you. Welcome Chris! Don't worry about the fireman's test. Do some research on Abraham Lincoln and see how many times he failed at accomplishing his goals and then see where he ended up. Now I am not saying there is going to be a statue of you in Washington like Mr. Abe but you will get there don't be discouraged.

Okay now me.......Well as most of you know I had surgery on the 12 to remove my melanoma. Whew they took a chunk out of the right side of my face. Kaye took a pic of me I will try to paste it in here somewhere. You will recognize me right off I look like Edward Scissorhands! Anyway I never knew how much trouble 4 millimeters could cause but wow. Here the good and the bad. They took the skin from my neck and stretched it up to my cheek and Wallah! Face lift! It is true! Every woman in my family is jealous because insurance paid for this facelift!. Here is the bad, I have to go back to Chapel Hill and get an MRI done on my brain......they think it is too big! ha! and a PET Scan. Seems Melanoma likes to run around in the blood and show up in the brain or other organs so to be safe here is what we are doing........MRI (done yesterday) PET to be done on Friday.......results the 11th of March and back into surgery shortly there after to remove a few more lymph nodes that were below the affected area. Rats. No need to argue cause the doc knows best!

We will keep you posted. I will put up another post in a few minutes with my random thoughts for this week

God Bless you all

Remember prayer warriors to keep John Quinn jr in your prayers he has throat cancer. Remember my good good friend Bob Citero, he just lost his job of 11 years and he is a good man. His son Jeff played baseball with Ryan. Bob is a faithful man and will get another, better job soon. Remember Lynn Ogle my brother in law's wife she had surgery yesterday. Remember the family of one of my dear friends, Jim Taylor he passed away suddenly last week.....heart attack.

Tim

Prayer Warriors

Ever heard the words Prayer Warriors? They do exist. I spoke to my mother this morning and she told me about her conversation with her friend Florence. Florence has called her chain of prayer warriors to pray for me and the upcoming day surgery that I am having to remove a mole on my right temple. If you don't believe in the world wide chain of Prayer Warriors you are sadly mistaken. Remember the Kevin Bacon rule of 7 which says that within any given relationship, it will only take seven people to find a connection to you or your family. Well with the Prayer Warrior chain, it goes around the world. I have people as far away as Rome who call my name in prayer! I am so blessed.

The Prayer Warriors pray incessently when you ask them to. They seek the face and mind of God and they provide a welcome relief that someone is praying for you and your sickness or ailment or need. They truly embody the words Prayer Warrior because they pray and seek Gods face!

I am proud to have all my friends as prayer warriors. Remember they do exist and they do get results!

God Bless You
Tim

More News from the Homefront

I was thinking that I needed to check in with everyone again. I spoke to my mom two nights ago and she told me all the things going on in her life and boy it sure is a busy life! It will soon be a year since my dad passed away. As I told you in a blog over a year ago, my dad always told me he was my greatest fan and never have forgotten that. Everyone needs a greatest fan so take a minute and think of who that might be. I always think about who I would tell that I am their greatest fan and the list is just too long! I can tell you this, I thank God for my wonderful wife and soulmate these last 27 years! I was in bed this weekend listening to the sounds of Kaye fixing her hair and putting on her make up. Its a funny thing the sounds you get used to in your house. The click click of her curling iron as she does her hair, the clap clap of her make up case as she closes it. The sound of the hair dryer as she dries her hair. Funny how you get used to those sounds and the comfort it brings to you. I bet you too are used to the sounds in your house or apartment or where ever you may be. Don't be suprised when those sounds go away and the empty spot you feel when they are gone. Take advantage of those sounds while you have them.

We are undergoing a metamorphasis at work. Our offices are clean and updated and we are all working hard in this economy to continue to thrive and prosper. Kaye and I pray for all the family and friends who are let go and become unemployed. God is going to answer all our prayers and all we need to do is continue to look for the best in every situation.

I ask you to continue to pray for John Quinn jr. He is not able to talk or eat because of the operation on his throat from the cancer they found. Pray for Gayle Mathews my admin assistant as she battles irregular heartbeats. Pray for my brother in law Danny as he too faces a new page in his life. Pray for Aunt Ella Mae. We spoke to her tonight and she if feeling much better and her spirits are up!

I do have to tell you a story I was told this week that just sent chill bumps down my spine. I am close friends with a couple who had told me they had a friend who found out he had cancer last year. Thinks looked very bleak over Thanksgiving and in early December he was told nothing could be done. He was not a Christian and his wife was a nonbeliever as well. He called my Friend over Christmas and asked could he have his minister visit him. He told my friend he wanted to have a clear picture and make thing right even though he never had believed in God or God's miracles. Over the course of this year, he had lost over 45 pounds and his spirits had sunk so low he was told the end was near. After he prayed with the minister he told my friend he was okay with everything and was ready..............fast forward to just after New Years......he got a call from his doctor about his rescent scan and guess what? His cancer was gone! Gone! can you believe that. I know it is true because my friends were so depressed about this man and now they are on Cloud 9! This man is now believing in the power of Christ. His wife is not believing in the healing power or Christ. He believes God has healed him with a purpose for his life and he is setting about fulfilling that purpose. Wow powerful stuff here. I told my friend I hoped to meet this man someday. What a testimony he has to tell.

Okay, I have rambled for enough

God Bless you

Tim

Just checking in

I wanted to check in and give you some details on how things are going. We celebrated my Moms birthday on January 1o and we attended a suprise 50th birthday party for our good friend Lynn Murray. Her birthday was January 23. She was so suprised! We had a wonderful time visiting with all of Lynn and Mikes family. Our other friend Courtney Webb has a birthday today and Mike Murry's Mother "momma Murray" is having a birthday February 3. We have all decided to go to Wilson and take her to dinner for her birthday!

Things with me are good. I have found that I have a mole on my right temple right in the middle of my sideburn that needs to be removed so I will be going to Chapel Hill to have it looked at this Friday and plans made to remove it.

I have traveled so much this month that yesterday I just hit the wall and was exhausted. I have just got to learn that my body does not rebound like it used to. It has taken me a couple of days to rebound. Kaye and I went to Asheville this week and the trip was great. We stayed at the Grove Park Inn and I had a wonderful time. This is one of the finest trips you could ever take. The Grove Park has been around for many many years and the sweet smell of an open fire place greets you as you walk in. The fireplace is 1o feet high and 10 feet wide so you can pull up a rocking chair and watch the cracklin of the wood as it burns. You can feel the warmth of the fire and relax. It makes me want to go back. The rooms are very nice and you feel a sense of history when you relax in your room. The meals and servers make you feel like a king.

Needless to say our family has been hit hard by layoffs. Mom told us that my cousin Eddie was laid off after 30 years on his job. Kayes cousin Jeff Cobb was laid off after over 30 years with his company. So many people are suffering. So many people including family are suffering from this economy. I pray for this to turn around. Please remember my family members who are now unemployed and at an age where a new career is not possible. We hear daily of family who are put into a bad spot, lost jobs and no prospects for employment. God will have to move on our situation and I ask that you Pray with me for a rebound in our ecomomy and in the health of our nation.

My mom still continues to be a blessing to prisoners in her card and letter ministry and I thank God for her. Kaye is doing great but we know that knee surgery is just down the road for her. Matt is home this weekend for a brief visit. He is on track to graduate in 4 years with his incoming class and he will have earned 2 degrees. He has done so well. Ryan is finishing up his second year at NC State. In the fall he is going to enroll in a community school here and take culinary classes. He has decided that NC State is not where he needs to be and that is okay with us. He has to follow his heart just like all of us do. The heart is a great organ because it tells us the truth all the time where as sometimes we think too much and over think and make mistakes and if we had followed our heart we would have made the right decision. I too am facing a decision that is a battle between my heart and brain and I ask you to help me pray for guidance in this matter.

Okay you are caught up!

God Bless you all
Tim

My Scan results are in a Glory to God

I know many of you are wanting to hear my scan results from Thursday and Kaye and me are very excited about the news. The radiologists report says that there are no spots and no activity at this time. What a miracle! I have always said that I am God's miracle and once again I am proof that he is. Kaye and I are so very glad. I will have another scan in 3 more months but if they go like the last two then maybe I can go 6 months between scans!

Now here is the bad news, I have managed to pick up a sinus cold and I am clogged up and feeling lousy. But who am I to complain after getting such great news. This one will be short because I do feel bad and I am waiting on my doctor to call in some antibiotics. Spread the good news! God is good

Please remember to pray for John Quinn jr who is needing a touch from God. Also my cousin Ann who has COPD and requires oxygen to breath. God is still in the healing business and I ask you to remember them in your prayers

Tim

My Mother's Birthday is today

I wanted to spend some time on this blog talking about my mother and the wonder way she has nurtured me and my sisters. Today is her day because it is her birthday. Today she is as viberant and active as ever before. She has taught us so many things and you know that is what your remember as you get older, all the things you were taught. That does not mean that we all follow the advice of our parents because many times we strike out on our own and make our own decisions and when they go bad we chalk it up to experience which we then learn from and hopefully pass that along to our kids. Most times kids write our opinion off as old and outdated but you know somehow it comes back to being the right information and we just processed it wrong and made the decision to go another direction.

Well enough of my rambling, again today is Mother's day and Today we celebrate her and all her accomplishments. A mother of 4, a grandmother to 5 great children, a great supporter of community watch and a constant visitor by mail to those who are housebound, sickly, or imprisoned. Her live is full of opportunity to serve other people and she makes the most of it.

I will tell you this, the house is quiet again,,,,,,whew,,,,,it was a whirlwind of activity while Matt and Ryan were home, We loved having them at home but now we love the opportunity to be together just me and Kaye.

My three month scan is Thursday, Please remember me in your prayers. Please remember John Quinn, jr in your prayers as well, He is suffering right now from cancer to his throat and cannot speak. Kaye and I pray for him daily as we pray for all of you.

God Bless You
Tim

Today it is all about Mom

I guess you are wondering where I have been....well

I have no excuses. I have just been lazy about posting my condition for everyone to catch up. Please forgive me for this and I promise to do better! Mentioning bettter, I am feeling great. I am going to work every day and even going out of town every couple of weeks. I feel good, my appetite is good and I am getting ready for my next scan in Chapel Hill which is September 15th.
I do ask that you say an extra prayer for me as I go into this scan. Even though I am feeling great you just never know what is going to show up!

But now I need to catch you up! DId I tell you that Ryan and I attended the Georgia vs Georgia Tech football game on Thanksgiving weekend? This was something Ryan had approached Kaye and me back in OCtober and so we worked it out to where we would go to Gastonia for Thanksgiving and while there Ryan and I would travel to Athens and attend the game. Ryan and I had a great time. just the two of us, Father and son going down I 85 listening to music and talking sports!

Matt and Ryan came home in mid December and we have been doing things together since then. We gave Matt the video game Rock Band. If you have not seen or played this game, you are missing out. It is a lot of fun and a hit with the kids of all ages......even athe 50 somethings! Ryan got Georgia gear and wears it religiously! Oh by the way Ryan won $500.00 and $100.00 on Lottery scratch cards so talking about hooked.......he is hooked!!!!

Matt, Mom and me attended the candle light service on Christmas Eve at our church and it was wonderful to have our son with us. Ryan went to the service at the Church in Garner he attends. It was beautiful and warm and the smell of the candles helped you visualize the season and time of the year that we are in. The smells of Christmas are so comforting, the smell of candles in each home, the smell of cedar christmas trees, cookies baking, and for me.......fruit cake! Yes fruit cake. No one enjoys the Claxton Fruit cakes any better than me.

Matt is going into his last semester at ECU. He will graduate on time (4 years ) with the class he entered school with and believe it or not he will be a double major with two degrees in the same 4 year of college. WE are proud. He will do one semester of student teaching then he leaves ECU for good next December. Ryan is finishing up his second year this semester but he has decided this will be his last at NCSU. In the fall he is going to enroll in Culinary Classes at Wake Tech here in Raleigh.

Game Night, this has become a staple this month. Mom, Ryan, Matt, and Me enjoy a very competitve game of Scrabble. Kaye is very good but Matt has started to be more competitive and Ryan is really coming on. Me? I stink.

Today is January 1, 2009 and God has continued to bless my life and family. I am grateful for another day and I am hoping for more days to come. At this time that is all I plan for is one day after another. It has be a calming thing for me. I am more relaxed and more focused when I take it one day at a time.

I will save some more catch up for the next posts!

God Bless you all

God is great, The scan was great

I know I promised to let you know how my CT Scan went yesterday but we were in the doctor's office all day! They got behind and Kaye and I ended up waiting over 4 hours to see Dr. Morris. I was so glad when he came in with the results. He told me and Kaye that he saw no signs of activity and that he was 99.5 percent pleased with the results of the gamma radation! Well I am 100% pleased. It has been a very tough week for me and Kaye and I can tell you the devil will play with your mind and cause you to believe in the worst case scenerio! It is tough to fight through the mind and where it wants to wonder especially at night. I would like awake at night and with every little pain or every little hitch, I would start to believe that oh no I can feel the tumor growing inside me. I know that is foolish to think but if you ever have to endure cancer and treatment, it will become a real life, never leave your mind for one minute thing.

Kaye and I rested very well last night. My next scan is in 3 months so I give God the glory for such a miracle. If you had seen me in May with my cut all the way down my belly and the pain all through June, you would not have given me much chance. Good thing we don't trust man and trust God because he knows what he is doing and we are on his time not ours.

Rejoice with me and continue to pray for me as I witness to anyone who will listen to what God is doing in my life!

God Bless you all
Tim

The world of change and pace

I wanted to write just a few lines because we have been on such a fast track the last 3 weeks. Kay's aunt Ella Mae has been sick and in the hospital and Kaye went to Gastonia to stay with her for two weeks. During one of those weeks I had meetings in Cornelius and Atlanta followed up by a trip to Boston this weekend for the Golden Corral Convention. We had such a wonderful time in Boston. Granted we were in a hotel most of the time but the folks at Golden Corral put on a convention that is nothing short of phenominal. The meals they scheduled were incredibly prepared and planned and the activities they had were awesome.

October 13 at 11:00 am is my Scan. We see the doctor for the results at 1:00. I am feeling great and I just have to believe that God has created a miracle in me. I had a conversation with two friends at the show this weekend. First, Rhetta Pointer who works for SEFS has had a run in with cancer and she told me she had her thyroid removed and that she has some cancer in her Lymph nodes. She is scheduled for more chemotherapy next year. Please keep Rhetta in your prayers. Secondly, Doug Pearce told me that our mutual friend Barry Christian is very low at this time with cancer of the pancreas, stomach and liver. Barry has always been kind to me and quick with a witty story. I pray God's peace and healing be with him.

At this time I would ask that you remember Kaye's aunt Ella Mae that she would be strengthened. She has been ill for a long time. I want to also ask you to remember Reg Garner who is recovering from surgery for pancreatic cancer. Reg is a very viberate person who loves T.W. Garner Company and has such passion for the food business. Reg I hope to see back at work very soon

I am home for the next couple of weeks....whew....needless to say we will be on pins and needles about Monday. I will let you know how it goes just as soon as I get the good news and get back to my computer.

The pace of life has us in such a furious progression that we sometimes fail to stop and see that life unfolds for us all no matter who we are and what we do. God directs our paths and we have to deal with what is give to us both in finances and health. Without health you have nothing and I am so thankful that I have survived these last three years.

Many people come up to me and ask how I am doing. Many say I have been through so much and yet I don't look at it that way. God has directed my every step. God has granted me days, weeks, months and hopefully years to be around to enjoy life and family.

I hope you all take time to handle the pace of your life to where you can enjoy what God has given you

God Bless you all
Tim

update for September 15th

Oh my, I am getting slack in keeping everyone aware of what all is going on. Our lives have been so busy since my last post. The biggest highlight for me and the family was our trip to South Carolina and a stay with our family and attending the game that NC State had with the University of South Carolina. It was our first trip to Williams Brice Stadium and we were not disappointed. What an atmosphere! It was a really hot muggy night but we sat in the NC State section and even though it was a losing cause, the pack faithful kept cheering until the end was inevitable. We had a wonderful time staying with and visiting Kaye's family in Columbia. They were such gracious hosts and welcomed us with open arms and food!

We stayed through the weekend. Matt had to get back to Greenville but Ryan stayed with us and rode back with us. Matt attended the ECU vs Virginia Tech game in Charlotte that weekend and came away with an exciting win!

Kaye and I have been traveling a good bit because I have been feeling really good of late. I still have to pace myself and rest when I have worn myself out. Save this date October 13. That is when I go for my first scan since the gamma knife treatment. I ask you to continue to pray for me that God will strengthen us as we go for this test and get the results. It never fails to make us nervous as we get near that time for a scan.

Kaye and I spent the entire week in South Carolina last week. I was down there on business the entire week. The lord kept us safe and gave me strength to endure the whole week. God is a gracious God and gives us the desires of our heart. The desire of my heart was to hold up all week.

People who need prayer are my sister Beth who had another stint put in a few weeks ago, Ann Holcombe who is recovering from surgery. Reg Garner who is recovering from Surgery. Stan Neighbors who is doing great after his surgery. The neighbor of one of my collegues in the business who went through a bone marrow transplant recently. And please remember Kaye because she has had an ear ache for so long and nothing seems to help. It give her fits. Her birthday is coming up the 26th of September so I have got to plan a special something for her because she is so wonderful to me.

Kaye and I got to attend Church yesterday and it was a wonderful service, should we have expected anything less? I think not. The pastor spoke on faith with works is like a vapor. He was right we need to show our faith but do something for our fellow person with any/all our talents or our faith is but a vapor. It really got me to thinking.....

God Bless you all
Tim

I have some catching up to do! that is a good thing

whew, I have some catching up to do since I last put in a post. As you may have read, we were going to Philadelphia for the National School Show and then on to Atlantic City where our sons were going to join us and we were going to attend a Baseball game between the Braves and Phillies. I am so happy to tell you the entire week was perfect. We did not have one glitch in the whole week. We had a great time, our sons had a great time, and it was a pleasure to get together and enjoy ourselves. Of course since Matthew turned 21 in June he tried his hand at gambling at the Casino where we stayed in Atlantic City and like all of us, he left without his money,,,,err should I say Dad's money. He had a wonderful time, we had allowed him to bring his friend Daniel and they had a great time losing their money. The baseball game was perfect, we celebrated my birthday that day. Unfortunatley age is catching up with me because I thought I was 54 and it turns out I am only 52! Hurrah! I gained 2 years!

After we returned from Atlantic City we stayed in Raleigh a week then it was off to Gastonia (our hometown none the less) for the Legion State Baseball tournament which Ryan's team qualified for. They finished 4th which is wonderful for this as this was their first time ever in the tournament.

Matt and Ryan start back to college the 20th and boy will they be glad. The summer has been great but they miss the rigors of college and all the activity. Ryan for one misses it alot. We are home this month until the 27th when we invade Columbia for the first football game of the year. We have a wonderful family down there and they are taking us in and we are excited about seeing them.

Update from the Doctor's visit. I visited Chapel Hill on August 5 and the doctor asked a few questions and said I was looking good. He will schedule a scan for me in two months so I am confident that God's miracle in me will be complete and I will have a clean scan. This month it has been 3 years since I was diagnosed and the date never leaves me.

Prayer Requests, please remember our neighbor Leann Eck as she lost her father this week. He had been suffering from cancer. B.J. Dail has made a miraculous recovery and is doing really well according to his parents. Please continue to remember me in prayer and my family. I am sure the next time I post, the boys will be back in school, and we will be on our way to doing something somewhere.

I did want to tell you that Debbie at Golden Corral always reads my blog and always is cheerful when I go there. She is an inspiration for me and I thank her for being so positive.

God Bless
Tim

Treatment number 5 is now over

Today, I finished my last treatment for the cyberknife radiation at UNC Hospital. We had stayed this week in Chapel Hill because I just was not sure about what the treatment would do to me. As it turns out nothing noteworthy happened and for that I am grateful for the prayers and the doctors at UNC. Here is the schedule for now. I go for a check up August 5. The nurse told me I would have a scan in 3 months barring any complications. I can only hope I have 3 months of uninterrupted healing. No doubt your prayers are big part of healing.

I have scheduled myself to attend the National School show in Philadelphia July 20-23 and on the 24th we are going to have Matt and Ryan join us for a weekend in Philly along with the baseball game between Philadelphia and the Atlanta Brave on Saturday (my birthday) we are so excited!

I spent a lot of time reflecting this week on the treatments I have had and how God has brought me through so many. The doctors always make no guarantees with each new procedure but I truly believe God has everything on his timetable and I need to be patient. I do feel an urging from God to help our church with a food pantry and when I get stronger, I am going to pursue it. With my contacts in the food industry, I hope I can be a help to someone.

I have tried to stay in touch with family and work via email since my surgery May 28, by the way the surgery is healing nicely but whew it was touch and go for a while.

Matt is in Greenville and Ryan is still here at home. They will start school in about 1 month so I know they are getting excited. I did want to shout out to Marshall. This young man is going to be Ryan's roommate next year and he is a quality young man that is so likeable. He is working hard this summer with his jobs so he can return to school and also get a new cell phone. He told me he reads my blog everyday. Marshall we love you and are proud to have you as Ryan's roommate next year.

I have not made a final decision on the tatoo but the Colts horseshoe is looking pretty good. I know the world is waiting to hear and Ryan and Marshall say they want to be there to see it happen. Of course they want their 3 tatoo and so we are negotiating right now. Kaye is cautiously willing to discuss it.

We are always grateful for the prayer lists we are on and the requests. So many people ask and I am so honored. I know you are a believer when you tell me that you are praying. I wanted to add another name to the prayer list. He is Reg Garner, the President of T.W. Garner and a fine friend of mine. He found cancer in his pancreas and was to have surgery this week. He is a great man and one I am proud to say I know. I will let you know about his condition as soon as I find out. T.W. Garner makes that great Texas Pete that Kaye loves so much.......our friend Maha loves it more than anyone. She uses it by the gallon at home! Go Girl!

I hope to keep you posted more often now that I have some time to heal. It has been quite a whirlwind since May 28th and everyone at my company and all my friends and associates have been so wonderful to help out.

We love you all
God Bless
Tim and Kaye

July 1- Time to start new

I had my first treatment with cyberknife today. It is pretty powerful radiation. I will have a total of 5 over the next two weeks then we wait and do testing to see how it went. I had to lie on my back for 2 hours while the machine hovered around me and shot radiation to the specific lymph node that is being a problem child so to speak. I am a little tired from just the first session so I imagine that this is going to take some steam out of me but not beat me down. I emailed Kayes cousins in Columbia and I told them how excited we were to be coming to the land of the gamecocks and see state lace up the cleats against a really top program. They are excited too and hopefully we can tailgate before the game.

Matt came home today he was so excited about the stock he bought. he bought 3 shares of a gold mining company in argentina. He heard a hot tip from the Mad Dog. He is already up 1.50 a share. A real chip off the old block from his dad and grandad.

Ryan is excited these days because I told him I was seriously considering a tatoo. Really you only live once and I have been thinking about a small one for some time now. You should hear the suggestions.......NC State Logo, or Colts Logo, Mike Murray says he will buy it if I will do the tarheels logo,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,no way!!!! They also suggested the turtle and snail after my infamous turtle and snail joke. I am getting lots of suggestions,,,,,,Mike says to do Lunkhead since he and I always called that by our wives. Kaye said the Sharin logo......not bad but I have that on my car tag. We will see

We are praying for lots of friends like B J Dail who got moved to Chapel Hill but has some serious injuries. We went to see him last week. Please remember this 18 year old young man in your prayers. He has head injuries and leg injuries from a car accident

We are praying for my mom's friend who has a son who is my age who was newly diagnosed with cancer.

We are praying for Connie Chans father who had a mini stroke and Leann Eck's dad who has cancer.

This list goes on and on. I emailed Father Charles at the Vatican, Kayes buddy and he emailed me back and told me he would be praying for our requests........nothing like going to the top!!!!

Kaye is doing okay. Her knees hurt all the time. She thinks the tatoo thing is a hoot. She is so good to me. I wish everyone knew how supportive of me she is. When I hurt she hurts. When I am sick she cries. I know all you men have the same kind of spouse so cherish them. Take time for them. Talk to them.....we men can be so clamy sometimes,,,,,,can't shoulder the pressures of the world yourself you know. ASK a good woman her opinion and I bet you it is a better idea than yours.

God Bless you all
Tim

Here we go!

It is now Sunday, and I am another day past the 28th of May. That is a day I will not soon forget. I never realized how much being cut on affected your body. I have had naseau. My incision has hurt and the sheer lack of strength in my legs and arms has been indescribable. Through all this Kaye has been right with me.. My mother and two of my sisters came up for the 28th and and then again last week and it was a pleasure to visit with them. It is sometimes a tough drive going that 3 hours down interstate especially when you do it up and back in one day. Mom brought me one of my favorite dishes, Calves liver and gravy.......mmmmmm I know you might not like the sound of it but I have loved it since I was a child. I get it everytime we go to K&S Cafeteria.
BJ Dail is still in critical condition so please remember him in prayer. He has leg and head injuries and is in the hospital in Boston. His mom is communicating with everyone via email. He is such a young man with such a bright future. God is on the scene and directing that family.
Stan Neighbors went home today. He has been so faithful to call and check on me! I could tell he was in pain but I could also tell he was relieved to have this surgery behind him. He promises not to be back at work till he is ready.........hummmmm We will see. Stan is a go getter!
The cards you are sending are such a comfort. I got one the other day from my friends at Golden Corral and that really touched me as they are more than a customer they are family.

I go to Chapel Hill on Friday the 27th for a PET Scan at 7:30 am then a doctor's visit at 10:00 then a planning scan and then another doctors visit. It is very possible I may start the treament the following week. Treatments are supposed to go MON and Thurs, Mon and Thursday then Wednesday and hopefully by the grace of God I will be through.. Prayers have been answered. Prayers are going to be answered.

Lastly please rememeber Jody and Beverly Freeman in your prayers. I know you don't know them by she is Kaye's cousin and she is such a blessing to us. They are dealing with something that God will see them through so I ask that you remember them in prayer.

Lastly, My mother has a friend who has a son that is my age that just found out he has lung cancer. You cannot imagine how this news affects you till you hear the words, you have cancer. I pray for him and the mother that the confidence God has given me in his healing power will prevail over them as they look at this as an opportunity and not a sentence. Cancer can be cured. It is not a death sentence. It is not the end all. Please remember them in prayer.

I will sign off by telling you today is a good day. God IS in control and we look forward to more good days.

God Bless
Tim

Update June 16th

Whew, to quote the grateful dead, "what a long strange trip this has been!" On May 28th I went in to have this little node removed in hopes of a couple of days stay in the hospital and then home to recover and back to smooth ground........WRONG........The surgeons ended up cutting me from my strenum to my navel (23 staples) Ouch ouch ouch. I was on a Morphine drip, scratch scratch scratch itch itch! then 5 days later sent home to recover from the most devestating cut on me I have ever had. Yesterday and today are the first two days, I feel like being up. I did not say at 'em just up! The surgery was not as successful as we had hoped. I still have the spot and so tomorrow we head over to Chapel Hill to be examined by the doctors over there to see it this new technology called Cyber Knife will be a successful procedure. It focuses high dose radiation to spots as small as 1mm. Wild stuff. Otherwise I have been trying to overcome the nasuea and some of the stomach pain from where I was cut. Keep me in your thoughts this weeks and always your prayers.

Remember by friend and collegue Stan Neighbors with J&J Snack Foods as well. He is undergoing a 5 hour operation today at 1:30 to remove or repair a very serious hernia. He is going to have 6 weeks of recovery ahead of him and his cut is going to be longer than mine! He is a great guy with a great attitude and always calls to check on me.

A tip of the ole Irish Hat to Courtney Webb who came to our rescue this past week. Kaye has contacted Herpes of the eye and she has had to have constant hourly medication. Kaye and I were at our wits ends on someone to help us and take care of us and Courtney came to mind. She saved us with all her hard work and willingness to help out. She and Lil Tim McAllister have been our refuge in this storm cloud.

I appreciate all the cards sent my way. Each one has made a difference in my day.

Love to you all
God Bless
Tim

Wednesday May 28th Surgery Day

This coming Wednesday, we go into surgery and remove that pesky lymph node that is just above my stomach. Needless to say, I hope this is the only time I have to have my insides looked at and some taken out. We believe and have been told that the node is encapsulating some Reid Steinburg cells so pray extra hard that node stays intack until they remove it and then we will be on smooth ground.......at least until the next pet scan which will be in about 2 months.

I had a Pulminary Function test on Thursday as well as an EKG and bloodwork. The PFT came out very good. The doctor said that I had some small passage ways that needed to be treated with an inhaler so they prescribed Advair for me. I do the inhaler thing once in the am and once in the pm. It seems to help. My EKG was fine.

Kaye, my beautiful bride vows to stay with me night and day at the hospital. Such devotion. I cannot fathom her dedication to me but I rest quietly at night beside her knowing she is always there for me. She battles her own aliments and that is a double edge sword when taking care of me but she protects me from over doing it.......most of us guys used to consider that nagging but I see now it is a protective mechanism of the wife. What a great lesson I have learned.

Matt is in summer school and Ryan is home for the summer. Ryan is so good to cut the grass every week and Matt is good to call home and check on us. Matt will be a senior next year can you believe that. He still has a 3.1 grade point average and this summer part of his school is at Pitt Memorial hospital doing patient visits.......A real Gray's Anatomy going here but without the drama and sex. The way a real hospital is done. I used to watch Gray's but too much drama and too much sex for me. Oh well did not mean to editorialize.

We had a family reunion of Kaye's family this weekend but missed it because of my surgery this week. Kaye was so looking forward to that.

I will post you again before I do the surgery thing

Pray for me!

God Bless
Tim

UPDATE

My oncologist called today and made his recommendation and after conferring with some of his peers and the doctor who oversaw my stem cell transplant and the decision is to surgically remove the spot that I have sitting on the top of my stomach.

Jeff Crane is going to have his surgeon call us this week and schedule a meeting and hopefully do the surgery next week. WoW that is fast! Jeff told me that the procedure is a lot like a gall bladder removal. The recovery time is almost the same.

Soooo onward we go and Dr. Crane says that this is the only spot in my body and it is not attached to any organ so it is free to be removed. I have had the spot since my November Scans so it is time to remove it.

I am so thankful for the knowledge that God gives these oncologists and surgeons and I am convinced we are headed for open highway!

Continue to keep me in your prayers as I pray for you all

God Bless
Tim

The Endoscopy.....it is not a cyst

we met last Wednesday with Dr. Patel who would do my endoscopy on Friday. He is renown for his expertise in endoscopy and the one my oncologist originally wanted for my first endoscopy. He is a slender dark skinned young doctor with a british accent. After looking at the previous endoscopy results and the PET's from previous scans, he thought this might be scar tissue from the radiation or a cyst or even a dying lymph node.

We really liked him and his confidence. The endoscopy went well he went straight to the mass and accessed it with a needle to do the bioposy. The preliminary results from the pathology show evidence of Reed Steinberg cells which are cells that indicate lymphoma. This was not what we had hoped for but we are optomistic that further reports will indicate otherwise. We should know something from my oncologist Monday or Tuesday. God is in control and I believe he will move on the scene when he is best glorified.

I feel really good. my weight is up. I am not in distress and am not in pain. The mass is behind my stomach and is 2.5 cm in diameter. There are a couple of things to remember from my previouse visits with Jeff Crane my oncologist.

1. Hodgkins cells can hide anywhere in the body
2. Hodgkins cells move through out the body and in most cases move to lower parts of the body which it appears here.
3. It really is important to note that my new radiologist first noticed a spot when he reviewed my files for an appointment with him in February. He ordered the Cat scans just to be on the sfe side. Jeff ordered the PET scan when the mass just could not be identified.
4. Jeff wanted Dr. Patel in the first place but our former insurance company did not have his office approved. We now have BSBC and they are approved with Dr. Patel.
5. We will pray for God's hand in finishing the work he has begun.

Had my radiologist (who was seeing me for the first time) not noticed this, I might have gone on with this without detection.

I will post the results and the course directed by my oncologist. I love you all and please continue to pray for me and my family.

God Bless You
Tim

Time to catch you up again

I wanted to give out a couple of posts so you can catch up on the topsy turvy lives that Kaye and I have. Of course it is probably no more topsy turvy than yours but here goes.

We had a little of a scare when we found out our cousin Ann Holcombe was facing some serious surgery and possibly be confirmed with leukemia but through positive thought and prayer can you believe that she had her surgery but the doctors found the trouble was coming from a stitch she had in her from a previous surgery. Wow what a relief. God is good. He comes through just in the nick of time.

Last week we learned that one of Kayes favorite aunts passed away. Thelma Caldwell. She was a sister to Kayes father. We went back to Gastonia for the funeral and saw her uncle Melvin (who shares a bout of shingles with me) and all her family. It did us good to see family both mine and hers. We spent the night with her aunt ella mae. We love her so much. We got to see my mom too and had a great visit. She now has a new back door and a new table and chairs!

We returned to Raleigh on friday because Matt was coming home and Ryan was coming over and we got to enjoy time with them.

I am doing well

My dad passed away February 10th and everyday I still think of him. I talk to my mom almost every other day and she is doing great. My 6 month on nephew, Carson is growing and making life around her house a real joy, full of commotion as we like to call it.

I had an endoscopy done 2 weeks ago to look at a 2cm spot at the bottom of my esophagus. The results were inconclusive so guess what. I am having another endoscopy done May 9th and this time the doctor will use a needle and drain off some of the fluid. I am not in any distress and there is not pain at the site of what appears to be a cyst. The endoscopy does not hurt but I am put to sleep for about 30 minutes so as I have told everyone, I don't choose these things I am in the hands of my doctors and if they say do it then I do it. I have learned long ago they know what they are talking about and I just go along.

Kaye has been wonder to care for me. I even made a mistake with my meds that she caught and we corrected. Seems as I misunderstood the dosage on my thyroid medicine and I was taking too much. Not good. I felt great but did not need that much dosage.

Work is going really well. I am working 5 days a week most weeks. Kaye says that is too much and at the end of the week I believe she is right.

We had a nest of wrens on the front porch and yesterday they had a very crowed nest as we say 4 little head, beaks and pairs of eyes bulging from the nest. I wanted to take a picture of the nestlings today and when we came out on the porch this morning, they were gone. I tell you this because today Ryan came to help us cut limbs that were hanging over our fence and creating too much shade. As were were laboring to bag the limbs I told Ryan, "your parents are getting old" and he just listened. I believe it is okay to admit limitations when you grow old. I know we are proud and think we are still in our 30's but we have to admit it is a younger generation taking over. Also our little birds fly the nest some day and we have to be prepared to accept it.......they do come back though

God bless you all
keep me in your prayers
Tim

whew I have got to start getting better on the updates

Its been a month

It has been a month since I lost my dad and I still imagine him as just being out of town. Its kind of sad to know you don't have that person to talk to or get an opinion from. Sometimes you feel like you are on an island but then again, I have my mom and my sisters and my wife and kids and so I am blessed to have had my dad for 72 years.

Mom is doing great. She has not missed a beat except for battling a cold which we all have had this time of year. Kaye is still shaking off the effects of a cold from a month ago.

I am so blessed to have such a great family to support me. This week has been spring break for Matt and Ryan and once again the house is filled with conversation and dialogue and laughter and most all the beautiful experience of just laying eyes on my children and seeing how they are maturing and growing into great adults. I just love to look at them and marvel at how they have grown.

I just learned that my neice Natalie got accepted to college and I am very happy for her and I know she will love College.

I am breathing so much better now and my stamina has rebounded so well that Kaye and I are travelling a lot with work. I ask that you continue to pray for me as I pray for you.

God is good
Love to you all
Tim

Follow up with the Radiologist

We had our first visit with my new radiologist and he told me that after reviewing my records he was amazed at the progress I had made and how much I had taken over the last three years and still kept going. God is an amazing God and if were not for him and his perfect will, I surely would have not made it. He gave Kaye superhuman strength to look after me and nurture me and care for me and he gave me a family who prays and keeps in touch. Never doubt that God works in the background, and frontground.

My radiologist said the only thing he say in my Cat scan was what appears to be a cyst that would be treatment related just below my esophagus. He said he had no doubt it was non cancerous and said more than likely it came from all the treatment I have had over the years. He is recommending another PET scan to be sure then an outpatient scope to draw the fluid off the cyst. He said as far as my chest he saw NO evidence of tumors, or swollen nodes.....Praise God what a healer!

I will have the PET Scan on the 26th of March. My family is doing fine. I miss my dad. Even though he left us with great memories, I still think of him daily. My Mom is doing very well although she has that congestion like me and Kaye have had.

I hope you all are doing fine. As our minister spoke Sunday, you have to get all your life processes in line, spiritual, financial, health, and social before God can really bless you. Kaye and I are working to get everything in line and accept Gods blessings.

We love you all
God Bless

CAT Scan comes back good

Just wanted to let everyone know that I had my CAT Scan on Monday and Monday night my doctor called and said it looked good. He said I showed that I was stopped up with a lot of gunk from my sinus's to my lungs. I told him I knew that because I had been blowing my nose for 3 days!

I see my new Radiologist on Friday. My old one whom Kaye and I loved took a job in Charlotte.

I have missed up dating everyone over the last two months becasuse of my dad's condition and this congestion. Seems everyone has it.

Praise God for another clear scan. That is number 3. I continue to ask you to pray for me and my family as we move through the times without my dad. I continue to ask that you remember me in prayer becasue that is why I am here today to be a witnessing miracle of God's healing ability.

God Bless you all
Tim

My dad is gone

Since my last post, I lost my dad. He drifted away from us at 10:45 PM on Sunday night. We received friends at the church where his service was. We play music from his favorie CD and we had a simple ceremony which is what my dad wanted.

His last two weeks were forgettable. He had reached through so much pain and discomfort only to find more pain. We had already said our goodbyes and he knew how much we loved him and we knew how much he loved us. The void will not soon be filled as we remember what a special man he was.

Mom is doing great. She has a remarkable determination to continue on and work through every obstacle. Mom and Dad had already made all their arrangements and let me say that is what everyone should do. Morbid as it may sound you will never regret it. Leaving your arrangements behind for your loved ones is almost too much to bear.

As we walked away from the cemetary that blustery Wednesday, I felt a tinge of relief that my dad went out of this world with Jesus in his heart. He left for a place of rest and no pain. Funny how he and I shared some of the same pain over the last couple of years. I know I will see him again and I find comfort in that. I find comfort in the fact that he has gone ahead of us and will await our arrival some day.