It was three years ago this week that I was diagnosed with a pheochromocytoma, a nasty little tumor "which arises from the adrenal medulla and overproduces adrenaline" it can "be a deadly tumor because of the severe elevation in blood pressure it causes," according to Endrocrine.com. 

Dr. Greg Baker in St. Louis first caught it (a very good catch - these tumors are often found in autopsies and not before) and Dr. William Connor from OHSU (a friend of mine from Portland's First United Methodist Church) had me on a plane the next day to come home for treatment.  I was in my final two weeks of M.Div. studies at Eden Theologocal Seminary in Missouri when all this took place.  Academic Dean Deb Krause and the faculty arranged for my final papers to be turned in after surgery.

Dr. Bart Duell and Dr. Brett C. Sheppard put me back together again over the course of a couple of weeks.  Dr. Sheppard was the top-notch suregon who took the tumor out (with only 24-hours in the ICU afterwards) and Dr. Duell became my endocrinologist.  Dr. Duell checks me up every six months and so far so good.  I'm forever in debt to all those who helped me out.  That's certainly true 10x over for Liz and the rest of my family

There is a five year window on these types of tumors.  If one has not reoccurred after five years you are pretty much in the clear.  Only two more years of tests before they let me go for good.  I'm thankful for the gift of life, all the good care, the last three years with my chidren, and I'm thankful to have a future to look forward to.