CANCER - The Ultimate Reality Check

On the 3rd of July of this year I was stopped at a red light in Seattle when someone slammed in to the back of my car. The ambulance took me to the emergency room at the Virginia Mason hospital. They did a CT scan to find out the extent of injury to my back, and to see if there was any internal bleeding. After some time, the emergency room doctor came back and informed me that fortunately it appeared I had just a bad sprain in my back and there didn’t seem to be any internal bleeding. However, she said while viewing the scan they discovered what appeared to be a possible tumor in my abdomen. She scheduled an appointment for me with a gastronomical specialist. Needless to say I was terrified at the thought of having the big “C” word and didn’t sleep well for the following days until my appointment.

I saw the doctor as planned on Monday the 13th, and he scheduled a colonoscopy for the following Wednesday. Their suspicions were confirmed. I had colon cancer! They couldn’t get the camera past the blockage to find out how large the tumor was and how far the disease had spread. Another colonoscopy was scheduled for that Friday using ultrasound instead of a camera.

The doctors and staff at the hospital were incredible. They explained in detail the plan of attack. That same day, they surgically implanted a portal in my chest that will distribute the chemotherapy treatments throughout my bloodstream. The doctors said that after about 5 to 6 weeks of radiation and chemotherapy treatment, the tumor should shrink some and they will do surgery to remove it.

I would have to say one of the most difficult things of this whole ordeal was having to tell my children about this. They recently lost their grandmother and now I had to drop this bomb on them. Needless to say, they were devastated, but nevertheless they have been my biggest support. At a time like this, it is crucial to have the support of family and friends. To have them there means everything.

I’ve been fortunate enough to have been a resident of this planet for over a half century. If I had to check out tomorrow, I’d have to say I’m a lucky man for the time that I’ve had here. My youngest son is now in his early twenties. We almost lost him twice when he was very young, once from a ruptured appendix and once by pneumonia. Both times he was admitted to the children’s hospital in Seattle. During the time I spent at the hospital for my son, I remember seeing all those brave young children with the bald heads fighting just to survive, and the chance to hopefully live a normal life. Many of them were not blessed with that opportunity. They were robbed of their future by a terrible disease that no one deserves to have….especially a child. I know how afraid and scared I was when I found out I had cancer. I can only imagine how much worse it must be for a child.

With that in mind, how could I have the audacity to feel sorry for myself or feel I’ve somehow been cheated? I’m very optimistic that I will beat this. However, for me cancer has been the ultimate reality check.

written by Dean

Seattle, Washington