Please pray for Army Chief (and related musings)

[Magic_Salad0892]

Thanks for the update, AC.

[snappy]

So sorry to hear this news. You've been a role model for many of us AC. Keep up the fight and keep that list of things to live for growing. Thoughts and prayers to you and yours brother.

[Suwannee Tim]

Your struggle and your courage puts my small problems in a proper perspective. Thanks for the update.

[NoveskeFan]

Psalm 23
King James Version (KJV)
23 The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.

2 He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters.

3 He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake.

4 Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.

5 Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over.

6 Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the Lord for ever.

My family and The Lord are with you. God bless you and yours.

[Abraxas]

Thanks for the update. I'm praying for you.

[ridgerunner70]

Prayers for you and your family.

[QuietShootr]

Our fellow moderator Army Chief asked us to break the news to the members, following is his own words:

I'm sorry to report that my heath continues to devolve rapidly. The sinus sarcoma which first appeared in August has already reached an inoperable stage, and is now expected to take my life in the next 60 days.

Will begin a 2x daily radiation protocol on Monday at UNC so as to at least mount as aggressive an 11th-hour response as possible, but we've no curative expectations of this; we're simply hoping to be able to slow things enough to afford us a few more days together as a family.

God remains in control. Above all else, I feel such a compelling sense of gratitude for the fullness of the life that I have been given, the blessings that have been waiting around every corner, the incredible opportunities that have been extended to me, the friendships that have been my privilege to forge and sustain over the years, and for a family that has consistently loved and supported me far more than I could ever hope to deserve. My story may be ending somewhat prematurely, but what an incredibly meaningful story it has been.

I am prepared for this final fight, and am going forward from here with a very tangible sense of peace; that said, please keep Terri and my family in your prayers as we deal with this most unexpected life change.

Then, in closed discussion, he added:

Truth is, I'm not even all-that-sure I'm going to make it to Radiation. They can't start until Monday at 0700, and we'll really have to see if I can still breathe while laying flat on my back by then.

And in a message from late last night:

Am already beginning to struggle with some airway issues, so I get the sense that the close-in fight will quickly be at hand. In this, I would appreciate a bit of assistance if you've any ideas on how we might make the general membership aware of what is going on, without it coming off as disruptive, overly-dramatic or presumptuous -- which is why I haven't posted anything on my own behalf.

Awww...shit.

[QuietShootr]

Brothers,

As you might imagine, it's become rather difficult to predict how I am going to feeling from one hour to the next as this thing has progressed, and the overall "misery index" has served to really limit the time and tolerance I have for doing anything computer-related. It remains my intent to pop my head out of the foxhole as often as I can, and to stay engaged here for as long as possible, but the nature of this fight is such that it is reducing me fairly quickly. There has been some sense of stabilization over the past few days, and while that is a long way from actually feeling "good," your prayers for strength and resilience are being answered.

We started an emergency round of radiation this past Wednesday to at least show this thing that we intend to resist, and while that's meant three-plus hours of discomfort in the car every day, at least we've finally gotten the colors moving toward the smoke of the battle lines. My daughter came home from college on Thursday evening to give dad some extra love and pampering. My parents arrived earlier in the week, so we all made it out to my son's varsity football game last night (the school golf-carted me to/from the car). My older son and daughter-in-law are also expected to arrive within the next 90 minutes, so we can log a few precious hours of family time over the weekend before the aggressive radiation begins on Monday. I've already been blessed in more ways than I could ever hope to convey. God's goodness amazes me more every day.

Mrs. Army Chief and myself will be staying in the Chapel Hill area during these treatments next week (twice daily), and will travel home on the weekends. The treatment protocol is slated for seven weeks, but as I've got one of the rarest cancers in one of the least common locations that it is ever seen, the entire plan is highly theory-based, and we will really have to judge our progress from week to week. Best case, it may shrink things down a bit and buy us some time. Worst case, it will sap my last reserves and hasten the need to come home and begin hospice care. Either way, my prayer is that whatever work God is seeking to accomplish through this would be done -- decisively -- without me getting in the way, and that the lives of many others will be blessed along the way.

Here is the list of "small victories" that are currently being pursued to keep me motivated: =]

1. Survive until 6 November to cast my vote in the national election.
2. Celebrate my 47th birthday on 7 November at home.
3. Fight hard to give us a shot at spending Christmas 2012 together as a family.
4. File Form 4 paperwork next week to get an AAC SDN-6 transferred into the family trust sometime this spring.

AC

Prayers out. You're setting one hell of an example for the rest of us, sir.

[CoryCop25]

I was away this weekend and I kept thinking of AC and this thread. I finally got to log on and read what I missed the past few days. I was uplifted to say the least when I saw the post from AC.
STAY STRONG SIR!!!

[Safetyhit]

Hang in there Chuck. Waiting for new pictures of you on the range.