Supporting Antonio, a Medical Recovery

This is MarcoAntonio Gonzalez, the youngest son/child of Antonio (Tony) Gonzalez. For those of you that know me closely, you know the bond my father and I have. It is unbreakable. You also know the type of human being my father is and how great of a husband, father, grandfather, coach, and best friend he is to so many people. For those of you that don't know him, a paragraph can never explain the attributes of my best friend, as he is one that is always willing to help, one that always gives guidance through the toughest storms of life and one that looks at the bright side of all the challenges, even his own.

 

My father has endured many health complications over the course of his 73 years of life on this earth. Many of those challenges have occurred in the past few years, and not stopping any time soon by the looks of it. Today is September 15th and as of now he has been in the hospital for just over a week. He had been feeling ill since the day of his birthday, August 3rd, and went to the hospital on August 22nd, after trying to ride out the ill feeling and heal on his own. After being in the hospital for 10 hours, he was sent home by doctors stating that he was in, and I quote, "in perfect health." Come to find out that when he entered the hospital the first week of September, in a literal state of death and sickness, they found 8 cystine stones in his kidney, a urinary tract infection, a kidney infection, a blood infection and stomach/intestinal obstructions. The same hospital that had just previously discharged him as a patient in perfect health was now telling him that had he waited another 72 hours to get medical help, he would have been more than likely dead. After an extensive surgery a few days ago, the results are less than desired. There are still major complications that has extended his stay longer than we all wished for and the horrific news that the cystine stones in his kidney are going to be a recurring complication that he will have to deal with for the rest of his life, as a result from his chemo and radiation therapy from cancer a few years back.

 

Just for a brief background, in 2016 my father was diagnosed with stage 4 colon cancer and needed life threatening surgery where they removed his entire colon which has caused more health challenges than ever imagined, the main being a lifelong commitment to living with a colonoscopy bag and the most recent being these cystine stones as a result of chemo and radiation. He has never been the same person since that surgery, for both good and bad. After that surgery, though his body was broken and scarred, his mind and spirit were strengthened beyond belief after many months and years of post op recovery and therapy. His appreciation for life and every little detail has amazed me and changed my life forever and my own outlook on the fragility of it too. I know he will never go down without a fight, as fighting is what he is doing right now.

 

I thank you for reading this far into a small and utter glimpse into the reality my father and our family must face, but we know that the Lord has guided the hands and path of many doctors and surgeons in my fathers life, and we know that He can do it again. These donations will go to the medical bills and home recovery expenses that are already accumulating. If you can not donate, we humbly ask that you share this link and more importantly keep him in your prayers earnestly. He needs them now more than ever for his physical, mental and spiritual strength. Thank you all very much, God Bless.