Mornin' all.

I posted Karen's update on Bob's thread.

Praying for Mark and Christine

And for Sonya... this isn't easy for her at all. She lost her mom last December to it.

Don't let anyone make you believe that cancer can't be whipped! Both wife and I have whipped it and if we can anyone can! I had prostate cancer in 2004 and they yanked it out with Edward Scissorhands and have had no repercussions. Wife had cancer in her bladder in 2008 and no repercussions that we know of to this point! If there's a will, there's a way! Just takes a lot of love and lot of prayer and Ma and Mark you know you gotta truck load of that! I still have that "gut feelin" that all this is gonna work out and turn positive as fast as it turned negative! A winner never quits and quitter never wins!

X2 on what Guy said.

From Ma Brewer:

She is sorry that she is keeping you all waiting, she has a ton of things that she is trying to get done and has had no time to update as of now. She cannot update at work so I will do it for her again.

We know what kind of cancer it is, what stage it is in and we are going to hit it hard.

As with all treatments and surgeries there are risks that are involved and at a later date this will be gone into detail with everyone.

She loves you all, her racing family, and she can feel your prayers.

Mike, keep the prayers coming, she reads them all day and every day.

I love you guys and gals...she will talk to you all real soon.

Thanks so much for the updates.

Christine and Mark we are hear and praying

I thought I had a better picture of Mark... I'll work on that. This is from a year ago, helping Christine out in the water box.

Chuck I have a picture of them sitting together from our Labor Day Picnic. If I remember how to put it on here, I will.

Here's Christine and Mark at our (Sonya and Joe's) Labor Day Picnic 2009.

Looking at those pictures, he doesn't look like the type of person that cancer has any chance with. That's the way i'm going to keep thinking.
Prayers have done wonders for me and Theresa, my wife, and i know they will work for this also.

I don't know how to start this. So I will just get to the point.

Yesterday, 11/04/09, Mark was diagnosed with sarcoma which is a soft tissue cancer. The category is Myxofibrosarcoma (my-x-o-fibro-sarcoma). Stage 2. The large tumor is located in the right groin area and the thigh. The ielo muscle.
Surgery has been scheduled for 11/25/09 at Shadyside Hospital. Meeting with the chemo doctor at the Hillman Cancer Center on 11/13/09, which is right across from Shadyside. Pre-op testing is scheduled for Tuesday the 10th along with an EKG which is standard, but Mark has to have a stress test induced by IV. His blood pressure has been flucuacting. He cannot get on the treadmill.

Dr. McGough, which is the very, very best will be doing the surgery. However, with any surgery there are risks involved, but there are real concerns. Mark will have a "team" of surgeons, a chemo team and radiation will be done. We have put our complete trust and faith with Dr.McGough and the entire teams! Mark will be at the best hospital with the best doctors and the best nurses caring for him! The road will a long and hard one, but we will get through this. There is other information that I will keep to the family. Please understand. Prognosis is good!!!! I will be right by his side every step of the way!

I knew several months ago that something just wasn't right. Mark just wasn't "my" Mark. Yesterday wasn't easy, but when Mark collasped last Thursday it was a God-send. Once we got him stablized at Westmoreland in Greensburg, I had him transported to Shadyside. Which we had an appointment with Dr. McGough already scheduled for yesterday. If he wouldn't have collasped, we would have to schedule the biopspy yesterday and then waited longer for the diagnosis. Instead, the biospy was done last Friday while Mark was at Shadyside. We don't why he collasped, but his blood pressure was flucuacting and two EKG were done and both were differnt. His temp went down to 93. It was not easy on that Thursday. However, we have answers now and a plan. A very good plan. He did get upset with me last Friday because he wanted to come home, but the doc wanted to keep him overnight for more testing and to keep an eye on his blood pressure, so I said NO! He got over it. He came home Saturday and was very weak and in pain. He has his good days and bad days. Mark continues to get up every morning and goes into work and me close behind him watching every move he makes. Like I said before, that's my job and I do it well.

I will update as much as I can. I want to write more, but I am exhausted. Mark is sleeping comfortable even though today was really a bad day. All the information has set in now for the both of us, our kids and family. Our friends up here have been so wonderful, and our family on DRR! Just know that I keep all of you in my prayers and think about you all!

But I do have to tell you one thing that Mark asked the Doctor, "Will I still be able to move and use my right foot?" The Doctor answered "Yes". Mark said, "Good, I've got alot of drag racing to do!"

Good night!

Christine,

Thanks you so much for taking the time to update us. If sounds like you guys have a great "team" and that is so important. If you need anything please let me know. . . my cell # is 1-208-739-2851 home # 1-615-826-3236 . . . and I mean anything.

The Prayer Warriors are all hard at work for all of you.





Good Night and God Bless!

Very simply, thank you Christine, for "telling it like it is"! When you get my age (68-close to 69) you will find that you "tell it like it is" more and more! With my prostate cancer I caught it in time that I didn't have to have any chemo or radiation and in my wife's bladder
cancer they only had to do localized radiation and she was treated on an out-patient basis and went home the say day she went in. It took me three days for me to get strong enough for them to kick me out of the hospital after the prostate surgery cause I was threatening nurses! Haven't been back to the hospital since!
And it is in the high class city of Scottsdale, AZ! And I can tell looking at Mark in the picture that he is a helluva lot stronger than me! Now, especially since I am on Medicare, if I hurt or hurt anything, I go to the doctor. Remember, they put their pants on one leg at a time just like all the rest of us and don't be afraid to tell them what you think! That way it makes it easy for them to remember you and they then pay attention! After he gets out and has recuperated as I know he will, get outa that snow country and get Hookdaddy to fly you, Mark and him to AZ and we will go eat some good mescan food and show you some this great state and some desert style drag racing! Keep your spirits up and say your prayers each night before you go to bed and tell Mark all of us are remembering him in our thoughts and prayers!
Bless you, Mark and your family!

Mornin' all.

Christine, you are so Christine... you make me smile even while delivering serious news. You know we're all behind you all, all the way. Much love and hugs to everyone, and let me know if there is anything I can do to help.

Good morning my DRR Family,Ma and Mark you're in our prayers and thoughts all the time,and just remember we got an awesome God that loves us all,so hang in there,and don't think about nothing but getting better,and thinking about drag racing is so good,because when you're using the meds.that make you feel good they make your spirits better,so keep it up,sounds like the plan is coming together,and if you need me for ANYTHING call me on the MH-HOTLINE-336-429-0302 anytime............................

Guy you old softy,you hit the nail on the head,all we can do is believe and have faith,oh and tell it like it is,well Ya'll have a goooden and God Bless all my wonderful Drr Family,and prayers for all ya'll and see ya'll in a bit........................................

Dear Heavenly Father,thanks again for your wonderful blessings,be with those families down in Texas Lord that has lost loved ones,and with the ones in the hospitials,and bless them to make full recoveries,and Lord we give our prayers to you for Mark and Ma to very dear and special people,and ask you to comfort them and put your loving and healing hands on them.......................AMEN.................................................................

Amen, well put Mike. . .

On my way to a field trip with Sheldon and a couple hundred 7th graders . . so wish me luck

Prayers for all

Hugs for all

Mprnin Y'all!
Thanks for all the news. The prayer wheel is in motion.

Now, the self appointed ambassador of tourism is inviting you to the wrong state. The Sticker Patch, which is what everybody calls AZ, isn't the place to visit. The only thing AZ has going for it is a few Hooters and a Tilted Kilt. Now So Cal, on the other hand, has Disneyland, Sea World, Knotts Berry Farm, Leggo Land and a hundred other places to see. And, So Cal has me! This is the place to visit. As far as Mescan food we got an area here in Ontario that has more Tacqerias in 2 blocks than Az has in the whole state. And we got better weather.
Christine, Mark and family, hang in there. You will get thru this.

Did I see a 9.97 mopped on that window? I didn't think Mustangs could go that fast. It must have a Bow Tie under the hood.

Okay gang, it's time now, time to dig in, keep those prayers going and NOTHING but positive thoughts!! I know I was mad yesterday, mad because Ma B is such a worker B (pun intended ) the person you want around to lift you up, to get things done, and who has done so much for so many~it just ain't fair-but enough of that we'll hit it head on & as Madi would say "git r done".
I had so much fun watching Ma B & Sonya carry on with each other at PRP, I was thinking how much fun it would be to live closer because they made us feel just like family. My Momnlaw passed away from cancer also, 1 month after Rick & I were married, Sept 1987, I think it would've been awesome to have a momnlaw like Ma B for the past 20 years. I was also thinking about it yesterday, 7 years ago when I had to tell Mom her breast biopsy was cancer, her reply was that it wasn't going to beat her, she was going to fight it with everything she had (which is so unlike my Mom) but why I say time for positive thinking.

Love you guys, you're the best! I'm here for any of you anytime, 276.236.4270/238.7051

I'm thinking we need to take a family vacation to SoCal & the desert, we've never been west of Tenessee, we need an adventure...

Oh & I'm with Floyd, gotta be a Chevy

I kept forgetting to tell you that the Farm was rained out, but the kids had a blast trick or treating & we had some great family time... They called the costume's up early & we just didn't have time to get that together well enough...Adiayn was so proud of his trophy last year & wanted to repeat but his pumpkin won a ribbon!!

Time to take the kids to school, Then out to the new house to meet with a couple of fence company reps. for some quotes on some fencing.
No time like the present to get the prayers going for the day.
Y'all have a good one.
See ya.