Educational elephant centric information plus fun and games.

Michael Don Knapik Bio
1956 - 2009

Introduction to Collecting Elephants
Collecting Antique Elephants

Contents

• About Me

• Cancer Fight

• Stage IV Metastatic Melanoma

• Cancer Body Zen Mind

• Obituary

• Afterwords

About Me

Michael Don Knapik's Cancer Fight!

I started getting sick to stomach early Dec 2008. Thought it was stomach flu or food poisoning. Got jaundiced within a week, and went to ER where after lots of tests and scans etc., they said I had a tumor on my pancreas. Then near a kidney on the retroperitoneal area, then elsewhere including my brain and spine (where I stereotactic radiosurgery (focused high energy X-rays beams aimed at tumors)). I am keeping a Positive Mental Attitude (the vast majority of the time) and have tons of support. I am doing the technical learning on a tear (I need to become a metaphorical PhD in Cancer in 6 months). And I have a chance at taking a drug at a Phase 2 Clinical Trial that I am applying for (I hope I have a certain mutant gene which is required to get into the trial; the drug is having phenomenal success in other cancers.)

Stage IV Metastatic Melanoma

The official word is a few weeks to a few months; with about 2% getting to 2 years; really aggressive and the worst one can have I suppose. I have shooting for 2-5 years at least if I am strong enough. Lots of emotions and wife is supporting me wonderfully. The following are a series of updates I have been writing; they are going to be included in a book I am writing about as follows. The name of the book, which I hope to get on Oprah to talk about, is: Cancer Body Zen Mind

Cancer Body Zen Mind

It will contain: the technical aspects of getting and fighting cancer anecdotes book and web-resource lists and reviews treatment reviews and options information about the various cancer-fighting venues like Mayo Clinic Virginia Piper Cancer Center Cancer Treatment Centers of America and Envita among others. Information about the Clinical Trial process is included as are letters to doctors and others that got balls rolling and greased the skids towards state of the art care. Insurance issues will be mentioned Nutritional, alternative and homeopathic-type approaches are covered Inspire Lust For Life and Hope and Love for All in My Position. Enjoy!

Michael Knapik Obituary

Michael Don Knapik, 53, of Fountain Hills, passed away Thursday, April 16, 2009 at his home after a four-month battle with cancer.

He was born in Cleveland, Ohio and moved with his wife, Terese (Homan) to Scottsdale in 1980 then to Fountain Hills in 1983.

Mike was a computer scientist, author of Developing Intelligent Agents for Distributed Systems and Everything Elephants. He was often consulted as an elephant collectible expert.

Mike will be missed by his loving wife, Terese; brother, Don of Scottsdale; sister, Pat (Dick) Jones of Sharon, Pa.; as well as Terese’s family; Ron (Maryann) Homan, Coldwater, Ohio; Virgil Homan, Celina, Ohio; Carl (Diana) DeMange, Versailles, Ohio; Judy Link, Fountain Hills; Dr. Dave (Lucy) Poeppelman, Ottawa, Ohio; Leon (Kathy) Homan, New Bremen, Ohio; David Homan, Chandler; Dennis (Helen) Schattel, Buena Park, Calif.: Rick (Marlene) Brunswick, Forest, Ohio; Joseph (Nancy) Homan, Johnstown, Pa.; Mark (Lisa) Seitz, Maria Stein, Ohio; Craig (Ann) Nesbit, Phoenix; Tim (Brenda) Homan, Horton, Kan.; plus numerous nieces, nephews, great-nieces and great-nephews on both sides of the family.

Special thanks to the Bercel family, especially Jack, Rose, Mary Jane and Mark, for their love, support and friendship.

The family is honoring Mike’s request for no services and asked that any donations be made to www.MorrisAnimalFoundation.org or www.hospiceofthevalley.org

Afterwords

As of this writing September 2009:
Both of Michael Knapik's books (Everything Elephants and Developing Intelligent Agents for Distributed Systems) can be purchased online. (Amazon.com ...)
His extensive elephant collection is being sold on Ebay: The Everything Elephants Store