People often debate whether things in life happen by fate, or by chance

As explained on the UC Neuroscience website, all Jim knows is that a lot of coincidences had to fall into place for him to get a diagnosis of acromegaly.

First off, Jim had no idea anything was wrong! Sure, his hat, ring, and shoe size kept increasing over the years, but that just happens when you get older and put on weight. As a foreman, he’s always worked a lot with his hands. So of course his hands would get bigger. It’s all muscle, right?

But none of these things bothered him. Jim just brushed them aside as aging woes.

Until he was forced to face his…well, face.

See, normally his wife took his dad to his dermatology appointments. But for various (perhaps fated?) reasons, one day Jim had to fill in. And instead of the usual dermatologist his father saw, it was a different doctor. A doctor who became fixated on Jim.

A simple introductory handshake quickly turned into what almost felt like an interrogation. The dermatologist asked Jim some questions about his appearance, which Jim easily brushed off. But then the questions became a bit more specific.

“Do you have skin tags?”

“Do your feet get numb?”

“How about a space between your teeth?”

And Jim’s answer to every one was yes.

That’s when the dermatologist told him about acromegaly, and with his permission, called Jim’s doctor. Within days, Jim had blood work done and a confirmed diagnosis. Within a week, he had an MRI done that showed what was causing his acromegaly: a tumor on his pituitary gland that was about the size of a marble.

By partnering with some incredible doctors at the Brain Tumor Center at the University of Cincinnati Neuroscience Institute, Jim had a procedure done that completely removed the tumor!

And he quickly noticed positive results. He can breathe more easily, and after many, many years, he can wear his wedding ring again. Both Jim and his wife, Jo, are ecstatic! They believe that Jim has had 15 years added to his life because of the successful diagnosis and surgery.

So, whether you believe they’re caused by fate or chance, amazing things happen every day.

If you are as shocked as we are about how easy it was to save Jim from an unbelievable condition, pass this story along to your social networks and give an air hi-five to the observant doctors of the world.