It has been quite some time since I updated this blog. I hope to change that soon.

To those who may have wondered why I stopped blogging, I apologize. To new readers, ‘welcome.’

The short answer to why?

Life got in the way.

The long answer?

In August 2012 I went to the doctor with severe stomach pains. After quite a bit of testing they decided I needed to go to a specialist who diagnosed me with clear cell carcinoma. At first I hoped they were wrong, but then I accepted the fact that I had cancer again after having leukemia a couple years before.

It was very enlightening to see how people would treat a person knowing they had cancer and how those who didn’t know reacted when they found out. Let’s just say I found out who my true friends were.

Cancer is one of those things that can emotionally and physically debilitate a person. There are lots of questions that go unanswered, lots of prayers that seem to be hitting brick walls, and on those who are close the expressions of fear are often. For a while I was depressed. Who wouldn’t be. You get to the place where you wonder the whys, and worry about what might come next. I did have a little while of that and the feeling sorry for myself, but then I realized it was out of my hands and I could choose to keep feeling self pity or I could depend on the one who created me in the beginning. The Bible says He knows our end from our beginning and I began to act like nothing was wrong. Perhaps I was hoping that if I didn’t accept it, I would not have it.

Those who are close do treat you different. Sometimes they act worried and other times they seem angry for you ‘doing this’ to them. It does no good to explain, they won’t get it. You just have to keep going and do your best to trust.

I had quite a few doctor appointments and even changed doctors a few times. I was hoping for a different answer and I did finally find a doctor I trusted. He still had the same answer and so I prepared for the worst.  They told me I would have to leave the area to have surgery, but I wouldn’t know for sure a good date until around Christmas. Who wants to go have a surgery at Christmas?

The appointments they made me to schedule surgery came and went, and one of the surgeons didn’t seem to care if I showed up to appointments at all, in fact he seemed very nonchalant about it all. It didn’t seem important to him.

Before too long 2013 was here and I was still waiting for a surgery appointment.

I was on the phone with a close friend who lives a long distance from me when they said they heard about a surgeon that was closer to me and I made an appointment to see him. Within two weeks I was undergoing anesthesia, and being operated on with the Davinci Robot. Yeah, I know. It is almost like a video game type control with robot arms cutting, stitching, and taking care of the surgery issues. They removed the tumor and part of my right kidney.

At the time I didn’t realize it, but the time spent waiting on the other doctors turned out to be a big blessing. The surgery was much less invasive and I was healing quit nicely within just a couple of weeks. I have been told the traditional methods of this surgery are much worse, in fact I met one person who had the other method later and he told me it was six months recovery! I was back to work with three weeks. Good thing too! April to September proved to be very busy with work both online and locally. My energy levels had improved nicely and my paychecks became bigger.

In 2013 God blessed me immensely. New car, new furniture for my house, more integrated into my local job, new friends, and a little more freedom than I had experienced in quite a while. Oh, and no evidence of any residual cancer either!

Yes, life got in the way and I was blessed. My blogs suffered, I stopped being on Facebook for a while, but in all, things are good.

2014…

Yes, I am still behind on my blogs, but when I weigh out whether or not I have time to write, or just enjoy life again with less worries, and a bit more money? 

Less worries is always a better choice.  I will try and get my blogs up to date more often, but I am back and ready to do more design work for churches, ready for new experiences, and enjoying life. GBU