Arami Picazo
Donation protected
Hello friends of the Picazo family. My name is Angie Warren, and on behalf of Tamara and Arami (with their blessing) I have created this GoFundMe account for those of you who have been asking if there is a way to bless them financially. I believe the Lord knows what needs may lie ahead and would like this space to be a place where we can be the hands and feet of Christ, in a financial way.
*If you'd like to follow along with updates on Arami, you may visit their CaringBridge page by clicking HERE .
*A meal train has been set up for the family as well. Click HERE to access that!
From Tamara:
We are so incredibly overwhelmed by the amount of love and support we are receiving as we process this news, and we thank God for you. Thank you.
Heres’s what’s going on:
On Tuesday, November 6th, Arami went into the ER because he was having some concerning symptoms, like shortness of breath, chest cramps, heart pounding, and he felt like he was going to collapse.
They did numerous tests and found that his hemoglobin levels were dangerously low at a 6. Normal level for a man is 14. He had less than half of the blood in his body than he should have. The doctor said that his organs were basically starving for blood, and he was extremely and dangerously anemic, headed to a heart attack. They gave him a blood transfusion and then started trying to figure out what caused so much blood loss.
First, they did an endoscopy and found a stomach ulcer. They clipped the ulcer to stop the bleeding and did a biopsy, but decided that they didn’t think it was the smoking gun that caused so much blood loss. They decided they would also do a colonoscopy the next day, after trying to get his hemoglobin levels higher.
That night, they started the colon cleanse, then took him in for the procedure the next morning. About an hour after the procedure started, the doctor called me to tell me that they could not complete the colonoscopy because there was a large tumor in Arami’s colon that was almost completely blocking the passageway. He said that he believed it was cancerous, and would do a biopsy to confirm. I frantically called my people, then welcomed Arami back into his hospital room to tell him the news. We cried and we prayed. Then we cried some more. Our family and pastors came quickly to our sides to cover us with support and love.
On Tuesday, November 13th, we got the call confirming that the biopsy came back positive - Arami has colon cancer. And while it was the news we kind of expected, it was still a hard pill to swallow - still is.
So what now? Now we move forward with tests to learn more about what’s going on. A PET/CT scan will tell us more about the cancer, and from there we will make a plan.
Regardless of cancer details, the tumor needs to be removed. Surgery to remove that section of the colon is scheduled for Wednesday, November 21st (the day before Thanksgiving) at 7:00AM. I ask you to please join me in prayer at that time.
How’s Arami, you ask? He’s full of joy. I know you’re not surprised. Despite receiving news that no one wants to get, he’s smiling. He’s choosing to live. And while I’m sure this journey will be a rollercoaster ride, I am in awe of my husband, his attitude, his leadership, and how he’s handling this already. It’s just another reminder of how blessed I am to call him mine.
If I’m being honest, I’m kind of a mess. I wish I could say that I’m as strong as he is, but I’m just not. While I do have faith and hope, I’m feeling incredibly overwhelmed with the news. In my heart, I know that God is so much bigger than all of our circumstances. I believe that His plan is so perfect, and I am so thankful that, regardless of what happens here on this earth, we are victorious in the end because of what He did for us. That’s the hope that I’m clinging to - that’s what brings me peace. And in the moments that I’m feeling weak, I have this amazing guy to remind me of whose we are, and that regardless of how many days we have to live, we should spend them living. What a guy, right?!
I say it all the time, and I’ll say it over and over until the day I die: This world needs more men like Arami Picazo. I was reminded of just how true that is as we got the news and he immediately began thanking God for his life, his journey, and how he wants everything he does to glorify the Lord. Yeah, this world needs more men like Arami. He knew what He was doing when he gave us those four little guys.
I guess what I’m trying to say is this:
Arami may have cancer, but cancer does NOT have him. This man is more than a conqueror. He’s already won. He is victorious. And while it’s going to be a long and scary journey, I am confident that lives will be touched and God will be glorified through it all - and that’s what it’s all about anyway.
So, friends, will you come alongside us on this journey? Will you join us in faith and prayer as we battle this thing? Will you cry with us when we need to cry and remind us of what’s true when we’re having doubts? I know you will. And I thank you from the bottom of my heart for being such an incredible part of our lives. We love and treasure each of you so very much.
Onward march! ♥️
With so much love,
Tamara Picazo (Arami’s wife)
*If you'd like to follow along with updates on Arami, you may visit their CaringBridge page by clicking HERE .
*A meal train has been set up for the family as well. Click HERE to access that!
From Tamara:
We are so incredibly overwhelmed by the amount of love and support we are receiving as we process this news, and we thank God for you. Thank you.
Heres’s what’s going on:
On Tuesday, November 6th, Arami went into the ER because he was having some concerning symptoms, like shortness of breath, chest cramps, heart pounding, and he felt like he was going to collapse.
They did numerous tests and found that his hemoglobin levels were dangerously low at a 6. Normal level for a man is 14. He had less than half of the blood in his body than he should have. The doctor said that his organs were basically starving for blood, and he was extremely and dangerously anemic, headed to a heart attack. They gave him a blood transfusion and then started trying to figure out what caused so much blood loss.
First, they did an endoscopy and found a stomach ulcer. They clipped the ulcer to stop the bleeding and did a biopsy, but decided that they didn’t think it was the smoking gun that caused so much blood loss. They decided they would also do a colonoscopy the next day, after trying to get his hemoglobin levels higher.
That night, they started the colon cleanse, then took him in for the procedure the next morning. About an hour after the procedure started, the doctor called me to tell me that they could not complete the colonoscopy because there was a large tumor in Arami’s colon that was almost completely blocking the passageway. He said that he believed it was cancerous, and would do a biopsy to confirm. I frantically called my people, then welcomed Arami back into his hospital room to tell him the news. We cried and we prayed. Then we cried some more. Our family and pastors came quickly to our sides to cover us with support and love.
On Tuesday, November 13th, we got the call confirming that the biopsy came back positive - Arami has colon cancer. And while it was the news we kind of expected, it was still a hard pill to swallow - still is.
So what now? Now we move forward with tests to learn more about what’s going on. A PET/CT scan will tell us more about the cancer, and from there we will make a plan.
Regardless of cancer details, the tumor needs to be removed. Surgery to remove that section of the colon is scheduled for Wednesday, November 21st (the day before Thanksgiving) at 7:00AM. I ask you to please join me in prayer at that time.
How’s Arami, you ask? He’s full of joy. I know you’re not surprised. Despite receiving news that no one wants to get, he’s smiling. He’s choosing to live. And while I’m sure this journey will be a rollercoaster ride, I am in awe of my husband, his attitude, his leadership, and how he’s handling this already. It’s just another reminder of how blessed I am to call him mine.
If I’m being honest, I’m kind of a mess. I wish I could say that I’m as strong as he is, but I’m just not. While I do have faith and hope, I’m feeling incredibly overwhelmed with the news. In my heart, I know that God is so much bigger than all of our circumstances. I believe that His plan is so perfect, and I am so thankful that, regardless of what happens here on this earth, we are victorious in the end because of what He did for us. That’s the hope that I’m clinging to - that’s what brings me peace. And in the moments that I’m feeling weak, I have this amazing guy to remind me of whose we are, and that regardless of how many days we have to live, we should spend them living. What a guy, right?!
I say it all the time, and I’ll say it over and over until the day I die: This world needs more men like Arami Picazo. I was reminded of just how true that is as we got the news and he immediately began thanking God for his life, his journey, and how he wants everything he does to glorify the Lord. Yeah, this world needs more men like Arami. He knew what He was doing when he gave us those four little guys.
I guess what I’m trying to say is this:
Arami may have cancer, but cancer does NOT have him. This man is more than a conqueror. He’s already won. He is victorious. And while it’s going to be a long and scary journey, I am confident that lives will be touched and God will be glorified through it all - and that’s what it’s all about anyway.
So, friends, will you come alongside us on this journey? Will you join us in faith and prayer as we battle this thing? Will you cry with us when we need to cry and remind us of what’s true when we’re having doubts? I know you will. And I thank you from the bottom of my heart for being such an incredible part of our lives. We love and treasure each of you so very much.
Onward march! ♥️
With so much love,
Tamara Picazo (Arami’s wife)
Organiser
Tamara Picazo
Organiser
Oakley, CA
