Mister Tony’s Journey through and beyond Cancer

CHAPTER ONE. THE JOURNEY BEGINS.

I would like to start this by explaining; why I chose the word can-sir, instead of the proper spelling, it’s because the word cancer doesn’t scare me any more. I broke the word down, and to me it means I can sir-vive, you can- sir vive, and we can- sir vive.

It sounds like a big bully of a word but its not.

Where do I start and what do I say…..

It was October 2004 Boulder city, just a half hour from Los Vegas. I was supposed to celebrate my big 40th, and at the same time my friend Paul Fisher, was to celebrate his 92nd. I was so looking forward to it all, and in an instant life changed for ever. P. C. as I called him had arranged the whole trip.

He arranged for us, meaning his step daughter my partner (at the time) lets call her Mary, and her three kids to stay in his space house, commissioned by NASA for a prototype living accommodation unit that could be used on the moon.

Every thing in the house was ultra modern and high Tec; it was like some thing out of Star Trek;

The toilets cleaned themselves and the flooring hoovered itself. I may add “wow” something else coming from where I came from.

It was a super experience. The first night there and Mary got very drunk, and wanted to go in the Jacuzzi; I didn’t, this started a small few words, all of a sudden I was kicked in the left side just above the hip, it hurt a lot. I took a pain killer which did nothing to ease the pain. It was 3 in the morning Mary was asleep, she woke and all hell broke loose; the cops appeared and asked what all the noise was at three in the morning?

They asked was anybody assaulted. I told them no, I fell getting into the Jacuzzi.

One of them said, “We will give you lift to the hospital just get yourself checked out.”

I being Irish kind of internally grinned at this, but I went anyway and thank god and his blessed mother I did.

For a town of about 7000 people; wow what a hospital state of the art towards back in Ireland, thank God and his blessed mother again. As I lay there at 4 in the morning being prepped and having test after test I wondered what the …. My thoughts got deeper with every test; I was starting to get scared. Here I was on my own, or at least I thought so on the other side of the world in hospital. At 6am the top doctor on duty told me that there was something wrong with my kidney functions, and that there were golf ball sizes objects on my kidneys.

Oh shit is this can- sir.

He said, “I don’t know but you’ll have to see the specialist in Los Vegas first thing in the morning.”

By 7am I did not want to ring Mary, so all as I could do was ring Theresa at the Fisher Space Pen company who was PCs personal secretary, and also an earthly angel, who guided me through rough storms in the past. She woke P.C. and he arrived at the hospital. From where I was lying I could see the hall way, and PC was hobbling down to me. It was a sight I will never forget till the day I die, the old man coming to help the young man. He asked me what was wrong. I told him what the doctor said, he said, “Don’t worry Tony we’ll sort it out some how now let’s go for breakfast, and Theresa can sort doctors and specialist appointments for you.”

Mary was woken and told of the situation, and within a short while she appeared on the scene. We all had breakfast and tried to make plans but we just had to wait to see the specialist.

We drove to Vegas where the specialist read the test results and preformed a few of his own, one which was horrible, he put gloves on and I think it’s possible to guess the rest yourself.

The results were in and his exact words were, “Mister Power you have can- sir on your two kidneys, and I feel if you don’t get one out in less than 30 days you will die, and some serious work will have to be preformed on the other one, and you might not survive because the surgeries have to be preformed very close together.”

Shit! I was devastated, pain, sorrow, loss, anger, fear all raised their ugly head. I said I was going for a smoke as I needed to be on my own to gather my thoughts. I walked out side and I sat on the foot path.

My cell phone suddenly rang and it was Mary’s mother Maria, who I believe was another earthly angel. Theresa had phoned her and told her of my situation, Maria said, “close your eyes right now and pour the blood of Jesus Christ over your kidneys Tony.”

I did and I still do so today. That moment life changed for me in a deep simple spiritual way. I felt a deep internal rush though my whole body from my hair to my toes, and I know it wasn't an earthly feeling. I looked up at the cloudless Nevada sky, and I knew at that moment that if I wanted to survive I would have to establish self control and self direction in my life.

We left the oncologist and headed for lunch, I needn’t tell you I could not eat at all. All I wanted was answers, why, what, where, and when did this begin, and how am I going to fix this horrible disease.