Jeff's *Sunday Update*

*SUNDAY UPDATE*

And so far, it seems to be ANOTHER good day... Four in a row!

My pain is manageable. My digestive system is working. I am not writhing in pain or overcome with anxiety. I can eat eggs and toast and throw my feet up, watch football all day if I want and spend this day appreciating every moment with my beautiful family.

I have much to be grateful for, and I am. Things are not perfect and I don't expect them to be - so there's absolutely no reason to worry or complain or whine. I won't and I won't listen or tolerate it from others today.

Apparently, I have been given another day of reprieve in this wild storm that has been my life for the past few months.

Friends, family, loved ones, interested bystanders - I cannot explain why things have so dramatically changed in these past several days. And I don't need to. I am simply letting this day happen and enjoying every second of every moment and being happy.

I will NOT be defined by cancer, illness, or any other negative thing that has interfered with my quality of life lately. No way.

This day is another unexpected gift, free from all the madness that has tried and failed to limit my ability to just be alive and happy.

I am #winning. I am grateful. I am ALIVE and actually living and loving. Today I will show up and kick ass and live my destiny with strength and determination.

My journey continues and today is all there really is - and I will not squander it. It's my responsibility to take the next minute and live it like it's the last. I am doing that RIGHT NOW.

Chicago Style hot dogs and all the goodness of poppy seed buns, tomatoes, bright green relish, yellow mustard, sport peppers, Vienna dogs, a decent dill spear and just the right kick of celery salt await me.

I am going to OWN today!!!

Thank you, everyone, I love you all and may Heavenly Father bless your day with just as much goodness and reasons to be happy and alive that I have been given for this day. It is only here once and I will live and love it to its absolute fullest.

I wish the same for you! ❤️😎🔥 --Jeff

No Pain! *Jeff's Saturday Update*

*Saturday Update*

Mark this moment down right now, this very instant - and listen to what I am saying... this is BIG.

Saturday, January 20th, 2018 @ 1:24 pm

My pain level right now is ZERO.

For the first time in many months, for whatever reason, I am feeling NO PAIN IN MY BODY ANYWHERE.

I don't know how long this will last - minutes, hours, maybe the rest of this day - but folks, I am not feeling any pain at all and I honestly cannot remember when that last happened or what it felt like.

This is an amazing moment and I am sharing it with every single one of you! You are magnificent and I am so grateful to have all of you on this journey with me.

The last few days have been good ones and no matter what may or may not lie ahead for me, I will cherish this moment with happy tears and all the gratitude I can muster!

All of you are INCREDIBLE and AMAZING and I love all of you... thank you, everyone, and let's hope and pray that more of these days are on their way.  ❤️❤️❤️

Jeff's *Update For Today"

*Update For Today*

I woke up. I am alive. I have clothes to wear. I have running water and food to eat. My house isn't fancy, but the mortgage has my name on it. I am safe. The heat is working.

I am surrounded by a beautiful, loving family and an amazing army of friends who have become family and we treat each other as such.

I have been blessed with another day to make the most of and be grateful for all these things - or to waste and whine and complain about the unrealistic expectations of perfection that absolutely NO ONE has.

It really is this simple for me today.

My pain level is manageable and I have the medications I need, along with a world-class team of doctors who do incredible, astounding things every day of their lives.

This morning, with Heavenly Father's blessing and their amazing skill, I awoke to live and enjoy another day on this beautiful, imperfect planet.

This is my day. I will do with it as I please. I have been given that agency to choose and I am just so glad to have SO MANY CHOICES.

Surviving the hell of the past month was not my choice, but it has right now - at this exact instant - given me the ability to so appreciate just how blessed and lucky I am this morning.

Only when you have been in the darkest valley can you appreciate the majesty of the highest mountain top.

I am not consumed or engulfed in the burning agony of pain today. I don't know why or how I survived the crazy events of the last 30 days but I do know how and who to thank and I will do so.

I will rise from those ashes and continue to fight with all and who I am for the rest of this day. And I will be grateful for the chance.

My friends, know that whatever your struggle today, I am there with you in my heart and spirit and I will never, EVER forget your kindness, understanding and compassion.

You are the fabric of healing that has wrapped around my aching, hurting body and nurses me back to health. Your tender mercy and attention has been the game changer in my struggles. Know this. Never forget what you have accomplished in our family's lives.

It's that big and that spectacular.

Now I will seize this day and do whatever it is I am supposed to do, and I will not complain or bitch or whine.

I am grateful and happy to be alive! Thank you, all of you, and may Heavenly Father bless your day with unexpected gifts of joy and goodness.

Savor every moment, all of it. You deserve these things. I love you all. ❤️ --Jeff

Jeff Health Update

*Important Health Update*

I am out of surgery and recovery, and the Doc was able to get both stones out of my kidney! I have another replacement stent to stay in place for a week or so because of the trauma associated with the laser procedure inside my kidney, but the source of all the additional pain is finally gone!

Doc said things went well and I'll head back in a week or so to get the new stent out. The pain is already diminishing and if necessary, I have a danged pharmacy worth of pain meds to deal with anything it might throw at me. I survived the worst of it and can now get back to the business of kicking cancer's butt!
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*Edit*: Found out they will be leaving the new stent in until the 17th - yikes. But, the good news is that everything in my left kidney is all cleaned up and I should have no further issues with that anymore! I am going to focus on the positive side of this thing no matter what! No looking backwards, only forward!❤️
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I want to thank all of you for standing by my side through all of the craziness these past few weeks - you are AMAZING and I am so incredibly blessed to have you in my life. I couldn't do it without you!

I just got back home and will post again soon after resting up, taking a nap, and letting all the meds kick in and do their thing. In the meantime, I want to wish all of you a fantastic New Year and pray for your happiness, success, and the best year of your life! You literally rock my world and I LOVE YOU!!!