Uncle Jay

It is hard to believe a year and a half ago my brother underwent major surgery to remove a cancerous tumor from his pancreas.  I will never forget the day that I heard the "C" word over the phone from my brother.  It is as if your world stops spinning.  The walls around you come tumbling down.  Especially when he is given such grim statistics....a 5% chance of living a year.  Pancreatic cancer is usually a death sentence.  I call those first few weeks of hearing the news suffocating.  I could never quite catch my breath. 

Through all those scary days when we were waiting for answers, trying to get a plan of action together, and praying like I've never prayed before, my brother was strong.  Insanely strong.  His attitude was that this wasn't HIS death sentence.  He had a whole lot of living to do.  He was going to kick cancer butt.  The opposite outcome wasn't an option.  Jay's strength through it all was what got the rest of us through it.  As we were holding him up in his time of need, he was holding us up in ours.  I guess that is how family works. 

The surgery to remove the tumor was a big one.  In the end Jay would lose part of his pancreas, intestine and stomach.  Six hours into Jay's major surgery I convinced my parents to go get a bite to eat in the cafeteria.  I would stay back in case we got any updates.  The phone in the waiting room rang. They called out our last name.  I walked to the phone to hear a cheery nurse say, "We got it all."  The best four words I think I have ever heard in my life.  The best news I've ever gotten to tell my parents.  That was the start to Jay's recovery.  His optimism and fighting spirit prevailed.

Last week Jay came home for his routine six month scan.  It's always a little tense around here until we hear the results.  He calls his CT scans "drinking the electric lemonade and riding the white lightening."  The guy's sense of humor never lets up.  The news was amazing.  No signs of cancer.  Let me repeat...NO SIGNS OF CANCER.  They even pushed his next scan until a year out.  I am beyond thankful to the doctors, to my brother's fighting spirit, and to God.  God has blessed us with the gift of my brother.  I know I will walk through life with him by my side and words can't express what that means to me. 

His visits are always wonderful.  I love watching him play with George and Clara.  He spoils us with wonderful meals.  We laugh a lot.  I admire so many things about my brother and he will always be an inspiration to me.  We love you Uncle Jay!  Keep kicking cancer butt!

The chef at work!

YUMMY!