(I wrote this early Friday morning...but had to leave...I will update everyone)

Dear Wrestling Community/Family,

I know you all haven't heard from me in a while on this website, so the following information about me may catch you off guard, rest assured...It caught me off guard and we are moving fast to get well. Here is what happend:

I went into a local free clinic for those people that don't have a lot of money do to the lack of funds/ability to work on Friday, April 2nd and was immediantly sent to the hospital on a referal for blood tests and two chest xrays when the doctor realized how swollen my lymph nodes were along with the amount of weight that I had lost in the last month and a half. (40lbs)

The following Friday my results had come back on the blood but not on the Xrays...apparently they were misplaced and sent to a doctor in Manhattan, KS (I'm seen in Junction City) and the search was on for the Xrays. Finally, earlier this week on Wednesday when I got home from visiting family in Kansas City, MO I was greeted with the messages on my phone to call the Surgical Staff at the Hospital and my clinic doctor as well on his cell phone.

They had finally got the Xrays, and in the words of the nurse the staff was very much concerned and I was booked for a 1:15 pm consultation (for Thursday) at the Medical Arts facility in the Hospital. I went in for the medical analysis at the hospital with my mom there to help give medical history...but the doctor showed us the xray and the concern was quickly pointed out with a large football length tumor growing inside of me on my heart side, and also a smaller one about the size of a raquet ball on my right side. He then told me that the diagnosis him and his colleagues have come up with is Lymphoma Cancer.

Immediantly they brought in papers and said they needed to do some more tests a.s.a.p. So this morning (Friday) I'm scheduled for a 7:45 consultation with Outpatient Surgery...after the consult I have an appointment scheduled for 8:30 am to have a neck, chest, abdomen, and pelvic CAT SCAN done. Upon the completion of that it will be back to the Outpatient Surgery area to be squeezed in to a busy schedule for a node removal from the subclavicular area on my right side.

The node will be sent to Nebraska for type diagnosis to figure out what type of Lymphoma Cancer I have. There is already talk that because of how agressive this cancer has been in such a short time...I may undergo radiation and chemo starting as early as next week sometime.

This is a scarey time for me...my emotions have been up and down since yesterday's diagnosis and request that everyone keep me in their thoughts and prayers. I told my aunt in a teary conversation that I thought about wearing my wrestling shoes to all my doc visits and treatments...that way it's a personal statement that I'm not going down without a fight.

It's easier said than done to stay positive right about now, but with the help of friends and family I'll overcome it.

Everyone take care and God Bless.


Yours in Wrestling,

The Swayz

Aaron my heart goes out to you, my father had leukemia and the crap I saw him go through really sucked, but you are young and I think things will work out for you,

Get well buddy!

Sweazy, im really sorry to hear that. Even though i don't know you outside this forum, it really hurts to know about your condition. I really hope everything works out for you and that you get well soon.

Aaron, I will hold you up in my prayers. I do not know you but I know wrestlers. You will fight this and beat it. God Bless

Aaron this is the recipe for whipping your ailment:

First of all you got circle to the center and setup the low single, a devastating first blow.

After taking your opponent to the mat heavy hip pressure, place your chin in the middle of his back and make him squeal for mercy… the ref should stop it here but we want to punish him a little bit longer. Physicality baby!

Now for the finally, a hard arm lever to the side with a big step, figure four the head and pin that sucker. MATCH OVER!

Your going to finish this in the first period, Mr. Lymphoma doesn’t have a chance because you are a warrior! God bless you my man, keep us informed.

Hang tough and best wishes,

Mark Miller
Manhattan Wrestling

Aaron, you know I will keep you in my prayers and tomorrow at church I think I'm going to even have a special prayer time for you. If there is anything I can do to help, and I mean anything, let me know and I'll hop in the mustang and see what she does between here and there. You have my email and all, don't be afraid to use it. To the rest of the wrestling community, this is one of those times that religion certainly does mix in with wrestling, we have a brother needing our prayers, let us offer them up.

Aaron i'm not a deeply religous person but what is going on with you has actually made me think about things and how i'm not connected with god as much as i want to be. I will hold you in my prayers and wish you the best of luck my friend.

Aaron:

We may not always seem like it, but the Kansas wrestling community is a family, and you are a strong member of that family. Our prayers and thoughts are with you and your family and as Mark said — PIN THAT SUCKER!!!

Peace,
Jeff Holmes
Atchison High School

Aaron,

Most of the people reading this forum are not aware of this, but you had volunteered to write a review of the 2003-04 collegiate wrestling season for publication on this website and in our year-end report. Knowing your dedication and love for the sport, I was concerned when the report was not completed shortly after the conclusion of the season, so I contacted you to see what was up. It was at that time that you told me about your weight loss, and some preliminary tests that were causing some concern.

I was torn about what to do with this information. On one hand, I was certain that the other members of our wrestling community would want to know about your health concerns, to offer whatever moral support they could; on the other, I didn't feel this was news that I was entitled to share with anyone else, without your explicit permission to do so.

Although I am deeply concerned for you, I am pleased and relieved that you have decided to inform the Kansas wrestling community of your battle. You are a warrior, and I am sure that you will defeat this adversary. Be certain that you have the thoughts and prayers of the rest of us with you.

Aaron
Good luck with your battle, like said before we are a wrestling family and I am sure alot of us are here for you even if we dont say much

Jeremy Roberts

We're thinking of you, Sweaz.

Aaron, my mat.com pal and usawks.com compadre, through these posts it seems like ive known you for a long time. I can honestly say im deeply concerned about your health. Someone like you who has dedicated so much time to wrestling deserves better than this. I know u will fight this and win. Good luck man.

i dont know you man, but my prayers are with you. remember, be a winner god didnt put us here to get beat. god bless.

Everyone here is a bit of an update how Friday went and last night as well-

Friday I was up at 5:30am having some trouble sleeping that comes with nerves of a big day. It was probably good that I was up because I had to be at the hospital by 7:45am for an Outpatient Surgery consultation...that went pretty fast and I was done by around 8:00am. I was scheduled to go in for a CAT SCAN at 8:30am...but due to the hospital only having one Xray technician for the Cat Scan Machine...I didn't get in until 10:15am.

I had to drink tons of this Xray juice (not Barium) that was mixed with Crystal Light...It didn't help much on the taste! Once inside the Cat Scan area I was laid on a huge table that raised up and they put me through head first because of having to have neck, chest, abdomen, and pelvis checked. After about 30 minutes or so in the machine I was taken out and put back into a wheel chair and taken back to my waiting bed.

Within 5 to 10 minutes of being back in the bed...they wheeled me out to the Operating Room. Once inside they had to shave off the upper part of my right chest area from the groove in the armpit over to about midbody and then up. They did a local anesthetic so I was awake for the entire operation. A nodule slightly larger than the size of one of those resturant sized butter spread tubs was removed from the right infraclavicular area. Once out I accepted the option to look at it and it looked like basically a tiny brain. They also cut it open and showed me the inside...pretty cool.

From there they took it and immediantly got on the road to neighboring Manhattan for a preliminary biopsy from the Cancer Specialist staff at the Manhattan Medical Center. It is now on it's was to the University of Nebraska in Lincoln where the Cancer Center there is going to give my lymphoma an exact type, right now my surgeon is leaning toward Hodgekins disease (If any of this sounds like a foreign language...I think it is)

I received a call from my surgeon Friday around 2:30 pm and I'm now scheduled to meet with the Oncologist at Manhattan on Monday, and I may start my Chemo/Radiation/whatever treatment next week as well, as we will explore options and tackle them fast.

Friday Night/Saturday Morning-

4:30 am-woke up with choking sensation was uncontrolably shaking...teeth were chattering and tears wouldn't stop flowing...I was trying to curl up deeper and deeper in my blankets and it was no use. Mom heard me and was at my bedside pretty quick...I felt so shameful about the situation and bad about waking her and dad who soon followed in to the bedroom... Dad nearly went to tears when he tried to give me some Pain Reliever medicine and I told him that I didn't think I could swallow them...instead we managed to find some chewable kids tylenol and took that...no matter how hard I tried to fall back asleep I couldn't so I was up the rest of the morning. After a good meal at the local cafe in town....I was finally tired and able to sleep from 8:30ish to around 11:30am, able to get some of that sleep that I lacked in the night.

That for the most part is the update, I'll keep everyone informed of Moday's meeting...Sunday ought to be hectic at church with people finding out as well.

I'll keep you all along for the ride.....

Swayz:

You will be in my thoughts and prayers. If there is anything I can do for you (like finishing off that college report, e-mail or PM me whatever you think I need) let me know, I will be much obliged to do so.

Cancer is a sh!tty thing, but it happens to the best of us. But it's the true bests that make it out. I know you will "git er dun"

-Brett Shoffner
KANSAS WRESTLING

Swayz: I have known you only on the forum, but have always been impressed with your honesty and integrity , and the way that you have faced down trouble that you have had before. I will Pray, too, for you and for all of us. I am impressed and touched by the way that you have kept us all informed, because you know that there is a lot of love out here. we all share a love of the sport, we all have our own styles of expressing ourselves, and sometimes the styles clash and there is animosity. Thank you so much for showing that we can be above that, And this time, when we show our concern in your greatest time of need, we are at our strongest and best. Thank you for expressing your need, and letting us share our concerns. let me know where you'll be recuperating, And I'll come visit.
Mike Fairleigh

I don't think KSHSAA would allow for students that will be returning to high school to compete, but I was wondering if anybody would be interested in competing or such in a fundraiser or something.

I was thinking "Wrestle For the Cure" or "The Pin Down Cancer Classic." I know they are kinda hokey...but they are just ideas for right now.

It's time for bed...and hopefully some sleep.

Everyone play hard, and pray harder...

Aaron you are in our thoughts and prayers - battle young man.

Wishing you the best!

Kit Harris & Baldwin Wrestling

Aaron:

You will remain in our thoughts and prayers as you begin your battle. Even though it will be hard at times, remain strong and positive in your fight and you will get through all of this. If we can do anything for you, please let us know.

Greg, Leanna, Danny & Gavin Grater