How It All Began

November 2021

This is a post I never thought I would have to write. But here we are. My best friend, love of my life, and father to our three sons is facing a battle we never saw coming. But then again, who expects this to happen to them?

On November 11, 2021 – just 3 days after Brian’s 45th birthday, he went into the ER thinking that he had a hernia. After getting a CT scan, he was hit with the news that he had a “football sized” tumor on his left kidney. On November 24, the day before Thanksgiving, he had the tumor removed. It was a long 9 nights in the hospital and then a month an half of being hooked up to a wound vac while he recovered.

Official diagnosis stage 4 non clear cell renal carcinoma.

On January 4, his PET scan was clear. February 1, he began immunotherapy. A few days later, he began experiencing severe pain in his right side and we ended up in the ER on February 12 where they did another CT scan and found a new mass in his small intestine. After 3 nights in the hospital, we are back at home.

Due to the location of the tumor, radiation and surgical removal are not an option. The immunotherapy will take another 6 weeks before it will begin “working” – the rate at which the tumor is growing is shocking.

Brian will be undergoing other therapies in the meantime to slow the growth of the tumor and help his body fight off and kill the cancer. These therapies are extremely expensive and of course not covered by our insurance.

More than anything, I am asking for you to pray for Brian. We believe in the power of prayer and know that the Lord can heal him. Our God is faithful and we know that He has a plan – we are trusting Him through all of this.

This is definitely the most terrifying thing that we have faced in our lives. Our 3 sons – Dylan, AJ and Jase are staying strong – but this is not easy.

Thank you for your love and support – but mostly your prayers.