More Tests and More Questions

Fortunately, this last week was not nearly as eventful as the previous week. I have continued to settle back into daily life and into processing the news from the week before. On Thursday and Friday I underwent a PET scan and Biopsy. The results of these tests will hopefully be known sometime in the next week.

At this point we don’t have many more answers. However, after further discussions with doctors, it is likely that I have stage 4 Adenocarcinoma which is a type of Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer. The test results will give us much more information on this next week. Fortunately, I received a CT scan of my head when I initially entered the emergency room and that test showed that the cancer had not spread to the brain.

The most significant news of the week is that our KU Oncologist is referring us to the Siteman Cancer Center in St. Louis. This is a world renowned center affiliated with Barnes Jewish Hospital and Washington University School of Medicine. They have significant resources dedicated to lung cancer and our KU Oncologist thought it would be best for them to diagnose me. Maureen and I will be traveling to St. Louis on Wednesday, March 15 for a consultation on Thursday.  As many of you are aware, I was born and raised in St. Louis so this works out perfectly with being able to stay with family.

On another positive note, I was able to work remotely on Thursday and Friday. It was refreshing to be productive and focus on something else. I expect to return to work in a more expanded capacity this week in-between doctors’ appointments.

The ongoing support from everyone has been humbling and amazing. St. Therese (our parish) has done a phenomenal job in providing meals for Maureen and I. Additionally; the support from friends, coworkers, and other cancer survivors has been incredible. The next big milestone of this journey will be viewing the test results. These results will directly impact my treatment plan. Please continue to pray that the test results will allow for an effective treatment plan resulting in a full cure.  

For all the non-Catholics out there, Catholics will pray through those who have led exemplary lives and have gone before us (as in Rev 5:8 “the prayers of God’s people"). We are not putting them above God, but recognizing the life of virtue they led that we all aspire to as Christians as well as asking for their prayers, as we ask of yours (1 Tim 2: 1-5).

For all of the Catholics reading this, we have a very special prayer intercessor we would like you to pray through; Venerable Father Solanus Casey.  Venerable Solanus Casey was born and raised in the US. He was a very humble man who always had an “Attitude of Gratitude.” He always kept close, his faith and trust in God and he would always console and encourage anyone who came to him. He had a connection with the well-known Benedict Groschel, whom Maureen and I have both met. In order for Venerable Sonalus Casey to be declared a Saint by the Catholic Church, he needs two miracles attributed to him. We figured that if we are praying for a miracle and a miracle can help him and his story be more known, if God wills it, let it be! Please join us in praying:

Prayer for the Beatification of Venerable Solanus Casey

O God, I adore You, I give myself to You.

May I be the person You want me to be,

And may Your will be done in my life today.

I thank You for the gifts You gave to Father Solanus

If it is Your Will, bless us with the beatification of

Venerable Solanus so that others may imitate

And carry on his love for all the poor and suffering of our world.

As he joyfully accepted Your divine plans,

I ask You, according to Your will,

To hear my prayer for Greg Fiudo, that he may be fully and completely healed of Cancer,

Through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.