5 am, 01/02/1996, was the begining of my present. I was injured while on the job. At the time, I was in top shape and the injury was minor. I was forced into a medical treatment that turned out to be far worse, giving me an unwanted disease, Osteonecrosis.

The nearly fatal flaw for me was the fact that my health care was in the hands of a government entity that didn't believe me when I said, "something is wrong with me."

I had a sprain of the neck, and lower back, nothing really serious. The doc prescribed steroid injections into my spine, (spinal-tap) at the base of my neck. Three injections spanning one and a half months. Each shot taking an half hour to administer, (it hurt,hurt and hurt!)

The steroids worried me and it was my understanding certain forms of cancer went hand in hand with steroids but..... All of the folks involved in my, "case" fell all over each other assuring me, "this treatment is safe, not to worry... done everyday."

Liars, one and all.

It took two years for the steroids to do their dirty work inside my body, attacking my blood and causing the bone to die in my hip joint. I fell at home, fractured my right hip and was in nightmarish pain, for over a year, no treatment did I receive because the government entity didn't believe me when I said, "something is wrong with me."

By the time they did believe it was, "stage four.. out the door, nooooo treatment for meeee..." Crippled in an instant.

Back in 1998 I began to write it all down and publish it on the web and it helped me heal my mind, somewhat, then some folks began to write me, encouraging my efforts. Because of this the, Soap Box was born in 1999, (the year of my right total hip replacement.) I figured others might like to voice their stories to the world and I have made this place for them........ Or you! Do you have something you would like to say about your mistreatment at the hands of other caring professionals?

E-Mail Me


and I will consider it for submission.

I graduated from a year of studies at Clover Park Technical College, August of 2002, earning a certificate in graphic technologies.

The graphics found on these pages were created by me, (RicTresa Custom Graphic Designs) using Adobe Photoshop version 6, and are © Copyright 2004. Please respect my hard work and leave my art in place.

 The truth is, if you ask me to choose between winning the Tour de France and cancer, I would choose cancer. Odd as it sounds, I would rather have the title of cancer survivor than winner of the Tour, because of what it has done for me as a human being, a man, a husband, a son, and a father.