Ending the Year 2014!

What a way to end the year! I went from a dark depressed state full of anxiety to accepting Jesus back into my life. Now if you have been following my blogs, you would have been able to see the transformation that had taken place. If you haven't...now is a good time to start..lol!

I have learned to trust God with my future and not to worry about it like I used too. After all, He is the one that is in control, and not me like I thought...silly me! If I have a problem that may arise, I just pray it up to God and then forget about it. The future hasn't come yet, so why worry about it...makes sense I think!

As far as the past goes....oh, wait, that it exactly what happens, it goes! It is gone, so why worry and stress about what could have been, or should have been...gone...over with...adios!

The only thing we can do is enjoy the moment. That is all we have that is a given! So hang on and enjoy the ride. God has His plan for you already worked out before it ever comes your way. It may be a blessing, or a trial or tribulation (which I consider blessings also!) It is all a matter of how you look at things. As an example: my shin splints or the pulled or torn muscle in my calf...you would think, poor me, why did this have to happen to me? What did I do that was so wrong to deserve this...etc..etc. Instead I found it to be a blessing. It slowed me down and I got to met some of the best people by those things occurring. Sometimes...even at three miles an hour we are moving to fast and overlook the blessings right in front of us! 

As we close out the year 2014 and welcome in the New Year, I pray that God may touch you the way he had touched my life again! It is never to late, or if you feel you have sinned to much, that is not true, Jesus came and shed his blood on the cross to wash away those sins. Amen! I have come to realize my whole walk was a blessing in disguise! John 3:16 (ESV) says it all. For God so loved the world, that He gave His only son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life. Amen to that!

Chemo....!

Well...I will be starting my chemo treatments in the morning at 9:00 am. I was told it would be for 6 months. I will have the chemo every two weeks, and a pill one week on and one week off also. Of course I will have to have my blood tested first, then the anti nausea meds, and then the chemo, it will probably be a three to four hour process. Of course I won't really know till I get started, just an uneducated guess...lol!

I would like to thank everyone for their prayers and well wishes, you all have been a blessing and an inspiration to me, thank you so much.

I really miss my walk and all the great people God had put in my path. It was a true blessing to have been able to do what I had accomplished, and to reconnect my faith with the Lord! As I had said before, God had my whole journey already planned out for me. It didn't totally work out the way I had planned, but He had shown how much greater His plan was. Before the walk began I suffered with Depression and Anxiety, but through his works and the path he layed out before me, I soon learned to rely on Him and to trust in him. If I had a problem or was worried about anything I prayed about it and left it in His hands, then I put it out of my mind, knowing He would help me, and I haven't had any stress or anxiety since. And He has indeed helped me in the things I prayed about. What a loving God to carry our burdens, and to have died on the cross for our sins, that we may come to the Father in His name. Praise Jesus in all His Glory! Amen!

Come to me, all who are weary and  burdened, and I will give you rest.
Take my Yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light. NIV Matthew 11:28-30

Ask and it will be given to you, seek and you will find, knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks, the door will be open. NIV Matthew 7:7-8

Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own. NIV Matthew 6:34

Thanksgiving!

Thanksgiving is a Special Day For Thanks, but Everyday is a Day of Thanks!

What am I thankful for:

1. God's Love and Salvation!

2. God's blessing of a wonderful and loving family!

3. God's blessing of wonderful friends I have met throughout my life!

4. God's blessing for sending me on my walk!

5. God's blessing of the care I have received for the cancer!

6. God's blessing of taking away all my stress and worries of day to day life!

I guess you can start to see a pattern here. All you have to be thankful for is: Number 1. God's Love and Salvation, for with that, all else will be taken care of by His will and in His time. Be patient, and be thankful!

Matthew 6:33  Seek first His Kingdom and His Righteousness, and all things will be given to you as well. (NIV)

Psalm 136:26  Give thanks to the God of Heaven, His love endures forever. (NIV)

It is also a time to give thanks to all our service men and women who have or are still serving to 

protect the great country we live in. Let us pray for each other, our world leaders, for world peace, and all those that in suffering and in need of comfort. And to be thankful for all God has put in front of us!

I JUST FEEL THE URGE TO WALK!

Update!

Today My wife, daughter and her husband and I met with an insurance broker and I was able to get signed up for health insurance that will become effective January 1st. Yeah, a step in the right direction. It was so nice to be able to do this with the help of a broker. We would have been lost without him. Thank you Jeff Hinton at www.careadigm.com. You made the signing up easy for us!

Looking forward to my next Doctor visit on December 1st. I hope to find out when my chemo treatments will start and where I will be able to receive them before my insurance starts in January!

I have been feeling run down and tired lately, but I had a really good day today. I walked the neighborhood visiting some of the residents, I then went and met the insurance broker, had lunch, went back out to my daughters for dinner, and walked around her block four times before coming back home. We got home around 7:45 pm, I must say that is pretty good compared to how I was feeling earlier.

Maybe it was the B12 vitamins my sister in California sent me, but whatever the reason, I was glad to of had a good day and be as active as I was. And to top that off, I am even doing the blog, WOW!

The Walk, The real Reason!

By Mike Pozzi

What the walk means to me is now easy to express.

It was an inspiration from God,

I never would have guessed!

I learned to look at things that came my way,

whether good or bad as a blessing each and every day!

I thanked the Lord for whatever came down my path,

knowing He was walking with me, and His love would last!

He showed me that sometimes my wants were not what was best,

His plan was better, and that I can attest!

The blessings He gave sometimes brought tears to my eyes,

So overwhelming, it was like winning the grand prize!

Prayer and Faith is all you need,
 To receive the special blessings, I must concede!

He took me from a dark place in my life,

where depression and anxiety cut like a knife,

He opened my heart and let His love shine,

He took me down His path, and not down mine.

Mine would have ended in total despair,

But He guided me with loving precision and great care!

He got me where I needed to be,

To receive the plan that He had for me!

For unknown to me I had cancer growing inside,
If not for Him, I surely would have died!

I have been given more time to tell the story,
of all God has done, and of all His Glory!

When I am called, I will be ready to go,
It will be in His time, and that I know!

So when I'm gone, don't worry about me, 
I'll be well taken care of with the Lord you see.

The words He may say, just might be, 
Come, come finish your walk along side of me!

And now I know, It is plain to see, 
I just feel the urge to walk...came from Thee!

My first visit with the doctor today!

I had my first appointment with my doctor at the Tennessee Cancer Specialists. It was pretty much what I heard in Louisiana in some respects. The "statistical" prognosis was as follows, with out chemo 6-12 months, with chemo 2-3 years, but the doctor also stated it is really up to the individual and how well they respond to treatment. He has seen some go 5-10 years.

Me, what do I think, I feel when God calls me, that will be my time not before or not after, but in God's time. If it is 3 days, 3 years, or 30 years, I will be ready when called. In the meantime I will pray, study the word to the best of my ability, and praise God for all I have had and continue to have in my life. He is in total control and I just pray I can follow the path he puts before me and Glorify his name.

My iron was low so I was prescribed iron pills for that. They rechecked my lungs with a Cat scan to make sure I didn't develop any clots in my lung from surgery, which came back negative. My lungs are clear. The reason for that was I still am short of breath at times and still tire easily. I am praying the iron pills will help put a damper on that. He also told me to take benedryl to help me sleep. I usually only sleep two hours at a time and have trouble going back to sleep when I do wake. And last but not least, I was prescribed an antibiotic for a sty I have had on my eye lid for about 6 weeks now. Oh yeah, he also checked my incision where it is oozing a little, he said it looked like it was healing and as long as it was not discolored like yellow or green, it should be okay.

I didn't get a second letter yet from Social Security, but I received a check with no explanation, so I am thinking it went through. Maybe the check beat the letter. I will have to check into it tomorrow to make sure before I do anything else. Then I will still have to apply for Medicaid or whatever I can get. Well, that's enough for today, stayed tuned for an update. Thanks for reading my blog. God bless you, thoughts and prayers your way, Mike See you next time!

I JUST FEEL THE URGE TO WALK!

Doctor and Disability....

Well, I have a Doctor's appointment in the morning at 8:15 am for a consultation to discuss my treatment I suppose. I am glad because I have aches I didn't have before and my incision from the surgery three weeks ago has been oozing a little for a while now. Nothing serious, just want to have it looked at. Never had that kind of surgery so I don't know what is normal.

Also I got a letter from Social Security. I have been approved for the medical disability part, but now I have to wait to see if I made enough over the years to collect. They always seem to have a catch, and love playing the waiting game with other people's lives. As if my earnings and what I paid in, is not in their computer system. They can't hit a button to check after approving the medical part? It has to go to another person for determination and approval on the non-medical part? This is my understanding anyway!

Can't get medicaid or medicare until it is approved. Not easy getting treatment with no insurance. We will just have to enjoy the game and wait and see.

Other than that, I had lunch with my grandson at school today. I think he was surprised I showed up! It was a nice way to spend time with him.

Okay, that is all for now, I will let you know how I make out tomorrow at the Doctors. Thanks for reading my posts. God Bless you all, thoughts and prayers your way, Mike

I JUST FEEL THE URGE TO WALK!

Let's get to the Point!

Today my wife and I met with my oldest Daughter, her husband and their two children. We met so we could go to try a Church out for the first time. I must say, it was a very relaxed atmosphere and we felt right at home. We met the intern Pastor (Seth) and the Pastor (Matt) before the service and then spoke again after. And as the title of this blog states, the name of the Church is The Point. you can find more information on their link here: The Point

The Church itself meets at the West Town Mall in Knoxville in the Movie Theater. You are greeted at the door, they have hot chocolate for the kids, coffee for the adults and ice water. They also have snacks to go with the drinks. You are also invited to bring them in to the service if you would like.

I enjoyed going and felt very comfortable being there, and I am sure I will go again.

After the service we were taken out to brunch at the Parkside Grill. We had the buffet, and with the buffet you get to order a make your own omelette, needles to say we had the buffet and the omelette. It was a nice treat and I would like to thank my daughter, her husband and my grandchildren for the great time and for treating us to such a nice meal. How do I feel, STUFFED! And very Blessed, What an awesome God we have, Praise Jesus! Amen!

Today I will share some pics of the wonderful people I met along the way! Of course there were so many others that I forgot to get pictures of, but everyone I met turned out to be a blessing in one form or another. God was truly walking with me on this journey and I am thankful!

My sister-in-law From South Carolina!

Selina and her beautiful daughter Addy. Selina is my grandson Riley's other grandmother. She helped me out on numerous occasions during my walk. She also is a member of the National Guard, I thank her for her service to us all!

My cousin who came to visit me in Georgia on my way through! Thanks for the burger and fries!

My cousins two beautiful daughters and grandson!

Faye from the Cotton Gin Cafe & Inn at 37 East Marion St. Reynolds, Georgia. What a beautiful room I had for the night. Faye even fed me dinner, Thank You!

Debi Johnson from the Lake Pines Campground, 6404 Garrett Road Columbus, Ga. What a blessing she was! No question about it, God led me to that Campground and blessed me with crossing paths with her! Thank you Debi!

Elizabeth, I met her on my way towards Society Hill, Alabama. She shared her story with me! A pleasure to have met her!

Steve senior,  Steve Junior, Marshall, (Steve seniors brother) and Joe, the two brothers father. What an amazing family to run into. Thank you all so much for fixing my tire...a true blessing from God!

Judith, a very nice person who shared her story with me about depression. Prayers your way! 

If my memory serves me right Michael Sullivan and his mother. They stopped to talk with me a while. It was a pleasure to converse with them, thanks for the donation also!

The Manager's wife from Yogi on the Lake Jellystone Campground in Pelahatchie, Mississippi. A wonderful person, thanks for the prayers! God Bless!

My guide Warren, of the Old Vicksburg Bridge! Thoroughly enjoyed the tour and your company, thank you Warren! 

Austin McGee of West Tree Service working on clearing the power lines on my way to Tullulah, Louisiana.

Austin's partner in crime...lol...running the trimming machine, Jonathan LeCour!

Nateal from the Day's Inn, Tullulah, Louisiana.

Two gentlemen I met entering Delhi, sorry forgot your names, but two of the nicest people you could meet! Thanks for the great conversation! God bless you!

Felicia and Tony from Felicia's Truck Stop. Two great people, my thoughts and prayers go out to you both and your son!

Doctor Mariano from The Northern Louisiana Medical Center, Ruston, Louisiana! One of the Doctors I had in Louisiana!
I want to mention the others, Dr. Osafa Oncologist-Hematologist, and Doctor Byrnes, General Surgeon. Thank You all! 

I must mention Jeffrey and Peggy Croft from the Adrain Camp and Conference Center in Adrian, S.C. I do not have any pictures of them, but they too were a tremendous blessing to me and deserve the mention! 

All the nursing staff at the Northern Louisiana Medical Center, Ashley, Sherwon, Debbie, Deborah, Melba, Jessica from ICU, Carmen the secretary and many others, thank you all!

And a shout out to Adam, whom I met along the way also. It was a pleasure to cross paths with you!

Waiting!

Sorry for not keeping up with my blog as I should. I have been trying to find a Doctor to start my Chemo and waiting for S.S. to decide on my disability. I currently do not have insurance and have to wait for disability to get on Medicaid, which I will need to start chemo treatments for my liver.

I also have been feeling a little tired and haven't really been up to writing any posts. I guess I need to work on that. Shame, shame on me!

I have been walking the neighborhood some, talking to a number of old friends, sharing my journey with them and telling them how God put me on it and blessed me every step of the way, bringing me to Ruston, La. where I meet so many great people. This is also where I came to find out I had colon cancer and had my operation.

As you all know, I am now home as I said waiting to start my chemo, and excited to see what God has in-store for the future. Loving each day as it comes and thanking God for all the blessings I have been given. I am not worried about anything for I have put it all in God's hands, and after all, he is the one in control! Thank you Father for all I have received in Jesus's name, Amen!

Veteran's Day!

I would like to express my gratitude to all those who have and are fighting for our country so that we can maintain our freedom. My heart and prayers go out to you today and to all of the family members of our veterans, and soldiers still serving. What a beautiful country we have, filled with beautiful and caring people.

I also pray for our veteran's who are suffering from PTSD and are having trouble getting the help they need. I hope our Government that they served recognize them and give them the help they need. So many seem to be falling through the cracks. The suicide rate for veterans is rising and something needs to be done to protect those who suffered to protect us! Write to our leaders for action!

I JUST FEEL THE URGE TO WALK!

Back where it all began....Home!

Feeling a little empty knowing my walk is postponed for the time being and having to leave so many new friends behind in Ruston. They have become a part of me and I will keep their memory close to my heart.

I had my staples removed Wednesday afternoon around 2:30. said goodbye to my treating physicians at the clinic then headed home with my wife at the wheel. We stopped for the night at 11:30 pm or so. Got up had breakfast and finished our journey home. We arrived in Knoxville around 11:30, had some lunch at Jason's Deli, did a little grocery shopping then arrived home around 2:45.

The ride went well without any real discomfort, ouch...just kidding! It was nice for me and my wife to have some alone time together to talk with each other and for me to practice my back seat driving. Now I'm not sure if she enjoyed that part or not, but it made me feel good...lol!

Okay...lets see where the road will lead us in the following days. I pray that God will protect, comfort, guide and bless you all in Jesus's name, Amen! Glory be to God in the Highest!

I JUST FEEL THE URGE TO WALK!

In Mount Pleasant, S.C. shortly after starting my journey. Slight beard!

Family picture just before leaving Knoxville to start the journey. Notice no beard...lol!

Heading home!

Got my staples out at 2:30ish...stopped to say bye to the doctors and nurses who were so caring and did a great job getting me to where I am now. God bless you all.

So now with a heavy heart we are on the interstate heading east making our way home from what felt like home.

God bless the community of Ruston and all those who took the time to help and comfort me during my stay at the hospital.

Thank you Judy Copeland from the Chamber of Commerce for all your effert in helping a stranger passing through by putting me in contact with so many wonderful and helpful people. God has worked miracles through you which turned into a great blessing for me.

Thank you Judi Null and all the wonderful people at The Health Hut for inviting me to participate in the Health Expo and all the kindness you have given me. Thank you Judi and Randy for opening your hearts and home to me and my wife. The meals and hospitality we received were just spectacular making us feel like family and making it hard to say goodbye. God has greatly blessed us through you both and we are greatful for all you have done.

The pic below is of me and Dr. Mariano after saying our goodbyes at the Green Clinic. God bless you Dr. Mariano...Dr. Byrnes...and Dr. Osafo for all your efferts and medical care and all the nurses at the hospital who were also tremendous.

Out and about!

I finally got discharged around 6:00 pm last night. They forgot to give me a presciption for pain and they had no order from the Dr. So I had to go to the Drs. Office at the clinic this morning to get the prescription. I survived without to much discomfort so it was okay.

Been out most of the day visiting with some of the great people I have met saying our goodbyes. In the morning we will go visit with others who have been so kind to me...then at 2:00 pm. we will go to the clinic to have the staples removed and then start our trek back to Tennessee. Because of the late start we will probably spend the night about halfway then arrive back home on Thursday. That would probably be the best thing for me and for Valarie who will have to drive the whole way.

I am looking forward to getting home and settled so I can start my chemo for the liver and getting back to normal again. I feel a little empty for not being able to finish my walk now...but hopefully I will be able to continue after my treatment. Whatever God has in store for me is what will happen.

This whole journey has diffenitly been a blessing beyond belief. As l have stated before..I wouldn't change a thing. God is an awesome God for sure!

Bless you all...prayers your way.

I JUST FEEL THE URGE TO WALK!

REAL FOOD....YES!

Well, the big news today is: I had a bowel movement for the first time since surgery on Tuesday afternoon..and that means I can have whatever I want to eat again. Oh yes, that is great news for me and the cattle industry. The Super Great Nursing staff I have are treating me to a 8 oz. Burger and fries for lunch. I am telling you they are the best group of people...so caring and kind...a great blessing from God for sure!

Everyone that has worked on my case from the Medical Team of Doctors..the Nurses....the maintenance people....and the finanacial department...just everyone at the Northern Louisiana Medical Center has been a Godsend.

The Health Hut and Judi Null...Judy Copeland, Ivana and Mike Brown from the Chamber of Commerce...and all the Churches that have come to pray with me and have fed my wife and offers of help from all of them have just been tremendous. God is an awesome God.

I may be getting out either Monday or Tuesday from the hospital but will remain here till I get the staples out of my stomach which should be sometime between Wednesday and Friday. By then I should be well enough for the ride back to Tennessee where I will continue my life's journey traveling on the road God has already planned for me!

I hope everyone continues to follow my journey, for it has a long way to go. GOD BLESS EVERYONE, THOUGHTS AND PRAYERS YOUR WAY.

I JUST FEEL THE URGE TO WALK!

My walk, is it over or is this a new beginning!

Well , it is Saturday morning as I lay in bed and reflect on the past 10 days..

It has been one amazing journey how I ended up in the hospital. Then finding out I have stage 4 colon cancer that has spread to my liver, wow, okay, I didn't see  that coming. Now that the surgery on the colon is done (removing about a third of my colon along with the tumor) I will now have to focus on chemo treatments on the liver. I will be returning home to have those treatments. It will be at least six months of chemo depending on how my body responds to it.

So it seems my cross country walk has been postponed or shall I say it has made another turn with an added adventure thrown in.

It has been a true blessing so far and I am not done yet, lets all work together to keep this journey alive and moving forward. My prayers are for all those suffering in silence, you are by no means alone and there are people who care about you...reach out to them and get the help you need. Keep going as a friend named Adam told me on my walk. Will I say that to you all...keep going...stay strong.

God bless you all. Thank you for reading my posts. Come back often to see what"s in store.  Lots of love and prayers your way. Mike

I JUST FEEL THE URGE TO WALK!

Day 61...Surgery in the morning!

Well, tomorrow morning is the surgery to remove about 1/3 of my colon with the cancer. They are also going to do a biopsy on my liver while they have the hood open.

My whole walk and journey so far has been such a great blessing to me and I would not trade one minute of it.

I believe God started this journey to get me to where I am today. I pray that I may continue to glorify God and continue my walk when I recover from this surgery and the chemo that will follow for my liver.

I am not in the least worried or nervous about the surgery whatsoever.  I know I was lead here and that God is in control of everything...so no need to fret!

I hope you all will continue to check my blog as I will post again when I am able. God bless you all...my thoughts and prayers go out to all of you...may God comfort and bring peace to your soul. I am passing off a smile to you all and ask that you share it with someone else! :-)

I JUST FEEL THE URGE TO WALK!

Day 60...5th night in hospital, Rustan, Louisiana!

Well, this is my 5th night in the hospital. I have had some wonderful people from various  churches come by to visit and pray with me. Judy from The Health Hut and her husband stopped by to see me. One of the members of the Chamber Of Commerce brought her husband to meet me and also prayed for me. My brother and his wife from Texas came to see me. That is where I was headed next on my walk. It would have been about a three week walk to get to his house from here. It took him 4 hours by car to drive to see me, that's just funny. He was only able to stay a few hours, but it meant alot to have him drive out to see me and I had a very nice visit with them. I can't tell you how many phone calls I got so far today. I have been blessed by all the visits and calls I have received today that is for sure! I can't tell you enough how God has blessed me so far. I am surely glad he is in control.

I will find out more tomorrow, but I am pretty sure my colon surgery will be Tuesday some time. Check back, I'll keep you posted on things.

Tomorrow will be a hectic day. I will have all the surgeon's come by and talk with me...social services...financial dept...and I don't remember who else, but I better take notes..lol!

My wife will be here sometime tomorrow and my two oldest daughters will also arrive tomorrow.  My daughters will stay till Wednesday and my wife will stay till I get released from the hospital.

I also can't say enough about how much of a blessing the Rustan Community has been towards me and all the support and help I have gotten from everyone here.

Well,  that's about it for tonight. God bless you all and thank you for reading my blog!

Here are a few pics of my visit with my brother and his wife.

I JUST FEEL THE URGE TO WALK!

Day 59 of my unwalk...in Northern Louisiana Medical Center!

Okay, all you have probably read about my blood and hemoglobin story and why I am in the hospital.

Well yesterday after my Gi And colonoscopy I found out I have colon cancer. I will find out more today sometime as to wether or not it spread to anywhere else.

I have met some wonderful people here in the hospital and in the town of Ruston. Judy Copeland and Mike Jones from The Chamber of Commerce have been absolute Godsends as well as Judi Null from the Health Hut. I feel like I have two Moms here taking care of me. God has truly sent me here without a doubt. The blessings from these people have been so great and awesome...God truly watches over those who walk his path. Trials...tribulations...hardships...injuries...illnesses...nothing but blessings.

Okay, one doctor, Dr. Mariano just came in and talked to me. He said they found some spots on the liver also. By the way he is an awesome Doctor, and even prays for his patients besides treating them. Now I have to wait to talk to the next doctor before I know more.

God truly sent me here and on this walk to reach this place....what a blessing.

I'll post later as I find things out. Bless you all for your support.

I JUST FEEL THE URGE TO WALK!

Day 54...3rd day in Ruston! Hospital time out!

This blog is for Wednesday. I woke up and got ready, had breakfast at the motel, then headed to downtown Ruston to take some pictures, then headed to The Health Hut.

After arriving at The Health Hut I helped them load some things up for the expo. After arriving at the events center at the Library, which is a beautiful place, we arranged the tables and chairs in the different sections for the expo.

During this time I got my results of a courtesy checkup that showed my hemoglobin level was half of what it should be...so off to the ER. I went to have it checked again and was admitted and received two units of blood. Well, this morning the Dr came in and told me I still needed more blood because it only brought the level up to 7. It was 6.1 when they first checked it.  The normal is 12-14. So today I will get two more.

Then in the morning I have to have a GI and a colonoscopy to see if I have any blood loss from those area's. I have a chronic blood loss and am Iron deffeciant that has been an ongoing thing and my body has been conditioned to it. That's why I have been able to do the walk thus far. I feel fine and there is no need to worry. God brought me here for a reason and purpose and will take care of me no doubt.

I look forward to receiving the help I need so I may continue my walk and journey. It is and has been a true blessing from God and I am  thankful for being able to do this walk. God bless everyone, thoughts and prayers are with you all. See you on the road soon!

I JUST FEEL THE URGE TO WALK!