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.
Amen to every bit of that...Gail has been a literal angel to me, a Pearl of great price...in fact, there is no proce for the kind of love and caring she has shown. I can only thank a merciful God in Heaven that He led her into my life.
Thank you for those prayers...the power of prayer has been real and manifest in all of this and I cannot epxress the gratitude I feel adequately...can only pass it on to others and do the same.
You are welcome AG, my dear FRiend. And thank YOU and so many others for your continued prayers on our behalf. God bless you for them, and may He return the blessing many fold. I know He will.
Thank you so much NW, for those very kind words and most especially for your prayers of faith. That faith has lifted me and mine through this and I will be forever grateful and just pray I can pass along the gift and the faith and prayers to others in their need...and witness the same for my Lord and Savior.
Outstanding! So glad you could make that trip. I wish every American could do so. I will be back up on that trail as soon as I am able...with my sons and other family members, and hopefully, ultimately with my grandkids. We have seven now and number eight is on the way. When they get a little older, we will make that drive together.
For though I would desire to glory, I shall not be a fool; for I will say the truth: but now I forbear, lest any man should think of me above that which he seeth me to be, or that he heareth of me. And lest I should be exalted above measure through the abundance of the revelations, there was given to me a thorn in the flesh, the messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I should be exalted above measure. For this thing I besought the Lord thrice, that it might depart from me. And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ’s sake: **for when I am weak, then am I strong.**
(2Co 12:6-10 KJVA)
"My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. "
Glad to know you’re making progress. God bless you Jeff.
Your words bring tears to my eyes, Jeff. And I needed to hear that tonight. I just wrote an editorial for our local paper(against public sector union protestors here in Wi.). I got a nasty response from a teacher acquaintance and a leftie union member looked up my phone number and called me at home to yell at me. I had some strong words for him before I hung up.
I’m not letting either incident get to me..but to read this reaffirmation of why we Conservatives do what we do and believe what we believe,,,is encouraging tonight.
So thank you and God Bless,,
Prayers and best wishes for you.
Barnacle
”A Season in Hell”
I've always liked to remember clever book and movie titles as a way to describe things, and you have had yours, and I have had mine.
It will pass, but it sure hurts like a Son of a Bitch living thru it.
Emmy is where her teeth and ankles don't hurt anymore, and her unique and beautiful singing voice has been restored- like I tell people,
”May we all meet again, in a better World than this one...”
( But it still hurts like a Son of a Bitch- she was my life... )
But I'm pleased to tell you “Dragon's Fury” now resides in my “Free Kindle App for PC's,” and I'll get to it after I finish “An Old Man's War...”
Jeff. there are two things to think about.
Where you were, and where you are. When this “adventure” began for you and your Family, many here would have never imagined you would accomplish so much, so quickly.
More people than you know have you in the prayers. Keep with it and never, and I mean never, give up hope. You are an inspiration to people who have to deal with much less serious issues, myself included.
God Bless you and your loved ones. Be sure to keep all of us Jeff Head fans updated.
Wow! You’ve made great progress! I am so happy for you, and so proud of you!
The next thing you know, you will be on your tippy-toes! I’m fully expecting to see that very soon.
God love you, and keep you...and thank you for the update!
This is great news - thanks for posting!
Prayers up, Godspeed!
FYI. Again, thanks to all for your faith and prayers, may the blessings be returned upon you and yours a hundred fold!
“There you go”, calling down blessings on the rest of us. Well, thanks much, we need them too. Great to see you doing well, and may God continue to bless your recovery/rehab efforts.
As I remember, your work involved some field duty in some high and interesting places. Any of that going on yet?
I’m so very glad to hear that God has more work for you to do down here.
;-)
awesome news and glad to read that you are improving. Sorry that we missed each other at MDA (My Daylong Adventure). We rememeber you and your family in prayer.
Semper Fi
Prayers and love to you and your family Jeff.
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