Start of the journey
a brief recap of the events that started on 09/28/2023
This first post is dedicated to Father, Jesus, Holy Spirit, family, friends, and everyone who’s been praying for me through my cancer journey since I first found out about it by arriving at the University of Alabama Birmingham emergency room on 09/28/2023. I have summarized the events that took place from that day from my perspective and memory ability, as my short term memory eventually became very foggy due to having a cancerous “Grade 3 Astrocytoma” tumor hogging most of the real estate in the front left of my brain where it had been growing for some time.
Thursday 09/28: While working at Hinkle Metal & Supply Company, around noon I began to get a headache but I didn’t really think anything about it because I had decided to fast food that day until 12pm, as I did on most Tuesdays and Thursdays, so I thought that it was a result of not having eaten yet and would soon go away once I broke my fast. However, the headache soon began to worsen exponentially with each moment passing and I noted this to the people I worked with that perhaps I had an onset of a really bad migraine (I had many in 2023 like this that usually resulted in blurry vision and was afraid that I wouldn’t be able to fulfill being a delivery driver that day out of safety concerns) and would need to go home for the day. After a brief conversation with some of my colleagues, I remember suddenly begin to yell out uncontrollably, “AHHHHH!”, “AHHHHHHHH!” over and over again but I didn’t know why as I mentally knew I wasn’t in any pain, danger, or even had a pressure headache (That’s how I tried to poorly describe it later) so I was advised to quickly sit down in a chair by Cindy as she was afraid I would possibly collapse into the floor. I sat down in a close by chair and this is where my memory begins to go foggy of the events as they happened next.
Cindy began to ask me where the pain was coming from but I wasn’t in any pain so I just thought I was experiencing some type of really unusual headache and would need to leave work for the day and return back to my apartment to rest. At this point on 09/28, I wasn’t thinking clearly and out of great concern for me not knowing what had triggered the sudden onset of yelling out in pain, Cindy and Blaine graciously offered to drive me back to my apartment and I’m really thankful they did as I was in no state to be driving even though I thought I was. Next, Cindy asked where I lived at so she could drive me there, and I couldn’t remember the name of my apartment complex or the street I lived on but I didn’t consider this a problem at the time because I could visualize where I lived and how to get there from my work but looking back this was a problem as being able to describe or verbalize things kept getting more complicated throughout the day. After letting Cindy drive me back to my apartment, she recounted later that we had to turn around several times but again I don’t remember any of this in specific detail but only that we made it to my apartment and I made it upstairs to Unit D where I lived at and sat on my couch.
Blaine, at some point before taking me back to my apartment from Hinkle was very concerned about the physical state I was in and asked for my Mom’s number, as I lived alone, and he wanted to make sure I wasn’t possibly dehydrated or had something else more serious going on and wouldn’t be able to get help if I needed it. I don’t remember where but somewhere between leaving Hinkle and my apartment I gave him my Mom’s phone number to him and after getting back to my apartment couch, my Mom called me letting me know that Blaine was coming up to drop off some electrolyte drinks but time was really slipping for me so I can’t recall specifics on how long it was when I got to my apartment, sat down on my couch, answered my phone to speak with my Mom, and then let Blaine in so he could drop off the drinks.
After partially drinking one of the drinks Blaine brought to me while sitting on my couch in my apartment, my memory goes foggy, going both in and completely out, and below are the events as I’ve either heard them recounted from my Dad, Mom, and close friends Paul Hughes and Lucy Hughes or remembered directly.
(Recounted) My mom was called by Blaine as he was very, very concerned that I was not well and he both wanted someone in my family to know I was at my apartment alone and possibly dehydrated. Also, he let my Mom know that he would drop off some electrolyte drinks for me.
(Recounted) My Mom called me and asked for Mr. Paul and Mrs. Lucy’s phone number. She called them and explained the situation that I was possibly really not well and she really wanted someone who knew me and was close by to check in on me just in case I needed to go the ER.
(Recounted) Mrs. Lucy called my Mom back and they were both very concerned about me being possibly dehydrated. Mrs. Lucy explained to my Mom that Mr. Paul was on the way back from a trip to Montgomery.
(Recounted) My Mom called my Dad and explained that I was having what seemed to be an emergency and they needed to leave Huntsville and head to my apartment in Birmingham to check on me.
(Remember) At 12:52 pm, I texted Mrs. Lucy my apartment address multiple times but I don’t know why.
(Remember) At 1:00 pm, Mr. Paul calls me on my phone, I answer the call but I cannot remember what we talked about only that we spoke for about a minute then I began to uncontrollably stutter as I was going into a seizure and at that point I knew something was very wrong. Next, while the seizure was happening, I quickly moved into a dream like state where I thought it was all a dream so I had nothing to worry about and I was able to walk back to my couch and lay down. Although I thought I was just in a dream, as I “fell asleep” I remember it being very painful (sharp mental pain) but I wasn’t afraid as I still thought I was just in a dream and would wake up soon.
(Remember) 1:31pm I wake up on my couch, slightly confused by what just happened and hear Mr. Paul, still on the phone, (Recounted) ask if I can unlock my door as Mrs. Lucy will be there soon with help. This was the Lord’s divine intervention as the life saving help I needed came to right to the door as I had exited blacking out from a seizure. I got up, unlocked the door, and then returned back to my couch; I wasn’t sure what was going on still due to memory issues.
(Remember) Mrs. Lucy and several paramedics came into my apartment as I sat on my couch and they began to try and figure out what might be wrong with me. I could understand what they were saying and asking but I could not verbally communicate efficiently so even the simplest of questions I would reply over and over saying, “I don’t know..” or “I don’t know!” I am very, very thankful for the Lord having sent Mrs. Lucy as she was able to communicate one of the paramedics there in my apartment that I was not at all behaving like my normal self, having some type of medical emergency, and needed to go to the ER.
(Remember) I was asked if I could walk to the ambulance by one of the paramedics and all I remember is walking down my apartment breezeway stairs and then down the really steep apartment driveway where I then got into the back of the ambulance waiting for me. As I walked down the steep driveway there were paramedics on both sides of me but I still didn’t think of everything going on as very serious or being in a state of panic.
(Remember) Sitting in the back of the ambulance, I was asked several questions I couldn’t answer and I think vital signs were taken but I reverted back into a dream like state and so I wasn’t in any type of panic or fear. It was a short trip to the ER as I didn’t live that far away from UAB and upon arriving at the hospital everything seemed to “blur” together.
Monday 10/02: I was woken up early in the morning for my surgery at 7 am to remove the cancer tumor out of the front left side of my brain lead by Dr. Elizabeth Liptrap. Because of the size of the tumor, initial seizure on 09/28, and some memory loss issues, I wasn’t quite sure what was all going on or the seriousness of the situation, but I never once had any fear I would die in the operation and instead I fully believed it would all be taken care of because I had supernatural peace I cannot describe as promised by Jesus in John 14:7. His promise of peace is always there with us, always.
Monday 10/02 - Sunday 10/08: Post brain surgery through several days in recovery at my parents home, I had many supernatural encounters where I saw angels, demonic spirits, and was visited personally by Jesus, Father, and Holy Spirit. In summary, Jesus reassured me that I would be healed of cancer and it would not be unto death but for his glory (Referencing John 11).
Wednesday 10/03: I was moved to a private room (8210) on the NICU as my recovery was coming along well without any signs of decline or reversal.
Bonus: First picture post brain surgery with the awesome #1 couple Paul & Lucy Hughes, Love y’all!
Thursday 10/05: I was discharged from UAB and went back with my parents to their home in Huntsville, AL to recover.
Thursday 10/12: I had 3 follow up appointments at UAB where they removed the staples from my head where the incision line from the initial surgery was at and I also got consultation on what treatment options would be. From the “before” and “after” MRI scans of the tumor shown to me by the doctor, I was able to see that they were able to cut out a very large portion of the tumor and drain the excess fluid around it so that the “after” MRI scan only had a much smaller empty cavity where the initial tumor had been. As mentioned by the doctor, the tumor started out as a very slow growing cancer so my brain mass had time to adjust to the additional growth and this is another miracle from Father, Jesus, and Holy Spirit that I didn’t loose any cognitive or motor skills as the tumor expanded into my brain.
Initial tumor found on 09/28:
Incision line once the staples were removed:
Tuesday 10/17: Due to the medication I was prescribed by the doctors at UAB, I broke out in some type of a rash mostly on my torso but the rash wasn’t itchy. I initially didn’t know what was going on and thought I was experiencing an allergic reaction so my sister Anna and Mom rushed me over to the Huntsville Hospital ER. Because of the medication, recovery from brain surgery, and not knowing what all was going on I also experienced a severe panic attack. After lots of prayer from my Mom, sister, other family members, and friends, the panic attack finally stopped and the ER doctor reassured me that I was not having an allergic reaction but would need to stay on the medication as it was preventing brain swelling as I recovered. I was released from the ER the same day and I’m very thankful to Father, Jesus, and his angels for being there with me as my mind and body experienced tremendous anxiety until it subsided a good 2 hours into the ER visit.
Saturday 10/28: With the help of my Church of the Highlands small group (God’s Design for Men) and college ministry group I volunteered with (UAB Ignite), we were able to pack everything up from my Birmingham apartment in a rental truck and move it back to Huntsville, AL where I am currently recovering. I am very, very, very thankful for Father, Jesus, Holy Spirit, Dad, Mom, Anna, Stephen, Nathan, Allyson, Mr. Paul & Mrs. Lucy Hughes (UAB Ignite), and Church of the Highlands | Grandview campus as they have tremendously and sacrificially helped me out during this journey and I couldn’t have made it without them!
…to be continued