Postby MSJC » Sun Jul 19, 2015 10:33 am
Over the last several years my family has been through the mill. My father in law had his bladder and prostate removed (cancer), had his aortic heart valve replaced. My mother in law had a bad stroke with left side paralysis. So the in laws move in with us for nine months, during this time I lost my career and went out on disability. My wife already has primary lymphodema. Just as everything seemed to be getting better, my father in law was in an auto accident and suffered some major injuries. I started a long battle with depression. More mini strokes for mother in law. Cancer diagnosis for me. Father in law breaks hip then has a major bowel obstruction at the exact time I am having my reversal surgery, same hospital, same floor, three doors down the hall. I am now OK, he barely pulled through. During all of this chaos we have felt every emotion possible, from feeling like the world was caving in around us, to anger, fear, desperation, asking if God is mad and raining down his wrath upon us, all the normal whys and what did we do?... Your life has changed and you have every right to be upset, you now have to deal with serious health issues along with all the other things going on in your life. Somehow we managed to make it, we are beaten and scarred, but we have endured, and so will you. VENT!!... a lot and often!
Mike, 49 y/o at Dx 1/14 stage 3c
low rectal cancer 7 nodes positive
2/14 5 weeks chemo/rad. 5-fu
4/14 Lar gallbladder removed,
temp ileostomy
5/14 8 rds Folfox
10/14 reversal surgery
5/15 clean colonoscopy
6/15 clean ct scan