I promise I will not stray into the areas of TMI (Too Much Information) which is easy to do here, and definitely will not get too medically technical in my descriptions!
Since January of 2013, I have been winning the battle against cancer. As the numbers go, in less than 3 years I have had three cancers, 12 total surgeries with 4 of them major multi-hour surgeries.
Here is the timeline of my journey so far:
- December 2012, moved from Chicago to Austin, TX. 2 1/2 years of symptoms misdiagnosed by doctors in Chicago
- January 2013, diagnosed with cancer cells in urinary system.
- March 2013, it was located and defined as stage T3B malignant prostate cancer; Gleason 10 (very rare and very aggressive); NOTE: Normal tests for PSA levels were 0.0 (undetectable) and DRE’s (Digital Rectal Exams) were inconclusive. So usual methods of detection proved to not be accurate.
- May 2013, was a radical robotic prostate cancer surgery at MD Anderson in Houston, TX.
- January 2014, was renal/kidney cancer surgery – not staged, but malignant – at MD Anderson in Houston, TX.
- June 2014, was a reconstruction of “things” that didn’t grow back quite the way docs thought they would at MD Anderson in Houston, TX.
- April 2015, symptoms of dizziness, no energy, pale, chest pains. Full cardiac tests revealed no heart issues. Blood tests revealed toxic levels of hemoglobin/blood oxygen usually caused from internal bleeding. Admitted to emergency room with 3 immediate blood transfusions. Colonoscopy and endoscopy revealed stage 2 colon cancer.
- July 2015, emergency surgery for colon cancer at St. David’s Hospital in Austin, TX.
- October 2015, Multiple teams of doctors at MD Anderson confirm I am cancer free again.
- 2016, finally a full year without being admitted to a hospital! The only issue of interest is that after all of the invasions of my abdomen from all of the surgeries, it seems I have an abdominal hernia. No pain, but sometimes it looks like the alien from the movie “Alien” protruding from my body. HA! Most people never notice.
- October-December 2017, having much the midsection of my body reengineered from the multiple surgeries, it seems that some of the work needs to be repaired. Duct tape and super glue aside, December 2017 was my 13th surgery to correct some internal issues causing pain and leakage.
Throughout all cancers, no chemo, no radiation, and today – no cancer. Just great detection and surgeries by 6+ teams of doctors at MD Anderson in Houston and St. David’s here in Austin.
I am alive with confident predictions from multiple doctors for a 100% full recovery.
Global Navigator 
