Posted on 01/04/2010 2:45:21 AM PST by DollyCali
You can find him on line at places other than here.. at Facebook he is Jeff Head
Jeff's Web Page - (check out the neat stickers he sells)
Jeff's FR Profile
Jeff's blog on his Cancer
Father we pray for our friend Jeff. May he find your perfect peace as he continues to trust you with his life. Give the surgeons and medical personnel wisdom and perfect skill in treating him. Please keep him close to your heart as his body responds to treatments and to surgery. Help us to love him as our brother and give support and strength to wife Gail and their large and loving family. In the name of our Savior and Creator. Amen.
God is, indeed, good.
This is wonderful news. Thank God.
First, the meds.
I had been having more pain in my back and we talked with our excellent local Dr. about whether it was me getting acclimated to the methadone I have been taking or whether there were issues in my back. We decided to up the dose in any case.
Turns out that all methadone is not created equal. Apparently, different manufacturers use different fillers and some different methodologies that can impact individuals. I happen to be sensitive to this apparently and it really knocked me for a loop. Was like going into withdrawal. I was very sick. Sickest feelings I can remember having. Felt like I was dying.
We ultimately got back to the original manufacturer and things started getting better.
Then I had a UTI And the mediation was not working and some of the other medication they gave me for anxiety all worked together to cause my body to get too much methadone and I got REALLY sick all over again. Hsd to be in the hospital twice.
We hope now that is being fixed fixed and may be making some progress...but it has been a very hard last 4-6 weeks.
The MRI scans did come back here in Boise and showed that I had new tumors in my lumbar spine. We sent these down to MD Anderson and they reviewed them and agreed. Several small tumors, but one that is pressing up against my spinal chord.
We are scheduled now to go down to Houston in late May for a bunch of tests and then consultation.
I expect they will want to irradiate the very small ones, but will probably have to operate on the one. I expect that will be scheduled for late summer or early fall.
This was not good news...but I have been stable and in better than expected shape for the last 6 years and so you have to take what comes and trust in the Lord. That is what I am going to continue to do.
Please remember us in your prayers. As always, Gail has been an angel through all of this. She is taking care of her Dad (her Dad and Mom moved into a small apartment we built onto our house) and me. I love her so.
John and Dolly, could you guys ping everyone to my update at 2013?
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/2420449/posts?page=2103#2103
I cannot seem to find my own ping list.
Than you both and God bless.
Prayers for you.
Jeff, you’ve been posting a lot lately so this is a shock that you are going through this (again). I thought things were good. Prayers up for best of outcomes in May and of course a full healing. Refuah shelemah. Prayers for your loving wife as well.
Prayers offered.
Prayers up Jeff. Keep the faith and God bless.
Jeff, you have been in my thoughts and Prayers since this adventure in Medicine began for you.
I have no doubt you will get through this new situation as well. I have looked upon you for inspiration from afar as I dealt with my own Leukemia Diagnosis.
Last year a severe Lung Infection most likely due to ten Years of Chemotherapy impacting my Immune System almost got the best of me, but like you I have been very fortunate in having a great Medical Team and Family support to help get through it.
Just wanted you to know that I and many others here appreciate your bravery, positive attitude and your willingness to share the ups and downs of your Life Journey with us.
Wishing the best to you and yours my FRiend.
Coming from a “non-practicing” Catholic, I believe you are Married to a Saint. Unfortunately, I don’t have much pull with the Church to make it official. LOL
God Bless Jeff. Keep on Truckin... #;^)
Prayers for your healing, your doctors, your wife, and your family.
I know we disagree over theological things; but you have shown great faith in what you believe in.
You are a tough ol’ bird to have been going through all of these trials for so long and still have the energy and desire to interface with the rest of the world.
You are blessed mightily to have the type of family you do: those who can (and WILL!) take care of each other.
My prayer is for endurance, strength and healing for you and all of your loved ones.
Prayers for you, and comfort in the knowledge that faith gives us.
Continued prayers going up for you and your family.
Thank you all, and Elsie, thank you yoo.
My faith is in Jesus Christ...it is He, through His matchless atonement, who has strengthened me and kept me in His Hand.
I do know we have theological differences...but I pray you will allow that faith in the Lord Jesus Christ unites us, and that He will know all of His own...and to me, that is ANYONE who has a sincere believe and faith in Him as the son of God and the Redeemer of the World.
MY fate with this cancer is in his Hands...it always has been.
But I believe and know that I must fight for life with all of my strength and faith, that I may be a tool in His hands however He sees fit.
Again, thanks to all for your prayers and for your faith ... I can tell you all that they help and mean a lot.
late to the party but best wishes, thoughts and prayers for one of our great freepers...
Take good care, Jeff....
Always have had much respect for you....
If I can be of help...let me know.
Jon
Jeff, I am sorry to hear of your latest trials.
I am heartened that the doctors were able to find the tumors while they were small. Years ago, they might never be detected.
I have prayed that the tumors can be dealt with without surgery.
Perhaps all this is so that you can encourage others upon your return to MD Anderson.
You uniquely know what they are going through.
Looking over the thread, I am reminded that the Lord has been gracious in the past.
Like Hezekiah, He turned the clock back on you and granted you life, and I know you have done your very best to be worthy of such a gift.
You are a treasure here on Free Republic and you are held in very high esteem amongst your fellow Freepers.
We are all pulling for you.
God bless you and Gail.
Godspeed
Jeff
Just for everyone...and anyone who might be watching this thread...I thought I would give an update.
It has been almost 14 months since my cancer was officially diagnosed as terminal.
The tumors had (and still have) spread to my liver, into soft tissue in my arms and back, and internally...in addition to several still in my spine.
In 2016 when I had the last surgery, they shored up four more of my vertebrae because of the continued growth and progress on my spine. They took five out to begin with, then built that Eiffel Tower looking structure around five more, then had to work on and repair three after that, and now these last four. That’s a total of 17 vertebrae out of a total of 29 altogether.
I also underwent very serious Ion Radiation treatment that last time too. It helped,,,but I felt like it almost killed me.
I got home then and after a few months they took a look and decided it was officially in a terminal phase.
Generally, this cancer becomes very aggressive when it reaches into and spread to the soft tissue.
There were six of us who kept in touch regularly from back in 2009-2010 when I first started with this experience.
The last one in the group was a many from Canada who found my online journal and the speech I gave one year at MD ANderson. He got the disease in 2014 or so.
Of those, he and I are the only ones left.
I miss those other guys. We got close and called one another each month to give each other help and advice and just to talk about our experiences. it’s good therapy.
Anyhow, they had some experimental treatments and some clinical trials they wanted me to try.
I thought and prayed about that a lot last year and Gail and I made a decision after a lot of prayer...and Gail supports it.
I decided that everyone I had seen get on such treatments have had very serious problems with the side effects. For whatever reason, none of them have worked and I saw people whom I know and love just get so sick that they wished they were dead...and then did not last long anyway.
So I decided against all of that.
I am on the pain meds which I have to increase every now and then as the disease progresses. I am up to 150 micrograms per hour of fentanyl.
But, for whatever reason...and I know it is God’s doing for His purposes...the disease has not spread or become aggressive like they expected. It is continuing to move very slowly and it is astounding the Doctors.
So, the few months they thought I had has now extended to fourteen...and although I do have more pain, I am doing fairly well.
I have to use a walker all of the time now...but I am able to get around with it, see my kids and grandkids, enjoy movies or air shows when they come to town, and also be active and involved in our church, and particularly with the genealogy and family history work that we do.
I thank God in HEaven and His Son, Jesus Christ, for these tender mercies and for allowing me to see my family a little longer...as long as He wills it...until He takes me home.
Since this all started we have been blessed with seven more grandkids and are up to 13 now.
My youngest son is to be married this December and I am hoping to see that. All five of our kids will then be happily married, and all of them are good people who work hard and contribute to society.
I love and am proud of each and every one of them, and each of the grandkids.
Our oldest grandchild is now 16 and will be a Sr in High School next year.
So, know I am still plugging out here.
I just finished a life history. I put a lot into it, including a lot of pictures.
I told the whole story, including all about Klamath, the March for LIberty, the 50 Million Round March, Jarbidge, the petition for the flag at Ground Zero, etc.
I also put an couple of appendix in there for my entire Cancer Journal that has been up on my site, a section on some of my Essays on Liberty I have written over the years (I chose about a dozen of what I felt were the best ones), and a section on my model building as well.
It will be a good thing for my kids and grandkids to have when I am gone. Altogether it is about 400 pages long.
I intend to make it available on Amazon, Barnes and Nobles, and on all of the eBook devices and formats like my other books.
I will probably also have a link up on my site, like I do with my other books, for people to get a free PDF download of it if they want.
Anyhow, that’s the sit-rep right now.
God bless you all...and thanks to everyone here who has prayed, who has helped with encouragement, money, faith, and friendship over the years.
We must continue the good fight for our nation.
I believe the people are waking...but we have so many establishment types and progressives who simply do not want the people to get their liberty back and to be free of their continued prying, power mongering, and mishandling of and out and out attacks on our God-given liberty.
I know I have fought this my entire adult life, and I do not regret it for an instant.
May God in Heaven, through His on Jesus Christ, bless you all...and Jim, amy He continue to bless you my friend and this great site you have created.
God’s speed and His blessings to you all.
Jeff
Good to see you.
5.56mm
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