All:

While this is not Kung Fu related I need to get this off my chest and perhaps an anonomus forum is the place to do it.

I learned today that my 81 year old grandfather has liver cancer and very little time to live. Sad? Yes. I would like to give you some history of this man and why this hurts so much.

A few years ago the local doctors diognosed him with cancer in his lungs. They wanted to open him up and remove part of his lung and some of his rib cage. At 78 they were concerned that he may not even survive the operation. Deciding we needed a second opinion we took advantage of the fact that we live in Minnesota and went to the Mayo Clinic in Rodchester, MN. Mayo looked at his x-rays and said lets get in there and see what we can figure out. They opened him up, snipped a VERY small part of his lung out, and he was cancer free for the next two years! We still sing the praises of the incredibly talented surgeons there. I won't get into what we think of the local clinic's diognosis though.

Anyway, time passes and at the beginning on 2001 he began having some stomach pains. Again he went to our local clinic and they diognosed him with stomach acid. Had him change his diet...didn't get rid of the pain. Then they thought it was an ulser, then they thought it was gas, and finally they figured it out...right?

The local clinic doctors told him that he had a build up of food in his stomach and that they would go in through his mouth, down his throat, into his stomach with a clamp-like device, and snatch it out of there. After that the pain should be gone. Funny though, they went digging around his stomach and could not find any ball of built up food. There's a shock!

Back to Mayo we go. Mayo tells him he has got Cancer near his stomach and liver area. We are devistated and thinking the worst. Grandpa almost goes home at that time, thinking there is no point in sticking around Rodchester anymore. Family and the doctors convince him to stick it out a little longer and see if anything can be done. After further review we learn that the tumor is incapsulated (which means it is just a ball of cancer and has not spread anywhere yet)

Mayo opens him up and after a 4 hour surgery removes a tumor the size of a small watermellon. 8 pounds!!!

We go home singing the praises of Mayo, and cursing the local doctors...again.

Twice he has been pulled from death's grip by some very talented people at the Mayo Clinic. Sadly it looks as if our good fortune has run out. My grandpa was a bomber pilot in WW2 and a sheet metal worker as a career. He is a genius with anything wood and most everyone in the family has a table, shelf, or dresser built by him.

A funny story...He carries a tape measure everywhere he goes.
He and my grandma were out to dinner a while ago and he saw a table in the restaurant that was just beautiful. He pulled his tape measure out of his jacket pocket and began taking measurements and putting drawings on a coktail napkin. The manager asked if eveything was okay, Grandpa just nodded and said, "yeah, I'm gonna build this tomorrow." Which he did.

As I write this his x-rays and CT scan pictures are on their way to Mayo for another opinion. Grandpa is not though. He has decided enough is enough and has entered a Hospice program.

It looks has if he will not dodge this bullet and our family is devistated to say the least. He will leave 6 children, 7 grandchildren, 3 great grandchildren, and a 79 year old wife that loves him more than anything in the world.

I'm supposed to go to Kung Fu class tonight. I am not going. My grandpa was an incredible father figure to me and I know I will have no focus...I will miss him very much.

In saddness,

John