Friday, July 22, 2016

#PrepWithPurpose -- July 22, 2016: "Kevin"

For backstory on what #PrepWithPurpose is all about please read the blog entry and/or Instagram Post.

Hey Friends,

Yesterday was an emotional training day. Little Aly and Owen's story just got to me. I've never cried while training ... but I broke down during my cool down after running my sprints. I just can't imagine what everyone involved is going through. I can't get ALL of them off my mind. I hope you prayed along with me. I know the families really appreciate the love and will need continued prayer. So please keep them on your prayer list if you have one.

Today ...  I am once again traveling. Not for a show .. it's for a wedding! Still .. traveling and trying to stay on "prep"can be really tough. I try to make sure all my lifts that require more than hotel gym equipment are DONE before I leave town. So... I'm up and at em early today! Thankfully our flight is a late one, so we won't be too rushed getting out of town! Probably the thing that takes the most time is meal prep. I pack tons of foods in bulk that I can measure and then plan out daily while gone (usually basics for ease -- everything pre-made .. beef burgers, ckn, sweets, green beans. Then I also bring things like boiled eggs, oats, rice cakes, banana, guac packets, peanut butter, etc) .. but I do prep FULL meals in containers for travel days since measuring everything out isn't really do-able. All that while trying to get the house ready for our sitter makes things crazy! But I'm excited to be there to witness two of our dear friends get married!

Today our Prep With Purpose comes with no picture. Sometimes people are a little more private and don't want an image of themselves out there. But we have a story and a name and God knows all of his children!! So today I ask that even without that mental picture .. you lift up and for ... "Kevin".

Prep With Purpose -- July 22, 2016: "Kevin" 

I don't know Kevin. I don't know what he looks like. I don't know his daughter who sent this request to one of my Facebook friends. But I know he needs some serious lifting up ... so does his family .. they are having a really hard time with his cancer diagnosis.

Kevin was diagnosed with a slow growing stage 4 carcinoid cancer in the Fall of 2013.  He had one surgery shortly after his diagnosis and was on a "shot" that is suppose to stop tumor growth. The family was told that 80% folks with his diagnosis live beyond the 5 year mark.  Fast forward to the past 6 months. Kevin has been in chronic pain, barely able to eat and go to the bathroom.  He lost so much weight - so quickly - that his family says he no longer looks like himself. His daughter told my friend "it's the toughest pill that I have ever had to swallow."

They got him into a clinical trial in late May this year and after his first infusion his lung collapsed.  He was in the hospital for 2 weeks and then was able to go home for one week and then was admitted back into the hospital because his pain was so bad.  He got the ok for surgery #2 and his doctors told the family that "this was a bump in the road" and that they would be able to remove enough tumors so that he could comfortably eat again and use the restroom.  However .. the outcome was not what they expected. Apparently, he had a mass amount of tiny tumors that were so deep he was inoperable and there was no way to see them on a CT scan.  They put a tube in him to relieve some pressure and he is now on tubes for everything. Doctors say there isn't much more they can do and he will probably never be able to eat again.  The only hope we have right now is CBD 1 oil (cannabis oil to shrink the tumors.)

Today when I get in my toughest lower body training day of the week ... I will lift up and for this stranger. I will send all the good vibes and prayers that I have in me that the cannabis oil shrinks the tumors and he is healed. I pray he is able to be without pain ... and once again able to do the basic things (eat and use the restroom) that we all take for granted each day. I pray for his family .. as I'm told they are just beyond devastated. I hope "Kevin" and his loved ones feel the extra love today.

XoXo,
Stacy

I hope you are joining me on this PREP WITH PURPOSE journey! If you are ... please post/share and use the hashtag #PrepWithPurpose! Let's get a huge prayer chain going and in the process maybe make the sport of bodybuilding less about "me, me, me" and a little more about helping others! Our motivation doesn't have to come from ONLY ourselves!

If you know anyone that needs urgent or ongoing prayer for any physical reason please email me all the information and a picture (or a few) to simplystacyfitness@yahoo.com.






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