Jeff walking without the cane at the Post Office in Emmett, ID
Jeff walking their new dog at the vets office in Emmett, ID
Posted on 03/03/2011 12:27:49 PM PST by Jeff Head
I posted this on my site and on Facebook today, and thought I would add it here on FreeRepublic as so many good, good people have encouraged, helped, prayed for and exercised their faith on my behalf over this last year.
Here's my Update Number 32:
A little time has passed between this entry and my last one. During that time I have continued to make progress in my rehabilitation, and to continue to mentally and emotionally come to terms with my new life and condition.
As to my rehab, I am walking pretty much all the time now without any assisted device, including my cane. I am finding that I am getting more and more stamina as the weeks pass as to how long and how far I can walk, but progress and improvement are defintely being made, however slowly. I still have a bit of a hitch in my left hip as I walk, and it drops down when I take a step because there is continued weakness in that joint. There may always be. As time goes on and those muscles slowly build, it will improve. In addition, on my right side, my foot itself has a greater loss of sensation than my left and my calf muscle is weaker there. Getting up on tip toes still alludes me, but I am working with that every day as I go up and down the long stairs at work and again, making slow progress.
Here's links to a couple of videos of me walking in February without the cane around town:
It's really heartening for me to see these videos and then compare them to my progress last June and July (of 2010) as I came out of the hospital. Whenever I am frustrated or think the progrewss is too slow, I just compare the videos to see how far I have come.
One of the most important reasons for this update was because last week we went to Houston and MD Anderson Cancer Center for our next big checkup.
The flight down and sitting in airports and on the plane on those seats was not too comfrotable for me, and I had quite a bit of anxiety...more about the trip itself and dealing with my disabilities, particularly bladder and bowel function, away from home and in the hotel. But we did it, and my wonderful, dear, lovely wife, Gail was there for me, as she has unfailingly been throughout this entire process...along with the prayers, faith and love of so many friends, and I was able to get through all of that.
The MRIs, CT Scans, blood work and consultations all went GREAT! On Thursday, February 24th, we met with Dr. Rhines.
He was almost estatic and very excited as he explained to us, and then showed us on the computer the progress my bone fusions are making. The bone fusions are ahead of schedule and doing better than expected.
There was no new cancer in the surgical area or the soft tissue and this was a hugely positive and good report as you can imagine. I still have three very small areas of chordoma cancer in my hip bones (illium) but they were there when they discovered and removed the large tumor in my entire sacrum. The Dr. is not too worried about those, and did in fact see another very small spot on my illium that is similar. But they are all growing, if anything, slower than expected and are very slow growing to begin with...as in years.
In September, at the next checkup, we will determine how to treat those. If there are no more that arise, we will use stereo-tactical radiation, which is a very high dosage, focused very tightly and accurately at a very small area. That process can be done in a day or two once they get everything programmed and set up and has proven effective. If a bunch more show up, we would use the general proton radiation, which is much more broad and a longer term (7 weeks of treatment, twice a day, five days a week for seven weeks). It has also shown itself to be effective, particularly in retarding growth. We hope that is not necessary because there is risk of complications from it, particularly in weakening the bone.
Dr. Rhines and Gisella were very excited to see me walking and feel I am making very good progress there as well.
All in all it was a VERY positive report and trip. We went out and ate at Luby's Caferteria in celebration and it was very good. We retunred home on Friday, February 25th, 2011.
So, we are thankful to our Father in Heaven and His Son, Jesus Christ, for their tender mercies to us in these circumstances. It is not what I would have picked...but it has been for the best. Our love and faith and the faith of so many others has grown and that is one of the most important things that can happen in life...a price cannot be placed upon it.
Every circumstance we face, particularly the difficult ones, gives us the opportunity to grow more, to love more, and to develop our faith. It is what God intends for us and is what life is all about. I am thanksful for that knowledge and am secure in my faith of Jesus Christ and know that one day, in His time, we will all experience a glorious resurrection where the ills and sicknesses and ails of this world will be behind us, and we will benefit from the love, faith, and experiences we have had and that benefit will be forever.
In the mean time, I will continue to document this experience to all who will read it. Ultimately, perhaps starting soon, I intend to turn it into a book. I believe a book about all of this will benefit others as much as, and perhaps even more than these blogs. At any rate, that is my thinking at this point. It is called, "An Unforgiving Temper," by Gail Head. Here's the link:
God bless you all, and again, from the bottom of my heart, thank you all for your encouragement, your faith, your prayers, and your love.
Sincerely,
Jeff
Or...view the video on youtube by clicking on this link: WATCH AMERICA: A LAND OF PROVIDENCE
A willingness to express these sentiments as a people, and to live according to them, is what produced our heavenly inspired Constitution and allowed us to prosper accordingly these many years.
We depart from it at the peril of our liberty, and ultimately at the peril of our very life.
Still praying for your continued recovery. Take it one day at a time brother. The progress will come.
Great news, thanks for the post! Best wishes from Grangeville.
Glad you’re still here and fighting. God Bless.
You’re looking great, Jeff. Thanks for the update!
Man, you are one tough ol' coot. LOL!
Great news Jeff! Glad to hear things are progressing.
Continued prayers...
Great news indeed Jeff! Keep up the good work.
Great news indeed Jeff! Keep up the good work.
Blessings to you Jeff and praises to our Lord Jesus Christ!
Glad to hear that you are making improvement, Jeff. I continue to remember you in my prayers, and hope your next report is at least as good as this one is!
God Bless
Great to see the positive progress. Thanks for
the update.
Hang in there.
Now...we just need to get from here to there and I hope the new Reps in the House will hold their ground...that that beachhead that was established in 2010 will hold until what I hope and pray are overwhelming reinforcements arrive after 2012.
The other side knows this and will do all in their power to keep it from happening. I pray God in Heaven we can stop them. Their true colors are showing more and more witrh the likes of what is happening in Wisconsin and the language and threats they are using. The people see this too and it will only add fuel to the fire to turn them out.
They will be turned out, by vote if we can get to 2012, and by any means necessary if they dare tryextra-constitutional means to hold power against the rule of law and the will of the people.
Thank you for those prayers...more than I can say and may the good Lord bless you and yours in a like manner!
Thank you for those prayers and may His blessings be returned upon you and yours a hundred fold. I am so grateful to be here where I can work with, influence, love and feel the warmth and love of my family and friends.
Thank you so much...and I roger your last and WILCO!
Thanbk each of you for your faith and prayers...they have sustained and kept me through this and continue to do so. God bless each of you, and keep you and yours.
Thanks for sharing this most positive update....onward and upward, Jeff. Prayers of healing continue.
Thank you my FRiend. Glad to still be in the fight.
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