Richard Langston

Richard is probably one of the coolest people to know. If you already know him, you know he's not happy that I'm doing this, but we all know I do what I want. Not many people know the full scope of what's been happening, but I think it's time everyone knows exactly how strong he is.

He's not a complainer, he never has been, so in late summer of 2023, when he said he had a persistent sore throat and actually went to the doctor, we kind of figured something was up. After a few months of it not getting any better, he had a cat scan done and went to an ear, nose, and throat specialist. In the specialists office, we got the scan results that came back clear, but also in that same office, we could see a visible tumor in his throat.

In January of 2024, we met with an oncologist to see what our game plan would be to get this tumor gone. The first step was a feeding tube since the tumor was the size of a walnut and impeded his ability to swallow so he started losing weight. He was already a skinny guy to begin with, so we needed to be able to bulk him up before chemotherapy and radiation began.

He started chemo in March and finished to go on to radiation. It was all going pretty well until June when he got aspiration pneumonia and septic shock. He was in the hospital for 16 days and then on heavy duty antibiotics for 2 weeks after, but then we were back on track to finish radiation until Hurricane Beryl knocked the power out for a week. We missed 6 weeks of radiation but he finished strong.

He was supposed to start getting better, but then he only got worse. We thought he may have kidney stones so his oncologist ordered another cat scan and some blood work. His electrolytes were way out of whack and his calcium was critically high. The oncologist urged him about 6 times to go to the hospital and he didn't want to. Later that evening, she went over the scan results with my mom and said that there was a 3cm mass on one of his kidneys, along with kidney stones, fluid around his lungs partially collapsing one of them, and enlarged lymph nodes along his spine consistent with metastatic cancer.

He finally agreed to go to the hospital so that the kidney mass could be biopsied and we could get his electrolytes back to normal. When we were in there, more scans and xrays told us it was most likely a different type of more aggressive cancer that had spread because the kidney mass had grown a centimeter in the week since the first cat scan. He said he didn't want a biopsy and that he just wanted to go home. (He actually tried to make a break for it in the hospital.)

We brought him home on hospice September 12 and he's had a slew of family and friends come to visit. We went for a weekend of family time this past weekend and when we got home yesterday morning, he said he wanted to take a nap. He laid down on the couch and fell asleep and has been sleeping peacefully since. We're waiting now for him to finally let go and have some rest after working so hard and being so strong for so long.

After not being able to work since February, and disability taking their sweet time to send any aid (they applied in March and still haven't been paid,) anything anyone can spare would be a tremendous help. Apparently memorial services and doctors cost money. Who knew?

Richard Langston is one of the best men anyone could hope to meet. To be loved by him is one of the best feelings in life, to have been raised by him is the greatest privilege of mine.