I’m 50 years old, married to the love of my life and have a wonderful, supportive family.

I’m an Army Veteran. I spent 15 years as a Defense Contractor and worked with some awesome people. I lived and worked in the Middle East for 12 years and spent 3 years in Germany. I’ve had many memorable experiences in my life including skiing the Alps, skydiving, bungee jumping, swimming in the Persian Gulf, Red Sea and visiting the pyramids in Egypt. I’ve been to Iraq, Afghanistan, Kyrgyzstan, Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar, Egypt, Germany, France, Switzerland, Austria, South Korea, Amsterdam and many other places.

In 2018 we settled back home in Illinois and I went to work for a great company in Springfield. I always expected that my wife and I would continue to enjoy many more adventures over the coming decades. However, in the spring of 2019 I was diagnosed with Squamous Cell Carcinoma in both tonsils and two lymph nodes. When I was first diagnosed it made me question the future. I wondered whether I’d have to exchange a long life of travel and adventure for a short life in hospitals with chemo and radiation.

The more I’ve learned about this disease and the treatments, the more I’m convinced that it’s just a setback. We will defeat it and get on with our lives as we had intended. This blog is a realtime accounting of the pursuit of that goal. If you have the misfortune of being diagnosed with this ugly disease, I hope you can gain something from this to help through your battle. You’re not alone!