UNC appt. today.....

 Howdy folks! I hope this post finds you all doing well. I wanted to give an update for all of my amazing friends and family standing with me, walking with me me, and following me as I battle with cancer through this season of my life. Today made 18 days out of surgery and I feel good. I am close to figuring out how to eat meal containing the right food groups that will give me the nutrition I need but in smaller quantities. I seem to do better with 5 or so smaller meals a Day than the normal 3 meals per day.

 The doctor said the incision looked great, no lifting anything heavier than a gallon of milk for the next 6 weeks. Kind of tough when you have 3 kids under 5 that want to be held, and let you pick them up and fly them through the air like super hero's and a 15 year old giant that wants to shoot hoops or wrestle me. I LOOSE THAT ONE!! That is really the toughest stuff I deal with. It may seem insignificant but I challenge any of you reading this to wake up tomorrow and tell your kids like I did " daddy has a bad boo boo and he cant pick you up for a while". That's the only thing I wanted to tell them. We decided not to mention the word cancer to our children until them had more questions. The live your life without being able to pick up your child whatever its age birth to 5 years old. I didn't realize how much time my kids spent in my arms whatever the reason for love, discipline, scared, sick, sad, etc. Everyday when I would walk thru ours door at home the kids would all stop in their tracks, look toward the door and see me, then yell out "DADDY" and they would then attempt a gang hug which usually ended up a gang tackle and it was beautiful to do everyday til we separated. Long story short, its tough not being able to hug my kids small to big. I love them all so much and they have all been awesome to me through this whole thing from the innocence of the twins not knowing a thing to the heart warming concern and love that my oldest Stone has given me. I never thought about the fact that I might need my kids to be a source of strength for me to draw on as I'm the dad that's my job, yet all of my kids have stepped into shadows of doubt, thoughts of fear and given their dad the big picture and shed light on darkness caused by the cancer. My kids are amazing.

 I will be going to Raleigh Medical Oncology Group on Wednesday for my first appointment with the oncologist whom I will be working with to begin chemotherapy. His name is Jeremiah Boles. He is supposed to be a top notch guy and actually worked with my surgeon before moving to this other position. This will be what they call the consultation meeting which will allow him to describe to me the chemotherapy as he wishes to administer to me and the particulars involved in the therapy. Not sure of the time frame in which I start from the time of this meeting til start of chemotherapy but I'm ready. I will post after dependant so you all will know whats up from there. Stay tuned! Thanks to you all for your prayers and well wishes. I have the best friends and family ever. I'm so blessed thanks to you all!!!!!!

Home Sweet Home..... So good to be home!!! I got in yesterday after my dad and Kitty came to haul me away from UNC hospital to my mom and step dads home in North Hills area to do my recooperating from the surgery. The surgery procedure went very well, however it did uncover the the cancer has made it into the lymph node system. At this point they have confirmed that 3 out of 5 lymph nodes there have cancerous cells and therefore I will be starting chemothereapphy as soon as I am strong enough more that like 4 weeks off . It wasnt the news I wanted to hear never the less it is what hand I have been dealt. Thanks to all for your thoughts and prayers. I am looking forward to visiting with my lil kids tomorrow. I havent seen then in almost 2 weeks so its going to be great. Just gotta figure out how to let them know daddy isnt the human trampoline that he has been in the past. I'm sure we will figure it all out thru many laughs , smiles and giggles :-) Got to see their big brother when I got home which made it a great homecoming in itself.  Please keep the prayers coming! They mean more than you know!!!! When I concentrate on your prayers and messages, emails or phone calls that I have recieved my heart  feels better, my tears lighten and when I step out of the way and quit trying to figure out why this happened to me at exactly this time in my marraige and our economy...... and just stop, and let God speak His perfect peace and comfort me I get that comfort that only He can give.

Blessings to you,Bryant


  "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me!!!!! Phil. 4:13

Headed to UNC Hospital......

Greetings family, friends, and to all who make it to this blog. I am a 43 year old father who a little over a month ago became a single dad. The sadness and pain that I face everyday because of that has been very difficult. I thought that there was know way on earth anything worse could happen.  On March 29th after I came to, my doctor had a different look on his face than the other times. It was then that he told me I have colon cancer. Unless you have ever had a diagnosis of an illness that can kill you or has taken the life of someone you know or love, you cant imagine how devistated you feel at that moment. Yes, your life flashes before your eyes, and all I could think about was am I going to die and not see my kids grow up, will their mother be ok, will I ever feel true love again, who is going to help me through this. Not having my wife and kids there has been very difficult.Thankfully I have an amazing family that rallies around me and helps me face all things with  hope and love. I love them all so very much! With them, and our awesome Heavenly Father, I will make it through this battle and come out the other side a stronger man.I have had a good life since I can remember. I was raised to not lie, cheat, steal, murder, covet you know the things covered on the stone tablets Moses brought down from his mountain visit with God. I was taught moral and ethical standards by loving parents as a child and they continue to instill those very same things in me by living their lives in front of as they do. I love my parents for so many reasons.They have always shown me and my family unconditional love. Their love and support of me personal through my entire life has been far beyond what I feel I deserve at times. With their love and support as well as the love from others in my life I have found that I can exist exist in this life with all of its struggles and blessings and have joy and peace everlasting. The reason for this is only possible because I have found and partaken of the greatest gift there has ever been made available to all humans no matter your race , creed nor color. I'm even gonna share it with ya cause it can provide everyone that offers complete surrender of their life and committs mind, body, soul and spirit, their entire being, they will find what I have . His name is Jesus, God, Holy Spirit, King of Kings, Lord, Heavenly Father, Counselor, Comforter ..... The list goes on and every name has such substance and meaning to you when you know Him. He saved my life!!!! He is my everything before all things!!! He will give me comfort and peace when I feels as I have no more. He will be my strength in my weakest moments. Most importantly of all He will answer my prayers. I want to share with you all my greatest prayer needs so if you would like to pray for me you can be specific. My prayer is that He will watch over my precious children while I am not able to be with them. I pray He will bless all of you that take the time to lift me up in prayer. I pray that He will give my parents strength and peace and lastly I pray that He would be with the surgical team who will be performing the surgical procedure as they hopefully remove this cancer from my body so I may rejoin my family with a good report knowing that I will have many years to enjoy my children, love my parents and mend the fences that are broken. Thanks in advance for all of the love everyone has shown and the blog will be updated regularly so I can let you all know whats going on.

Love to all,
Bryant

Bryant