12 Years After 7 Months to Live

December 5, 2008 — We were in Clarksdale, MS, for the birth of our granddaughter. For much of the weekend, I was fatigued and had a massive headache. That Sunday, we were about two hours from Clarksdale, and I could no longer drive safely. My ability to maintain a horizontal focus on the highway was dangerous as well as debilitating.

Several hours and miles later, all I wanted to do was sleep. My eyes were aching, and the headache was not letting up. Upon arriving at my office the next morning, my head was pounding. My initial thought was I’m having a heart attack, I think I’m going to die. 

Little did I know what this Monday held in store. The head of the ER department was a friend. He ordered his staff to rush me to a CT. The next two hours are somewhat of a blur. The radiologist detected a brain tumor in the right frontal lobe. I was admitted and had a craniotomy scheduled for Wednesday, Dec. 8. After the surgery, I had no vision issues or headaches. We would wait two days for pathology results. The neurosurgeon came into the room and asked, “Have you ever seen the Grand Canyon?” Considering I had just had part of my brain removed, I didn’t comprehend his question. He said, “Your tumor was a glioblastoma multiforme. It is the worst brain tumor there is. You have about seven months!”

In January 2020, my wife lost her 41-year career in broadcasting. We found ourselves at home 24/7 for the first time in 39 years. During this time, we decided to tell our story of finding the faith to fight a terminal brain tumor and the road many survivors must travel. Every December, we celebrate that little girl born on Dec. 5, 2008. Every birthday she celebrates, we celebrate the goodness and grace extended to us by God, along with other cancer survivors. We hope our story encourages and inspires others.

TAGGED WITH: glioblastoma

Opinions expressed within this story belong solely to the author and do not reflect the views or opinions of the National Brain Tumor Society.