A Stranger's Story

My name is Edward Jones. I am a husband and father of two beautiful girls. My wife and I have been married for ten years. I thought my life was complete and nothing in this world could take away my happiness. That is, until I met with my doctor.

At the end of 2006, I went to my doctor because I had a lump in my stomach. They took tests and told me it was just an infection and put me on antibiotics. Then a couple of months ago the lump returned. I went back to the doctor and expected it to be the same. They took the tests again and discovered it wasn't an infection, but that I had stomach cancer. They said it had always been there and that I had an infection around it.

It turns out it's incurable and that I do not have particularly long left. I'm on treatment, which is increasing my life span, but I still only have ten to fifteen years no matter what I do. Without treatment I would only have around five years.

I try not to let my emotions show around my two girls but sometimes I can’t help it. I get so angry because I don't know why I was the one to get this cancer. I can’t help but cry when I think about the things I will be missing. I will not see them dance at their prom or see them graduate from high school. I will not even get the chance to give them away at their wedding.

Leaving my wife scares me everyday. I know she is being strong but she hides her feelings so well. She always said, “We will live for today and not tomorrow.” I don’t know what I would do without her strength. If my health keeps up, I plan on taking my girls to Disney World. It is important that I create these wonderful memories now. It will give them something to hold on to when I am gone.

I still keep doing the things I enjoy. I watch hockey on Saturday night, I golf on Sunday afternoons and I take my wife on a date every Thursday night. I am holding on and doing okay for now but ask me in ten years and my story might change.

My advice to people is that if you have a lump or your family has a history of cancer like mine, go to your doctor and get it checked. It might not just save your life but your family’s life as well. Maybe God has a plan for me and maybe he doesn't but if I ever get the chance to ask him, I will ask him, why?