My husband David and I were in Colorado Springs visiting our son when we received a call that my father had suffered a heart attack. We packed our bags and flew home a day early to be with him, knowing that a storm by the name of "Ike" was also threatening to make landfall in Texas two days later.

As we walked into our home from the airport, the phone rang. "Ok, let's get it," my husband said boldly as he hung up the phone. He turned to me and said, "Shannon that was the doctor. I have cancer."