Friends

[Јas]

Wow. Very sorry to hear this.

[Rin-chan]

You have my prayers

Rin-chan

[Yates]

Thank you all for your prayers and well-wishes.  I feel empowered by them. 

I consulted with my doctor earlier this afternoon.  He believes that radiosurgery would simply be too dangerous, as my tumor is quite large, and performing radiosurgery on something of this size would risk affecting other areas of the brain.  I will be consulting two other doctors later this week, at my doctor's recommendation, to receive second and third opinions.

In the meantime, I am making arrangements to return to Iowa.  I will likely be living with my sister, possibly receiving in-home care a little later on.  The doctor predicts that the tumor will continue to affect my senses, and will possibly also affect basic functions, such as my hearbeat and breathing, as it is located relatively near the medulla.  My balance may also be affected. 

As of now, I am anxiously awaiting the opinions of the other two doctors.  I hope to God that my doctor is mistaken.  However, if the other doctors agree with mine, radiosurgery will not be an option for me, and I will do all I can to live out my days in peace and normality.

Thank you all for your prayers, and I beg for you to continue.

[Joe Republic]

Christ, I've only just seen this thread.  Yates, this is awful news.  I just honestly don't know what to say.

Please stay strong through this.  I sincerely hope it'll be positive news from the other two doctors, but if it isn't, please keep in contact for as long as possible.  I'll PM you my email address.

[afleitch]

David, I'm so sorry to hear this. This is when things can get quite overwhelming. I also hope the news is more positive from the other doctors and I will continue to pray for you and I will offer up prayer at chapel on Saturday. I really don't know what else to say but like all of us I will be here, and the forum will be here for you.

[Bono]

Oh my God. I actually cried a bit reading this. It's just horrible. I hope you get good news from your other doctors. You'll be in my prayers.

[jokerman]

Wow, what terrible news!  My prayers will go out to you, Yates.  Never lose hope and keep on fighting.

[Democratic Hawk]

David, you'll always be in my prayers. Hugs

Dave

[Filuwaúrdjan]

*hughughug*?

Yeah, can't think of anything better to say now either.

^^^

[afleitch]

*hughughug*?

Yeah, can't think of anything better to say now either.

^^^

^^^ Make that a group hug

[??????????]

This is the first time something on this forum made me cry (though Joes accident was pretty upsetting). Yates, may God be with you in your struggle and remember, you have to keep a positive attitude that you can beat this thing. Keep living life, don't lie in a bed if you can avoid it. God Bless.

[Alcon]

David, while I am not personally someone of faith, I have asked those who I know who are to pray for you.  Your attitude toward this is commendable and I will be hoping for a miracle, or whatever is necessary. 

[True Democrat]

I am continuing to pray for you.  I wish you well on any route you take for the next couple of months.  I hope to God that he somehow finds a way for you to recover.  Once again, you will be in my prayers tonight.

[bullmoose88]

Wow. This is the first time I've seen this thread. Something as sad and unfortunate as this really makes every day troubles look like a blessing.

Yates, you are a fine and outstanding poster...I assume this holds true in the real world. I pray that the Lord will bring you better news (hold out hope!), but if its not His plan, I hope he gives you peace, serenity, and allows you to be around your family and friends.

God Bless.

[I spent the winter writing songs about getting better]

Oh, wow. I actually thought this was about the TV show when I first saw the title and thus ignored it for so long.

This is the most horrible thing I've read on the forum. I'll be praying for you.

[Ebowed]

What a horrible thing to happen.

Yates, I hope that your future is fulfilling and as free of suffering as possible.  Enjoy life, appreciate your friends, and do things that make you happy.  All the best for the upcoming months.

[nclib]

Yates, I'm very sorry to hear this and I certainly wish you the best in your life. I hope you'll be able to beat the odds.

[Dr. Cynic]

As I told you last night, I wish you nothing but peace in this terrible time.

As I didn't get to tell you last night, your great courage in the face of this terrible tragedy is truly inspiring. If there is a god out there, I'm sure he would take care of you, as you deserve as little pain and suffering as possible... If there isn't, then know we are all here for you instead.

To you, my friend, I once again offer you my hand to say good luck and to fight the odds... I am here for you... We all are.

[Gustaf]

I didn't see this until now. As many have said, the worse thing to ever happen to someone here. While I can't claim to know you well, you have always appeared to be one of those genuinely good-hearted people and I can't tell you how much I admire and envy that quality. I will of course remember you as a graceful loser in Risk as well.

I am not one who can say that I know what to say in a situation like this. Let me just express my deepest concern and hope that this will pass and be something which you can later look back on as a test that you endured. Try to keep up your hope and courage and I will pray for you.

[Yates]

My friends, I hope that you all are having a lovely weekend.  I know that I, myself, have used the weekend to ponder my future.  On Thursday and Friday, I consulted with two doctors to obtain second and third opinions regarding my condition.  The second doctor agreed with my doctor's prognosis of six more months of life at the most, and that radiosurgery would not be a safe option.  The third doctor not only believed that radiosurgery would be out of the question, but found some additional malfunctions within my body which, he believes, may shorten my life span even further.

Next week, I will be returning to Iowa, my home.  I will live out my life to the fullest, mainting relative normality, and spending extra time with my family.  I cannot begin to thank you all for your enormous outpouring of sympathy and prayer.  Though I expected a very warm and kind response to my predicament, I was even astounded at the warmth and kindness you have shown me.  God bless you all.

[Brandon H]

Damn. First I am reading about this. I'm sorry to hear this and wish you luck. I will be praying for you.

[ilikeverin]

Think of it this way, Yates:

1) You at least know how you're going to go.
2) It's probably not going to suck.
3) You get to see everyone you know again!
4) You're going to get a lot of nice compliments.

God bless you, Yates.  You may not think so, but I know you're a wonderful guy who has made a difference in the lives of many people.  So I know you'll be able to go to the end with the respect and dignity you deserve, whether that end is in 6 days, 6 months, or 6 years. (60 is pushing it)  *hughughug!*

[Smash255]

This is just so sad.  Best of luck to you, and hopefully in the end you prove all the doctors wrong.

[AkSaber]

Aw damnit. I can't tell you how sorry I feel for you right now. But I think Smash has the right idea, prove them wrong!!!!!

[HardRCafé]

Hope you pull an Art Buchwald and prove them wrong.  Godspeed.