Health and Hope for Jim

Jim would say he’s nothing special, just a hardworking man that life has dealt a hard blow.  And that is true, but there is so much more to him.  He is a man that puts his heart and pride into his work, and gives his best for his customers, even the stressful ones that are impossible to please.  He is a devoted father that, when his daughter, Melanie, was on deployment with the Army, he wrote to her faithfully, every single day and would mail the letters a couple times a week. “It was pretty awesome”, Melanie said, “some of the soldiers never got a single letter, which was pretty sad.”

He learned what hard work was all about when at the age of 15, he was forced to step into his father’s shoes when his Dad was killed in a logging accident.  He worked hard to help his Mom support the family. 

Jim has always put his ALL into his work, taking very few vacations while building up and running his Hardwood business, “Silvercrest Hardwoods NW” for 20 years in the Tillamook area, with the dream of selling it “someday”, and retiring to buying a piece of land that he with his daughter could turn into a nice farm/ranch and run together.  Those plans have been put on hold, because of his illness, he is facing having to walk away from that life’s work and deal with months of treatment to cure his cancer.

When learning of his cancer returning, to celebrate his birthday, his daughter, Melanie, took him to Yellowstone for a week.  He would love to be able to go back with Melanie and also, his two sons, Jim and Gene, once the cancer is behind him.  Family outings have been put on hold due to Jim’s devotion to his business and Melanie’s issues with PTSD.  Melanie tells us, “I wasn't an easy child to raise, but I've always known Dad was in my corner, loved me and was proud of me”.

The above photo was taken on a rare vacation at a family reunion in Idaho.  In it is a close friend, his daughter, Melanie, Jim and his dog, Duke.  Duke is Jim’s service dog that goes everywhere Jim goes.

A Message from Jim...

I find myself in the greatest challenge of my life. I was raised to wear and use “The Golden Rule”, “The Ten Commandments”, and “Common Sense”. That this is not a problem but a “Challenge”. That cancer is not a death sentence unless we just do not care. God made a human being so intricate that this body of ours is capable of performing a lot of healing within itself. But only if we are willing to accept the challenge and be willing to make a “LIFE CHANGE”.

As with most challenges, we most always need to harness the power and help of others in order to succeed.

In overcoming that challenge. I am here to say, that I have spent a lot of my life being very independent.

I have recently come to the realization that independence is not of much worth in the challenge of overcoming metastasizing cancer. the cancer has taken some time to come back and show its ugly head, by entering my left kidney and my liver. Then a few weeks ago beginning to spread into my hip bone and back bone.

I  am still working as much as my energy will allow, in order finish out my last three lumber and milling orders, because of my obligation to my customers.

I have had my business for sale well over three years, to no avail. Due to a fall in orders this year, I was unable to hire help. So, I've worked over 90% of the time by myself sawing lumber, drying lumber, and making this lumber into finished product. But as time has gone by my body is not keeping up with the demand that I have needed to place upon it. In other words I became less productive, which equals less income and longer production times. At any rate, I have hired a young lad to help me finish up these last order (on the days I can work).

When this is accomplished I will need to walk away from a 20 year business leaving all of the equipment, tools, and product behind, to cover loses incurred during the last year and a half.

The best laid plans of men and mice do not always pan out .

My desire is to receive treatment for my cancer at an integrative cancer clinic.

Integrative cancer clinics look at the whole person, and use both traditional medical treatments, as well as specific and individualized, wholistic treatments for the whole body and person.

I soon realized that their approach and protocols are not based on ‘ONE SIZE FITS ALL”. Nor do they work at improving  one specific part of the body and ignore the needs of the rest of the body. Their thrust is to take care of the whole body. God did not create this body to function in numerous independent entities. But function as a whole, super complicated body with one function depending on another and another.  

I am in the process of choosing which clinic to work with.  When I visited one that I am considering, I left the center after being there for two days, feeling like I was leaving a part of my family. Their sincere approach also extended to my very large service dog (Duke).

 The protocols and low dose chemo therapy  are scheduled initially for 8 weeks and could go up to 16 weeks. 

At this time I am need of help to help cover the cost of treatment, as not all of treatment is covered by my insurance.  And there are housing and travel costs as well.

In conclusion, it is certainly a good thing that God and my parents gave me the ability to see problems as CHALLENGES. Thank you for being a part of my team,

Jim and Duke the dog