10/02/2026
Y’all… this is probably one of the hardest posts I’ve ever had to make. This is still very raw and very new information for us, so please bear with me as I try to put it into words. ❤️
Last Monday, September 21st, Dude started having pain that we suspected was from a gallstone. As the pain got worse, I took him to the ER. The doctor ordered a CT with contrast to look at his gallbladder and also rule out a kidney stone.
As we suspected, he did have gallstones. But the scan also found something we never expected—a mass on his kidney about the size of a lemon.
Suddenly, the gallbladder didn’t seem like such a big deal anymore.
They removed his gallbladder that day, but before we left, the doctor told us that we needed to see a urologist as soon as possible. I started calling local offices, explained what the scan had shown, and thankfully was able to get him an appointment the very next day.
At that appointment, the urologist gave us the news we were praying we wouldn’t hear: Dude has kidney cancer.
The good news—and we are holding tightly to the good news—is that his urologist believes removing the entire kidney, a radical nephrectomy, may take care of it. Because he just had his gallbladder removed, they want to give his body a few weeks to heal before putting him through another major surgery.
We were told kidney cancer can be very slow growing, and the doctor believes this mass may have been there for many years. Dude has had no symptoms from it at all. The biggest concern right now is its size and its proximity to the veins, which is why getting the additional testing done and moving forward with surgery is so important.
Next week he will have an MRI and X-rays, followed by his surgical clearance. We go back to the urologist on October 27th, and at that appointment we expect to schedule his kidney surgery.
It’s a LOT to process. One week you think you’re dealing with gallstones, and the next you’re saying the word cancer.
But if you know us, you know where our faith is.
God is still in control.
We truly believe there was divine intervention in finding this mass. Had that gallstone not caused enough pain to send Dude to the ER, we would have had no reason to scan his kidney. He had no symptoms telling us anything was wrong. What felt like a terrible day may very well have been the very thing God used to reveal something we desperately needed to know.
Right now, Dude is recovering really well from his gallbladder surgery. He’s doing a little work, but no lifting or anything strenuous. And if you know Dude, you know getting him to sit still is a job all by itself! 😂 But for the most part, he’s resting, staying hydrated and eating well.
That brings me to our upcoming market.
We had already planned our 2nd Annual Fall Market for October 9th & 10th. With everything that has happened, we honestly don’t know whether we’ll be able to have our separate Christmas Market this year. So we’ve decided to combine the two and make this our Fall/Christmas Vintage Market & Fundraiser for Dude’s recovery.
This is the part that is hard for me to share, because asking for help isn’t easy.
We are both self-employed and do not have health insurance. We’ve looked into insurance several times over the years, but financially there were times when it came down to paying an enormous insurance premium or keeping a roof over our heads. We chose the roof.
We’ll deal with hospital bills, payment arrangements and all of that as it comes. Right now, my priority is getting my husband taken care of.
After his kidney surgery, we’ve been told to expect a recovery of approximately 4–6 weeks. When you’re self-employed, if you’re not working, you’re not getting paid. So my goal is simple: work as hard as I can now and make this market as successful as possible so Dude can recover without lying in bed worrying about how we’re going to pay the bills.
Last year’s market was AMAZING. Y’all showed up for us in a way I’ll never forget. If we can have that kind of turnout again, it would be such a tremendous blessing and help carry us through his recovery.
So I’m asking for three things:
Pray for Dude. Pray that the testing shows this cancer is contained to the kidney, pray for his doctors and his upcoming surgery, and pray for complete healing.
Share this post and our market information.
And if you’re able, come see us October 9th & 10th. Shop our one-of-a-kind vintage and repurposed creations, get a little Christmas shopping done, visit with us, and know that every purchase is helping this stubborn man I love concentrate on getting well instead of worrying about work. ❤️
We don’t know exactly what the next few months will look like, but we know Who does.
God was already there before we ever walked into that ER. He was there when that scan unexpectedly found the mass, and we believe He’ll be with us through every test, every appointment, every surgery and every day of recovery.
Thank you for loving us, praying for us and supporting our little business. It means more right now than I could ever put into words.
Fall/Christmas Vintage Market & Fundraiser
📅 October 9th–10th
⏰ 9:00 AM–5:00 PM
📍 207 N. Connett St., Leonard, TX
Please share. ❤️🙏🏻
