Jennings fighting Cancer

I've just learned my dear friend and former music teacher John Jennings is fighting pancreatic cancer and cancer of the liver. He his scheduled for surgery January 27th. We lift him up in our prayers for healing and a a full and speedy recovery.

A group of ex-students from Conroe High School created a fan page on Facebook to get the word out and ask for prayers and words of encouragement. JJ himself has posted on the page's "wall" there and is reading the wall posts and comments of others.

Jennings' writings sound promising. He calls is a "little" cancer on his liver and pancreas, of a "low-grade" variety. That's Jennings... always outwardly positive and optimistic. It's one of his many great characteristics. I worry though that he just doesn't want others to worry. That's another of his great characteristics.

Since I don't know how you can have a "little" cancer, probably the best news he reports is the doctor expects to be able to fully remove the cancer by surgery and has a good prognosis for recovery. It's an extensive surgery, though, with an upside-down T-shaped incision from the sternum down the center of the chest and then outward toward the hips on both sides. Our mutual friend Charlie Baughman joked that his bikini days may be over, and Robert Stanton pointed out that scars are "awesome" and will make him look like a bad ass!

Jennings is seen here at an Opera in the Heights concert Susan and I attended a few years ago in Houston. He was great as usual. Our hope is that he'll be singing for all of us again soon!