UPDATE FROM JAKE March 17

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Gentlemen,

I want to sincerely thank you all for the words of encouragement, your prayers and good wishes. I have received a multitude of email good wishes and offers of support from Marine brothers I don't think I know personally, but it sure has renewed my faith in "SEMPER FIDELIS". Here it is in a nutshell:

The last week of February I saw a Urologist for what I thought might be a urinary infection or or prostate problem (we're at that age you know). He didn't like what he could "feel" during the physical and sent me for a CT Scan the next morning. We met with him that afternoon, he reviewed the results and sent me to an Oncologist the very next day. They both agreed that I have a very large tumor, which has compromised the right kidney and "maybe" part of the liver. As my "family support group" is in Miami" (son and daughter live here), they thought it would be best to get on the next flight and seek help/counseling from Mt. Sinai Cancer Center in Miami.

The next day while preparing to go to the airport first thing in the morning, apparently I passed out in the bathroom at home (El Paso), woke up in the ambulance after my wife, Jenny, called 911 and spent the next 10 days in the hospital. During that time, the doctors decided to embollize my right kidney (shut off the blood supply to it). That procedure kicked my butt for several days. Finally, everything was arranged for me to be "Medevaced" to Mt. Sinai when the insurance company said "NO" to the air transport, but would approve air ambulance to Houston's MD Anderson Cancer Center Complex. Soooo, we switched gears and prepared for that. I lay in the hospital for 48 hours waiting for the air ambulance to arrive. At the "Eleventh Hour", 5:30 PM on a Monday, the doctors came in and said that there would be a 4-6 weeks wait for MD Andersen and counselled me to get on the next flight to Miami.

I did and here we are at my son's condo in Miami. My appointment with the Oncologist, quite a famous kidney and liver cancer specialist, is for next Tuesday, Mar 25th. At which time, I will receive a more specific diagnosis and hopefully some kind of prognosis.

In the meantime, I feel pretty good and will resume my work (via internet) today. The only drawback for now is that I must wear a catheter, which brings a whole new meaning to "pulling your leg", when you move wrong.

Guys, I am as good as can be expected, I feel just fine, I am eating well, my spirits are up and I have the family to take care of me when I need it. I also believe that the Good Lord knows what He is doing and I accept that. I am a fighter and will continue to fight this thing.

I just wanted all of you to know how much it means to me that you care.

Thanks, Guys,

Semper Fi -

Jake
(josephejacobs@sbcglobal.net)

Good MoJo

Jake,

My wife and sons are praying for good news from the oncologist. I'm glad your family is around to keep your turns up....

Hang in there brother, you are one of the best!

Semper Fidelis,

Mike

Get Well Soon!

Jake,
Hang in there and fight the good fight! It doesn't realize just who it's dealing with yet, but after you whip it, it will!
Semper Fidelis, Sir!
Joe

Semper Fi Brother

Jake,

Keep your eyes on the gauges, your family and friends are watching out for the trees. When the hospital pops the smoke, just set her down the LZ has been cleared. We have your six o’clock. You’ll do fine.

Semper Fi

Bruce “Howdy” Mayor Hmm-161 ’69-,70

Hey!

Happy Birthday Jake!

My Brother Jake

I spoke to Jake on Sunday. Jake answered the phone and I asked if he was busy. He replied, who is this? I said, You Brother from Connecticut. He responded, Sammy! He was really surprised to hear from me. I had to be my own detective, but I reached him. His spirits were high. He stated that today - his birthday - he would be undergoing his surgery to remove the tumor. I wished the Old Fart a Happy Birthday and my faith that all will go well.

He stated that I wouldn't be able to recognize him because he is down to about 180 lbs. I told him that I could because that is the weight that he was when we went to Nam - before he put the extra weight on in civilan life. We have all changed.

With his family around him, faith in the ability of his medical team , all of our prayers and God's help - I believe that he is in the best of care.

Keep turning and burning - My Brother. You are in my prayers for a speedy recovery.

My Bother Jake

Jake's birthday was actually yesterday 3/31 - and he is 61 - but who is counting!

I say the same as Sam Jake, Keep Turning and Burning "Brother" OooRaah!
Semper Fi,
Tim

Update

Sent: 4/1/2008 5:43:59 P.M. Central Daylight Time
Subj: Jake

‘just heard from Jen, Jake pulled thru with flying colors, no surprises. They removed a kidney, did an arterial bypass and he will be in ICU for about 4 days. More later… Jenny is thrilled and thanks everyone for their prayers

I made it!

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Joseph Jacobs
Date: Fri, Apr 11, 2008 at 10:08 AM
Subject: I made it !!

Hello my friends-

It sure is good to be able to say that! I have always believed in the “power of prayer” and now am living proof of it. I have received literally hundreds of emails (my inbox had 583 waiting for me yesterday) from family, colleagues, you-my friends, fellow Marine brothers whom I don't even know and other friends offering prayers and good wishes. Without that and the team of marvelous surgeons, I had been given less than six months to live. Dr. Gaetano Cianchio, Dr. M. Manoharan and the other 8-10 surgeons at Univ. of Miami – Jackson Memorial took my case without hesitation.

It was a 9 hour surgery removing my right kidney, adrenal gland, numerous lymph nodes, the football-size tumor and several inches of my Vena Cava Artery. When I woke up the next day, the lead surgeon told me that now I really needed to rest as I had just gone through the equivalent to a Nephrectomy (kidney removal) and Open Heart Surgery.

The following day, still in flight mode from all the meds being pumped into me, I looked up and thought I was dreaming. There stood David "Pappy" Papageorge, Otis "Big O" Felder and Tom Sheary, all fellow Old Tigers from our tour in Nam 41+ plus years ago. My kids had a tough time getting into the ICU but these guys were just standing there. At first I thought for sure it was a hallucination and still don't remember what was said, but God Bless them, there were there for me. When I was finally on minimum meds, my wife had to remiind me that they had driven quite a few hours to come visit.

I was in ICU for 4 days and Recovery for 4 days. On the last day, two of my surgeons came in to say: “OK, yer outta here – you are going home!” I thought they were joking as initially I was told 5 days ICU, a week in recovery then into a rehab facility for 1 to 2 weeks. They got very serious, lowered their voices to say: “We do not believe in hospitals and your recovery so far is just short of miraculous. Hospitals are dangerous places full of germs and diseases. You need to recover at home. It is safer, quieter, more comfortable and you have your family support unit. So, here I am at my daughter Karyn’s home.

I have a Nurse / Physical Therapist in attendance 9am – 6pm. My legs are swollen like tree trunks, a normal consequence of the surgery, but I must walk 4-5 times per day to reduce the swelling. I walk 50-75 feet round trip to start, but end up back in bed drained as if I had just run a marathon. But guess what – I don’t care! Consider the alternative.

Thank you all for the emails, prayers and good wishes. I am sure that they are part of the reason I have been given a second chance.

Semper Fi

Jake

josephejacobs@sbcglobal.net

Welcome back Jake, OooRaah!
S/F
Tim

Apologies

Those drugs can really mess up your mind. My visitors were Dave Papageorge, Otis Felder and JACK HOGUE. My apologies to Jack for the confusion.

We knew that Jake, the important thing is that you made it Bro!
S/F
Tim