July 27, 2023, I got the phone call no one wants to get. I was at U-Rent It in Terrell, TX. It was 7:30 in the morning. I was about to rent a trailer for work, and I was trying to decide how I would unhook it at my ultimate destination because lifting and moving wasn't as easy as it once was.
I had been in constant pain for over a year. I couldn't lay down flat. Severe pain seemed to be moving around my abdomen. My back hurt and I couldn't get comfortable. I dreaded a hiccup or a cough, and sneezing was avoided at all costs because it felt like my ribs were cracking. I had been to 5 different appointments to my Dr's office, but I had been been treated for inflammation and still didn't know what was ultimately causing the pain. Well, that morning I found out.
At the advice of my chiropractor (great story to share soon), I had a CT done on July 26th. I wasn't sure when I would get the results. At 7:30am, my phone rang, and it was my Dr's office, which seemed very odd, so obviously I answered. To that point, I had seen a nurse practitioner, or other Dr's at the clinic where I had gone for almost 20 years. That morning it was the primary Dr that was on the other end of the call. “Steven, we need you to come in as soon as possible for blood work & a urine sample. You have cancer.” Great way to hear that news huh?
I know that this phrase has been overused by speakers, authors, motivators, & preachers to solicit a response, but none-the-less it’s true. "One phone call can change everything." Yes, It can. It did. It has.
My first response was, “What in the living @&#%!” That was followed by a flood of emotions, thoughts, and feelings. As I absorbed the shock of the call, I looked at the lady across teh desk waiting for me to give her my company credit card to rent the trailer and said, “I’ve got to go. Apparently I have been diagnosed with cancer.” Then I went home to tell my wife Donna first, and that set into motion a series of events and moments that I will share more about in time. It was a day we will ever forget.
Who you are before adversity hits is important. Why? Because it will be the foundation for who you become on your journey through whatever you face. Who you are, how you approach life, and what you believe immediately surfaces & is challenged. When you face a life changing event, a journey begins where simply getting up each morning is a win. It's tough at times to simply put your feet on the floor and face what is in front of you each day. But, when you begin to put one foot in front of the other and began praying, choosing, wondering, listening, wishing, trusting, crying, doubting, believing, regretting, hoping, questioning, meditating, cussing/screaming, dreaming, battling, fearing the worst, loving, hurting, fighting, laughing, loving, etc..., life continues to move forward with each choice.
Time is interesting. It seems to stop, but that's deceiving. It continues to click by one second, minute, hour, day, week, and month at a time. Each day revealing more about who you are, how you approach life, and what you believe. But, in the middle of the crisis we do have an opportunity. We can see time differently. We can act more intentionally. We can feel and react with more intent. As difficult as the adversity may be, somehow in the middle of it we may find ourselves grateful. For me, that's where I've seen God and HIs purpose for me through it all.
This is my story and journey. You have a story too, and I believe every story at some point needs to be told. The stories being written in our lives are an opportunity for us to become a better version of ourselves. And as we share our journeys, and what we’ve learned along the way, it will give hope and encouragement to someone that may be walking a similar path in their life.
I hope and pray that as you read these blogs, watch the videos, listen to the stories of others in the Freak Cast, and follow along on my journey, that you will be encouraged and find hope. Our family never dreamed that I would be in a battle with Multiple Myeloma Cancer, but I'm thankful that before I went to my first treatment in August of 2022 my "FREAK" shirt was hanging in my closet. It gave me purpose. It gave me a battle cry. My identity wasn't found in my diagnosis, but rather in what became a powerful phrase to me. I hope that whatever you are facing today that you will choose to Fight Like a Freak too, and we can love, pray for, and support one another as we do.
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