MY DAD

In honor of Father's Day (slightly passed), I thought I would quickly post about the greatest dad ever..... MY DAD!! I love my dad more than words can describe and I can't believe everything he has been through in the last few months.... and years!! My dad is a stage 4 cancer survivor, but is continually battling cancer everyday. Here is a little bit of his story:

In March of 2001, my dad was diagnosed with one of the ugliest cancers... melanoma, on his skin. The doctors removed the small lesion on his face, and we thought that was the end of cancer..... and it was.... for 6 years.

Memorial Weekend 2007 we spent the weekend with my parents. As we were getting ready to head home, we kept noticing how weird my dad was acting: he kept pacing around the house and repeatedly asking the same questions over and over. We later noticed that his tongue was all chewed up and decided he should go to the doctor.

After several scans and an EEG, they determined that my dad experienced a grand mal seizure. Since my dad was a normal healthy guy, and had never experienced a seizure before, several more tests, blood work, and scans later determined that he had a tumor in his brain.

July 4, 2007 wasn't a day filled with parades and fireworks.... my whole family spent that day in the Utah Valley Hospital, while my dad underwent brain surgery!

July 4, 2007 my dad had his first brain surgery.

He did really well considering everything he had to go through. I will never forget seeing my dad have seizures after his surgery. I think my mom has been scarred for life since seeing him 'shake'.


The surgery determined that there was another type of cancer dwelling inside my father's body: Astrocytoma, Stage 2.

Due to the surgeon removing the tumor, that was the end of that cancer and tumor...... so we thought!

In September 2007, the doctors found MELANOMA once again, but this time in my dad's lungs. They did a needle biopsy and removed the growth in his lungs.

This was such a devestating time for my family! Although the tumor had been removed in his lungs, melanoma is a terminal cancer, and he had it stage 4. Around this times, Doctors hinted to my parents about my dad only having 9 months left to live, and to enjoy his life, whatever time he had left.

Well, those 9 months have come and gone and doctors can't really explain it.... and we won't ask. Stage 4 cancer patients don't survive, but my dad has!!!

Once again, we though our troubles were over. My dad continually has MRI scans of the brain and PET/CT scans of the body, just as precaution and follow-up to the previous cancers.

In January 2011, one particular scan showed a marble sized tumor in the pancreas and another tumor in the brain!!!!!! WHAT?!?! How could this be, my whole family went through a whirl-wind and our whole world turned up-side-down!

The doctors decided to do brain surgery and remove the tumor, so that that particular cancer and tumor was out of the way and they could focus on the pancreas.

Here is my dad getting prepped for his 2nd brain surgery: shaving the head!

My dad keeps things to himself, but you could tell inside he was scared to death, and that was really hard to see. But he faced his 2nd brain surgery.

My mom and dad before his 2nd brain surgery: March 2, 2011

Here he is in the recovery room

And walking the halls Once again, we thought all was said and done with the brain, but a follow-up MRI 3 short weeks later, showed yet again another growth inside. Not knowing if this was another tumor or a fluid-filled cyst, the doctors said the only option was to do a 3rd brain surgery!

Here is dad with the whole family the night before his 3rd surgery!

Once again, he was terrified, because the 2nd surgery was harder than the first. He struggled talking for quite some time after his 2nd surgery as was so afraid that they would cut or nick something inside, leaving him permanently damaged.


Everything went well and he recovered much quicker from the 3rd surgery. It wasn't a tumor, but was a fluid-filled cyst and debris from the previous surgery.

Brain Surgery #3 May 7, 2011

My mom and dad!

Alyson, Kayson and I in the waiting room during surgery #3!

My dad is the best father ever and has been there for me through everything! He is also one of the greatest grandpa's and love his grandchildren unconditionally!

Kayson loves his Grandpa Brad!

Although the news about the 3rd surgery only being a cyst was great news, the cyst was filled with cancer cells! :(

The doctors decided the best course of action was to start chemo and radiation, all the while the large tumor in his pancreas has just been sitting and waiting.

My dad has been driving up to Provo 5 times a week to do radiation treatments on his brain. He then travels home everynight to take his oral chemotherapy pills. So far he is doing ok, but is completely worn out everyday and so run down. He has another few weeks of these two treatments and then will most likely start doing I.V. chemotherapy treatments for the melanoma in the pancreas. With melanoma, there typically isn't any treatment, but a new chemo drug has just been approved by the FDA and he will be starting that IV course shortly after the radiation treatment is done.

I can't believe everything that has transpired these last few months. It has been so emotionally draining on our family, but my mom and dad keep moving forward. My mom has been amazing through this whole process. The only thing she ever says is "as long as your dad's ok, then I'm ok" They are such great examples and are such strong individuals. I whine and pity myself all the time, thinking how could this be happening to our family, while continually praying for a miracle.

All I can say is "As long as my dad's ok... then I'm ok!!"

LOVE YOU MORE THAN YOU COULD EVER KNOW DAD!!!
KEEP FIGHTING!