I don't know if any of you will read this, but I'm asking if you could please send my father an email of support. He will get a real kick out of it, and it will only take a moment.... his email address is [brickboy@earthlink.net]. Thanks, guys.:)

As for me, I will be moving to Tennessee if he ever takes a turn for the worse. I'll miss Mike and our house and our cats, but I want to be nearby... plus it will be nice to be near the East Coast again. Maybe I'll pop over and take Howard out to lunch.

Anyway here's a letter he wrote for any well-wishers------>

"To my dear friends and family,
There have been so many requests by folks to be kept up to date on my condition, I have decided to send out a letter to you all, and will
follow up from time to time as things progress. I thank you all for your prayers and am deeply touched by all the words and well wishes I have received.

I have been diagnosed with advanced pancreatic cancer, there is a tumor on the head of my pancreas and it has spread into several places in my liver. A biopsy was performed last week on one of the growths in my liver and it has been confirmed that I have an adenocarcinoma. It is inoperable, and incurable. That's the bad part. The good part is I feel quite healthy, my body is functioning normally, and the only pain I
have is an occasional feeling of discomfort at the top of my abdomen that feels like I've eaten too much. No throbbing, shooting or aching
sensations at all, and Advil takes care of it just fine.

I was first diagnosed about three weeks ago and today settled on a treatment plan. My treatment is to receive a chemo-cocktail for five
days once a month through a venous shunt that will be permanently implanted in my chest. I will be admitted to the University of Tennessee Medical Center during the procedure, but between treatments I should be capable of leading a normal life. The doctor says the only side effects expected are that I will lose my hair and may develop some ulcers in my mouth after treatment. Progress will be evaluated every
three months and there are other things that can be tried if I do not respond well to this method. The fact is that, I will probably be
undergoing some treatment like this for the rest of my life. But that's okay with me; I plan on living a long time, I love a challenge, and I
sure like being the center of attention. Haw Haw!

My body is strong, my mind is clear and my soul is at peace. And I have a strong will to do what is necessary to get well. I am so geared
up to fight this, I actually feel excited to get started. The statistics say one in five survive more than a year after diagnosis with this disease and one in twenty survive more than five years. I feel very positive about my odds-- I'm younger than most who have this cancer, all my functions are still normal, and again let me emphasize - I am not in pain. My blood work is so normal it is somewhat confusing to the
doctors. Common symptoms of this disease, such as jaundice, pain in the back and abdomen, loss of appetite, and lack of energy just are not present. So I am very hopeful. And the longer I hang in there the better the chance for Man to find a cure or God to send a miracle.

I've already got a little miracle working for me: I am married to a registered nurse. Carole has thrown herself into researching this disease and getting my diet focused on maintaining my weight and energy (two of the biggest risks for pancreatic cancer come from weight loss and low energy when the digestive contribution of the panaceas becomes compromised). She works at the hospital I be getting treated at and went to their head of the cancer ward to give him my records and set up everything. She fusses over me a lot. I consider her to be my secret weapon in this battle and am very grateful to have her by my side.

Keep praying for me and know I am well. God has already done so much for me and I do not think He will be calling me home soon, I have
too much work yet to do. Thank you all so much, in some way I may have never fully realized how precious you all are if I had not received this
new perspective.

---Dave

When in danger, fear or doubt, run in circles, scream and shout."