A quick update

I’ve had some people ask how things are going concerning my cancer. My latest scan a couple of weeks ago revealed two new cancerous spots in my abdomen. The spots are small and are not affecting any major organs yet. The doctor recommended not doing anything for now and evaluating again when I return to MD Anderson in June.

The diagnosis is not a surprise. I was told after my 2023 surgery that since they were not able to remove it all, this cancer would eventually return and require additional surgery or treatment of some sort. I’m just glad I had two years before the cancer came back.

There have been many people praying for my health, and if you’re one of them, thank you. I’m truly grateful and ask that you continue to pray for me and for others dealing with health challenges. May God bless you as we start the new year.

An update

After a 12-hour ride, Steph and I made it home last night. And home was such a sweet sight after 23 days in Houston, Texas.

We had plenty of offers to help from family and friends, but my sister-in-law Marian Boykin handled our dogs and our home so well we didn’t have any worries. She got an assist from her son Jacob Robertson and our friend Sharmon Christian, but Marian’s help made my surgery and recovery much less stressful.

I also cannot say enough about Dr. Keith Fournier and the medical professionals at MD Anderson. There are ads all over Houston promoting it as the nation’s top cancer treatment center. The people I encountered there back up that claim in my mind.

And I’ve written this countless times, but it can never be said enough about how much the prayers and positive thoughts have helped us. Thank you so much for caring.

At the moment, I’m down close to my high school weight of 180 pounds. It may be a shock if you see me. For now, I’m trying to eat more protein and drink more fluids, but the appetite just isn’t there yet.

What is there is the fatigue, and I’ve been told that will be there for a while. Hopefully, that will subside soon, and hopefully, that will have me back at work sooner rather than later.

It was 84 years ago a famous baseball player said it, and it’s a line I’ll write 84 years later — I consider myself the luckiest man on the face of this earth.

God bless,
Craig

Stepping away again

Thursday was the last day for me to anchor a newscast in 2023. Unless something changes, I plan to undergo a 12-hour cancer surgery at MD Anderson in Houston on December 11. I know the doctors will remove my gallbladder, my spleen and part of my colon. They’ll also try to get the cancer on my liver, diaphragm and stomach. There may be more that’s removed, but the doctors won’t know until they start operating. They will also put heated chemotherapy drugs in my abdomen to try to kill any remaining cancer cells. The recovery from the surgery will take at least a few weeks before I can return to work.

People have been telling me since my last surgery in September they are praying for my healing and recovery. I can’t thank them enough for thinking about me then, now and in the future. The same goes for my coworkers and my wife’s coworkers who gave gifts in advance of the surgery. To say that both of us are blessed would be an understatement.

Please keep John Dolusic and his family in your prayers during this time. His son, Walter, died after suffering a brain aneurysm. Also do the same for the loved ones of two other WTVA employees who passed away this year: newscast director/master control operator Keith Richey and general manager Danny Walker. This will be their first Christmas without them.