It is Thursday, June 2; yesterday we saw the oncologist for the first time. Her no-nonsense approach more or less took us to life and death matters within the first 2 minutes of our appointment. She clearly explained the different types of brain tumors, concluding with level IV glioblastoma – which is what I have – and explained that this is the fastest growing and most destructive of all brain cancers.

She spent some time looking through all of the MRI pictures and she also noted how fast the growth of this one is... The first MRI showed nothing, and in the second MRI it was barely a small spot. Subsequent pictures taken a month apart clearly show how fast this brain tumor and has grown. As expected, her solution is radiation and chemotherapy for extended periods of time. We were warned that during the treatment we need to be vigilant in watching for blood clots and/or swelling of any type on this left side of my body that does not currently move much.

Once again, I'm extremely grateful for my wife and her strength through all of this. Her devotion to me is clearly evident and never wavers. As much as the doctors try to scare us, Lorraine holds her composure and remains cheerful! Her love is just such an absolutely incredible blessing to me and I know that I have to thank God for it. This coming year will not be easy for either of us. I have been assured that as my cancer treatments commence I will get weaker and weaker. This is hard to imagine because my left side is so weak already.

We are in the process right now of trying to arrange another private healing session with Grand Master Fu. His Qi Gong healing methods are a product of 5000 years of ancient Chinese medicine. I have spoken of his methods on this blog in several other posts. Right now as I type, I am drinking this stinky tea that he prescribed for me last month!

This is yet one more way the Lorraine supports me so perfectly well; she cooks these Chinese herbs and makes the tea for me to drink every other day (each batch lasts two days) even though it makes the house smell horrible and it actually burns her eyes and throat as she cooks the herbs! The cool thing is that the remnants of the odor last at least a day after the tea has been cooked. This keeps all insects and critters out of our house!

In fact that pesky neighbors cat that used to poop our yard every other day no longer returns. So in addition to healing to my brain, this tea has other benefits! And if this was not enough fun, Lorraine has to scrub these stinky herbs out of the pot that she boils the tea in, and that is always tough to do. Not only is it stinky, but it's sticky! My taste buds are getting used to it however, and drinking the tea is no longer such a struggle. Please note carefully: I did not say this tea is tasting any better- just that I'm getting used to it!

All kidding aside, I know that I am in the fight for my life, absolutely literally. Once again, I thank God for Lorraine and the rest of my family being such a terrific support team. I don't know how somebody could get through this without a highly effective support mechanism and I will always be thankful for my friends and family.

All of you reading my blog that are praying for me, please note how much I appreciate it. Your prayer is not taken lightly by myself nor God. My complete faith in Him will get me through this. I trust that the Lord has put the right doctors and healers in front of me and He is allowing me to choose wisely my methods of treatment. Lorraine and I know full well the "natural course" of this disease. We are doing however, everything possible to arrest the cancer and keep me from being just another casualty to this insidious disease. I will not go down easy or without a fight. Lorraine gives me so much to live for- how can I possibly give up easily?
This six-month process of diagnosis, testing, and feeling like I have been put "on hold" is now complete and Western medicine treatment is about to commence. I just have to believe that the combination of this and Eastern medicine will remove this brain tumor and allow me to live out the rest of my life in comfort and happiness as I know God wants me to.

We have a beautiful, loving Lord who wants nothing but peace and happiness for us in good health. I know this brain tumor and the associated cancer is not of God, but the Enemy. I have been praying for God to use my body to once again prove that he is stronger than the Enemy. My house is God's house and there is no place for Satan in my home or my body, as much as he tries to scare me.

With God's grace and His miracle I will once again walk strong and tall. Thank you all for your prayers; please remember to pray for Lorraine also. This did not just happen to me has happened to both of us.