Well Where do I start? I am married to my wonderful wife, Amy, I have two boys ages 1 Wade and 3 Ethan. We own a small house in Riverdale Ut. and have lived here for about 3 years. Life has been good to us. This past year has been one of Faith love and hope. February 3rd of '09 I was diagnosed with Cancer. I had a leiomyosarcoma tumor that took over my 2nd thoracic vertebral body. The tumor caused great back pain which I thought to be just a bad back after almost 10 years as a Stone mason. In the end of January I was lifting some stone at work and the vertebrae collapsed and pinched my spinal cord. I started loosing function of my legs and numbness was overtaking the lower half of my body. From about mid-chest down. After a few MRI and CT scans I went in on the 3rd of Feb and was told the diagnosis. I was admitted to the hospital right from the doctors office and didn't go home for almost half a month. I went through a 10.5 hr surgery that involved removing 95% of the tumor, the whole infected vertebrae and 2 discs, a spinal fusion, and introduction of lots of titanium into my upper back. We then went through neurological-rehab a few months of a back brace, and then started treatment on the remaining 5% of the tumor that was too risky and difficult to remove. This involved 6 rounds of inpatient chemotherapy at the Hunstman Cancer Hospital 4 days each followed by a 10 day "rest" at home then another cycle. Chemotherapy was extremely exhausting, frustrating, and at times painful (side effects). For about 5 months I had a Central access line sticking out of my chest. It was a long term I.V. type line that was plumbed into the main vein that returns to the heart allowing the chemo to be infused directly into my heart and mixed thoroughly before being sent out to the rest of the body. We made it though all of this due to the love of the Lord. I know for a fact that the Lord stands by you and is there to pull you through the toughest times in our lives. There were times that I felt His presence comforting me and taking away my fears. He gave me strength beyond what I can comprehend. There were times where the worst of it didn't seem bad at all. Others asked how we could handle it all, the only answer I have for them is the Lord made it possible.
The quote comes to mind, "If the Lord brings you to it, He will bring you through it, He will either lighten the load, or he will strengthen your back". In my case he did both, Literally (titanium!)
Check out our blog, and look back through the earlier months for pics and more info.
Thanks for keeping in touch,
Chad
"http://cbbuckner.blogspot.com/"
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Faith is connected to hope and hope means believing in spite
of the evidence and then watching the evidence change!
