Wes and Jan see the US Wanderings and Side Trips

A new and different journey Jul 5, 2008

In the 3+ years since retirement, we have learned many lessons. One is that plans we make seldom happen. Another is that we absolutely must be flexible. Another is that we have learned much from these "unplanned" experiences. On the way to our ultimate goal of full time RVing, we have encountered many road blocks and detours. The name of our blog "wanderings and side trips" is very appropriate, although the "side trips" are not exactly the type we had in mind. Most importantly, we have learned to cherish life and not to put off experiences until later, to express our love and gratitude to those in our lives whenever we feel it, not later. To take the time to "smell the roses", stop and enjoy all the blessings we already have as opposed to always looking for something else.

On May 7, after a great gathering with friends in Beavers Bend, OK, we traveled to Wichita, KS where Wes had his regularly scheduled colonoscopy and checkup. Our gastrointerologist, Dr. Leivens, assured us that all was well, but took biopsies as a precaution. His words - "get out there and enjoy your retirement". May 19, Wes received a phone call from him telling him his biopsy showed colon cancer cells. At this point in time, our world turned upside down. We happened to be visiting our daughter in Aurora, CO and could not make the appointment with the surgeon in Wichita at the time the doctor had scheduled it. So, we changed it to June 3. During this 2 week period, many emotions surfaced, the least of which was that Wes could be living his last few weeks here on earth. I know this thought was on his mind because he kept trying to get me to learn how to do things since, in his words, he might not be around to do them. I was not even going there!!

My defense to things I have no control over is to learn all I can, so I was studying all I could about colon cancer. By the time we saw the surgeon on June 3, I had a notebook full of questions. Dr. Porter, the surgeon, was very good. He sat with us and took all the time we needed to answer our questions and explain in detail everything that would be involved. He didn't hesitate to tell us there were things he couldn't predict, but he gave us all the possibilities that could happen. We were much more comfortable after our visit with him. It was determined that Wes would have almost all of his colon and a small portion of his small intestine removed. They would try to connect things so he would not have to have a stoma (bag). This was Wes' biggest concern.

We checked in to Wesley Medical Center in Wichita, KS on Wednesday, June 18. Dr. Porter did a colonoscopy with a scope to mark where the surgery would be done and to have a look at the colon for himself. He took a few photos and informed us that things didn't look as bad as originally thought, but still the colon would need to be removed. The next morning, June 19, Wes went into surgery. We were told it would be 3 to 4 hours, so we were pleasantly surprised when Dr. Porter came out to report to us at only 2 hours. What a delightful surprise!! He only had to remove 1/3 of the colon and a small portion of the small intestine!! Wes was fine and tolerated the surgery very well. He was excited that he had good news for us - and we were excited also:-)

I need to digress here and let you know that we have a strong belief in the power of prayer. We are so grateful for all the prayers, blessings, positive thoughts, etc. that were offered in Wes' behalf. We feel that he has been given a miracle and we are so grateful. We are very appreciative of all the phone calls, cards, emails, etc. he has received. We are blessed to have such a wonderful circle of family and friends.

He had a few complications during recovery, but everything has gone well. He checked out of the hospital on June 26, one week after the surgery, which also just happened to be our 44th anniversary. A good sign :-) We spent a week at our daughter's home just 1 1/2 hours north of Wichita continuing his recovery. We had a follow up appointment with the surgeon on July 1. His staples were removed and instructions given. We returned to our daughter's for a day and then traveled home on Thursday, July 3.

Wes is doing great! He is getting stronger every day! It will be a while before he is back to his old self, but we are positive he will recover. He is following doctor's orders (unbelievable) and taking his time. His cancer was an EARLY stage 2, so he will need to see an oncologist to determine if he needs any further treatment for that. It had not spread outside his colon and there were no cells in the lymph nodes, so that is an encouraging sign.

Our future plans are on hold at the moment. We are living one day at a time. We are spending more time watching the sunsets and counting the stars at night. We have been given a heightened sense of the world around us and the beauty we so frequently overlook. We are assessing our priorities, determining what is really important to us in the time we have left here. We are trying to laugh more, to stay in touch with family and friends more, to enjoy more.

And so, from our lessons learned, we share this advice with our family and friends - unclutter your life. Find the truly important things, enjoy the moment more often, love and laugh and live each day to the fullest. Don't procrastinate!