The first occurrence of colon cancer was in January 2007. I had a bowel resection. I was told by the oncologist that I was cured, the polyp had no signs of entering the colon wall and appeared to be confined to just the polyp itself. Recovery was tough. I had a lot of things happen that I have documented in a blog that appeared in Meandering Thoughts, and I copied to this blog.
I never felt like a survivor. I had bowel issues but did not think of them as a recurrence of colon cancer. In fact, I was treated for Irritable Bowel Syndrome. So when people talked about having cancer I kind of considered myself outside that horrible sphere.
When three of the people that work for me came down with cancer and we lost two, I still thought of myself as not really having had cancer. That all changed April 18, 2012 when a colonoscopy revealed a large suspicious mass in my lower colon. Over a year has gone by and I still have not documented that ordeal in detail. I intend to do that before I forget some of the details.
I will say though, I now feel like a survivor. What my wife and I went through was not only tough, it was mean. Terry was there with me every step of the way. She cleaned up messes that are almost beyond description. She held my up when it was difficult to stand, she learned how to replace a collection bag when I had a stoma that was creating it's own level of distress. If I ever wondered about Terry's commitment, any question I had was answered.
My daughters played a great role with their support. My oldest daughter at one point picked up and drove eight hours to take care of me when I had a very intense pain episode. Terry had just about seen enough and you could see a break was a possibility. Kristi came, took over for about five days and Terry got some much need alone time and rest and I reconnected with my wonderful daughter on a whole new level. We even relearned cribbage and had long hours of being together.
No, this time I do feel like a survivor. Could I go through it again, Yes. Unless the prognosis was grim I could do it again. It would not be a cakewalk, but I think I could handle it. Terry could handle it. But, I never want to go through that again. With vigilance from the surgeon and the oncologist perhaps if anything happens it will be caught so early that I won't go through hell on earth.
Thanks to all whole have express words of love and support. I at a good place right now and I intend to stay here for a while.
