Dad Who Ignored Small Bump Under His Arm Wants His Story To Warn Others
February 09, 2018
When Steve Hock first noticed it, he ignored a marble-sized bump under his arm. Sadly, though, something that started out so small eventually killed him. And he wants his story to warn others of the danger of melanoma in the hopes they will keep a closer eye on their skin!
While Steve initially ignored a marble-sized bump under his arm, it just kept growing. Six months later, it was the size of a baseball. So, the father of two finally decided to see a doctor.
***WARNING: Some images may be considered graphic***
Grave News For Dad Who Ignored A Marble-Sized Bump
At first, doctors said he had nothing to worry about. Steve had surgery to remove the "fatty tumor," as doctors called it, and thought it was all behind him. But then things got serious fast.
At his follow-up appointment, Steve's doctor delivered some grave news. They'd done a biopsy on his tumor and found melanoma -- one of the most dangerous skin cancers. He'd need more surgery. Doctors went back in to remove tissue, muscle, and 18 lymph nodes.
RELATED: Fan Spots Olympic Swimmer’s Unusual Mole And Sends An Email That May Have Saved His Life
While in the hospital recovering from the procedure, things got worse.
Steve felt off and developed a case of hiccups from the morphine. Then one of the hiccups brought with it a big pop in his side. Blood began flooding Steve's chest, pushing down on his lungs and expanding his chest like a balloon. The swelling alone was threatening to suffocate him.
Credit: Facebook/Steve HockDoctors rushed Steve back into surgery, racing to save him from the severe internal bleeding.
After emergency surgery and a blood transfusion, Steve recovered in ICU. It was the scare of a lifetime and Steve was so grateful to be alive. Doctors let him go home once he was strong enough. But they still needed to give him injections to try and rid him of his cancer. So, Steve traveled daily to the hospital for treatments.
Signs Of Trouble
After a month of injections, Steve started having cognitive trouble. He was mixing up words, stuttering, and flipping numbers with letters. Then he woke up unable to talk or use the right-side of his body.
Credit: Facebook/Steve HockAn emergency MRI revealed a brain tumor. And despite the grim news, Steve put all his trust in God.
"I knew it was going to be okay, God would take care of me. He is in control, always has been, always will be," he said.
RELATED: Seemingly Healthy Man Diagnosed With Terminal Cancer Fights With Diet
And God used Steve's struggles in an amazing way. While being robbed of the ability to communicate was torture, it gave Steve a brand new perspective of just how blessed he was.
"I thought long about a friend of mine Jeremy Balkan who's deaf and it hit me so hard how lucky I have had it my whole life. What a humbling experience," Steve said.
Blessed With More Time
Doctors were hoping to get a good look at Steve's tumor before operating. But when the mass began hemorrhaging, there was no time to wait. They went in blind, and after a miraculous 6-hour surgery, Steve was still alive. And he'd regained use of the right-side of his body!
Again, Steve praised the Lord for his blessings.
"It is truly a miracle that I lived through this," he wrote. "There were hundreds of people praying for me -- I thank every one of you. Every day is the most beautiful gift."
Next, Steve battled through a nasty staph infection in his arm. He went back into surgery to relieve the swelling and to save his arm. And through it all, he kept his positive and uplifting attitude.
"The bacteria was identified as MRSA. It's just another hurdle in this fight with cancer," he wrote in an online update. "There [are] others that have it far worse than I do, that's what keeps me from complaining throughout all of this."
Dad Who Ignored A Marble-Sized Bump Warns Others
Steve continued to face struggle after struggle. From reactions to the steroids, infections, swelling and drainage issues, to more surgeries -- the obstacles just kept coming. It seemed as though the cancer was determined to win, no matter what Steve or his doctors did.
Steve's life went from raising two kids with his fiancee Tammi to fighting to keep breathing. He wanted desperately to marry Tammi, but now he wasn't even sure he'd live long enough to see his daughter turn two.
As Steve realized his life was coming to an end, he focused on spending what time he had left with his family. He cheered (along with friends and family) when he made his goal of living long enough to celebrate his daughter's second birthday.
Credit: Facebook/Steve HockHe longed to marry his fiance Tammi before heading into his fourth and final brain surgery, but time wouldn't allow for it. Once the surgery was complete, doctors sent Steve home to live out his final days.
All along, Steve had been taking pictures and sharing updates about his cancer journey. Eventually, he became too weak to keep up with them and asked his sister to take over.
After a long battle, surrounded by loved ones, Steve went home to be with Jesus.
RELATED: After Years Of Tanning, Her Dying Wish Is To Save Others
Years later, his story is still getting shared, just as Steve hoped it would. He wanted to use his own pain and suffering to help others. After having ignored a marble-sized bump, Steve hoped his story would inspire others to get checked out and possibly even save lives.
And he's not alone.
A woman named Cheryl Murray, from Glasgow, also ignored a bump on her foot. In fact, she ignored it for nearly 12 years until it grew to the size of a golf ball. She was blessed to keep her life, but wound up losing her foot. And like Steve, she's trying to use her story to encourage others.
You can read all about Cheryl's story HERE.
Please be sure to keep Steve's story going by sharing it. Early detection can make a huge difference when it comes to cancer, especially melanoma. So, keep a close eye on your body and don't hesitate to go to the doctor or dermatologist if you notice any changes. Don't wait!
h/t: Little Things
YOU MAY ALSO LIKE: Dying Girl’s Final Wish, A Trip To Walt Disney World, Brings About A Miracle
Today's Devotional
A Prayer for Those Who Are Lonely or Isolated This Christmas - Your Daily Prayer - December 23
This Christmas, remember how precious you are to the Creator. Remember that there is nothing you can do or say that would ever separate His presence and love from you. It’s okay to go through Christmas feeling alone and isolated, but make sure you turn to God to fill those feelings of loneliness.
Today's Devotional
A Prayer for Those Who Are Lonely or Isolated This Christmas - Your Daily Prayer - December 23
This Christmas, remember how precious you are to the Creator. Remember that there is nothing you can do or say that would ever separate His presence and love from you. It’s okay to go through Christmas feeling alone and isolated, but make sure you turn to God to fill those feelings of loneliness.
Past Stories
- Husband Decorates His Neighbors' Homes For Wife Who Loves Christmas
- Couple Befriend Older Neighbor After Hearing Music Coming From His Apartment
- California Man Carpools With Adult Children On His Very Last Day of Work Before Retirement
- Family of Three Grows To Seven Overnight With Birth of Quadruplets
- The World's Oldest Dog Spike the Chihuahua Turns 25 Years Old
- Christmas Tree Planted Back in 1979 Inspires and Unites a Small English Village
- Dick Van Dyke Turns 99 After Evacuating From a Wildfire and Welcoming His Lost Cat Back Home
- Santa and Mrs.Claus Continue to Spread Christmas Magic Even With Santa's MS Diagnosis
- Little Girl Gets a Big Elf On the Shelf Surprise Honoring the Little Brother Who Passed Away
- Little Boy From England With Leukemia Delivers Over 400 Christmas Gifts To Kids At the Hospital
- Gold Star Family Receives a Big Surprise That Will Change Their Lives Forever
- 8-Year-Old With Down Syndrome Is a Hero After Saving Sister From House Fire
- Man Paralyzed At 17 While Snowboarding Has Found True Love and a Wonderful Life
- His Wife Passed Away, Now Their Special Tree is the 2024 Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree
- Granddaughter Captures Last Words Between Grandparents, Married For 69 Years
- New York State Police Rescue Woman Needing a Heart Transplant Stranded in Snowstorm
- Born the Same Year the Titanic Sank, World's Oldest Man Dies at 112
- Family Receives Support From School and Community After Losing House in a Fire
- Soldier Reunites With His Military Dog Yyacob After Years Apart
- Chicago Man Discovers That The Owner Of The Bakery He Loved To Visit Was Actually His Mother
- Husband Pays For 40 Pet Adoptions At Shelter For His Wife's 40th Birthday
- Parents Find Healing After Loss of Son By Donating His Beloved Key Collection To Little Boy
- Mom Dances With Son At His Wedding After Being Placed in Hospice Care 2 Weeks Before
- Grandmother and Young Granddaughter Battling Cancer At the Exact Same Time
- Community Brings Christmas Joy to Virginia Woman With Just Weeks to Live
- Four Friends Recreate A Fun Vacation Photo From 50 Years Ago
- School in Arkansas Mourns the Loss of Their Beloved Emotional Support Dog Abby
- 93-Year-Old Has Made Sure To Attend Every High School Football Game Since 1946
- Texas Mom Doesn't Remember Delivering Triplets After Rare Complication After Birth
- United Airlines Pilot Buys Pizza For 155 Passengers After They Make An Unexpected Stop
- Teenager With Down Syndrome Enjoys Playing Kickball After Parents Organize Neighborhood Game
- Woman in Shock After Finding Winning Lottery Ticket At the Bottom of Her Purse
- Australian Couple Walks Into Their Bedroom To Find the Cutest Koala
- 5 Boys and Their Father Were Saved By Good Samaritan After Explosion
- Daughter of WWII Soldier Finally Learns What Happened To Him, 80 Years Later
- Sisters Scream With Joy Watching Their 4-Year-Old Sister Take Her First Steps
- Her Mom Put a Message in a Bottle As a Child, 26 Years Later Her Classmate Found It
- This Missouri School Was Renamed After Their Much Loved and Dedicated Custodian
- Michael Strahan's Daughter is Now Cancer Free and Has Taught Him All About Perseverance
- These Two Newlyweds Found Love in Their Late 90s, After Meeting At Their Retirement Home
- Sisters Who Were Adopted By Separate Families Nearly 40 Years Ago Reunite After DNA Tests
- Oldest Living Person in the US Passes Away at 115, After a Long and Faithful Life
- At Just 20 and 22 Years Old, These Two Sisters From Minnesota Saved Their Family Farm
- After Over 450 Days in a Shelter, Boone and Rellie Find Their Forever Home, Together
- Sweet Kitten Named Coraline Loses Both Her Eyes, but Inspires Many with Her Spirit
- Donny Osmond Sees the 'End of the Tunnel' Coming After Performing for Over 6 Decades
- An Iguana Hitches a Ride on a Garbage Truck in Tennessee, Now Trying to Find Its Owner
- 6-Year-Old Starts 'Poop Scooping' Business to Help Animals and Adopt One of His Own
- Bride's Dad Drops During Father-Daughter Dance, but Things Lined up Perfectly to Save His Life
- Young North Carolina Father Risked His Life To Save a Couple and Dog From a Sinking Truck
Top Music Videos
The Statler Brothers 'Til the Storm Passes By' The Statler Brothers Live Performance
Jeremy Camp Jeremy Camp 'Ready Now' Powerful Official Music Video
Mark Schultz 'Different Kind of Christmas' - Live From Mark Schultz
Brad Stine Has Issues Brad Stine’s Hysterical Take on Adam Naming the Animals is Pure Gold
Kari Jobe Kari Jobe - First Love
Blogs
At GodTube, you’ll find daily inspirational videos to lift your spirits and encourage you in your walk with God. Popular videos include worship music from your favorite Christian artists, cute videos with adorable kids and animals, hilarious videos from Christian comedians, user-uploaded videos, and clean viral videos to brighten your day.