I was diagnosed with cancer early in 2017, and I wanted to provide a note to anyone viewing this for the first time...I figured that the easiest way was to post my original message that I had posted on Facebook earlier this year (Easter Eve to be exact).
Thank you for all of your support, and both myself and Michelle will update this regularly with my progress.
Here is my Facebook post from Easter Eve 2017:
This will not be brief as I have quite a bit to say. This is much needed for me and my sanity...
I will start with the positive. I wanted to send something out as both a thank you, and an update as to how I'm doing.
Fist thing is 1st...
Thank you...I am absolutely humbled and words cannot describe how I feel regarding the love, thoughts, support, prayers, and gratitude I've been showered with over these past few weeks. Tonight I finally had enough willpower to type up a message. I found myself every day - opening Facebook multiple times throughout the day, and I'd read 1 or 2 posts, and I would literally breakdown. I am still in shock and disbelief that this has happened to me, and I want it to be a bad dream that I wake up from tomorrow morning. It has been a trying month for myself, my wife and kids, and my closest family and friends who have been by my side. It seems as though each week got worse and worse with bad news and hiccups along the way.
I will be 40 this year, and I feel as though I'm going from 39 to 80 over night.
I do want to apologize that I haven't been able to keep up with the texts, calls, emails, and posts. I know people have tried to reach out to me or my wife and it's been hectic for us to keep everyone in the loop. Because of that I wanted to make sure everyone knew what was going on.
So for those of you with questions, here's my life over the past few months summed up as brief as possible...
I was working out 4-5 days a week (sometimes more - and what I would argue to say - the best shape of my life), and then back between Thanksgiving and Xmas I started to have some arm pain throughout my upper arm - it radiated from my elbow to my shoulder.. I thought it was a pulled muscle or strained tendon or something. After NewYears this year, the pain progressively got worse, so much that it hurt to lift a few pounds, so I then went to the doctor. The doctor sent me off to get Physical Therapy and it got worse, so they ordered an MRI.
Shock #1...
The MRI showed that I had a tumor and it was eating into my bone (which as it turns, this is where the pain was coming from).
Shock #2 & 3...and a HICCUP!
They biopsied the tumor and it came back that it was in fact cancer, and to make matters worse, the cancer cells that they pulled from my arm were showing signs of originating from my kidney.
Due to the damage to my bone from the cancer - I had strict doctor's orders "Don't break your arm".
I made it 3 days and was holding onto my gas grill and twisted my body the wrong way...and broke my arm.
I spent 3 days in the hospital dealing with the pain. And, it threw another bump in the process...I'd have to get surgery on my arm (before the chemo as opposed to after).
In the meantime, they did another test to check the rest of my body.
Shock #4 & 5 #6...
They did a cat scan and it showed that I did in fact have kidney cancer (the right one), AND it has spread from my kidney to my arm, AND also my liver AND my pelvis.
So...all of this leads me up to last week. As I mentioned I had to get surgery on my arm (just this past Tues 6 days ago). They replaced my humorous bone with a titanium rod, and 4 anchor bolts. And removed the tumor...I now have 4 massive new scars, along with way too many stitches to count. FUN! AWESOME! GREAT!...these are all words that have absolutely nothing to do with how I'd explain my current situation. The only emoji that comes to mind is...💩
Needless to say, it hurts like a mofo, and I've got some extensive rehab ahead of me.
I then got discharged on Thurs, spent one night at home and was having lower back pains and shortness of breath...once again rushed to the hospital and as it turns I have a blood clot in my lung from the surgery. Now I have to take 2 shots (not shots of Fireball!..actual shots...a day for the next 6 months to help thin my blood...again, not cool.
I was discharged again yesterday, and here I am today...at 2am the morning of Easter - waiting for my wife and kids to wake up - with all of this bullshit that I've went through, but I'm HOME! And I am NOT fucking leaving this time.
Again I've had so many family and friends help along the way.
My wife Michelle, my mom Desiree Adams (
https://www.facebook.com/desiree.adams.50?fref=mentions) and Brent McVicker for spending nights with me at the hospital, and driving me back and forth the Penn for doc appts and surgeries. Stephen Peter Stone (
https://www.facebook.com/StephenPStone?fref=mentions) and Ryan Lowrey (
https://www.facebook.com/ryan.lowrey.9?fref=mentions) for the help and visits. And EVERYONE who has called, visited or texted, or has helped me or my family along the way (waaay too many to list, and I didn't want to miss anyone). Again, Thank You!
So...I'll be starting my radiation and chemo treatments within the next few days...and as I'm anticipating, it's going to be tough path ahead of me to say the least.
I believe I'm in for the fight of my life...literally.
Lastly, my wife Michelle Martzall Adams (
https://www.facebook.com/michelle.martzalladams?fref=mentions) is my angel. She has done more for me over the past few weeks than I've ever done for anyone I've ever met, or did something for my entire life. I am really at a loss for words with what to say or do for her that could ever be enough. I will love her more than anything...today, tomorrow, and every day after that - long after I leave this world...and then some.
For all my friends, and family...
I love you...
Now - I'm on a mission...
To somehow figure out how to beat this shit.
FUCK CANCER!
That is all...
