Detour!

“Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance, and let endurance have its perfect result, so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing” (James 1:2-4).

Hey Gang, The date had been on my calendar for months, Annual Physical, Dr. Goodman, 2:00 PM.  I am 85 years old and, with the exception of my being in a hospital at the age of seven for a tonsillectomy and appendix removal, had never been in a hospital since.  I was truly locked into that “just routine gig”, get it over with and put it to bed for another year.

The exam went as it has these many years.  The doctor went over the blood reports, a degree here low here and two high over there, okay for your age and shape, no big deal. Heart, same murmur that has been there for more than 50 years- the same one that kept me from flight school. 

  

As the physical was winding down and I reached for my coat, Doc asked me if there was anything of concern that he should check.  I said, “As a matter of fact there is.  You see I have been having increased problems with food getting hung up in the esophagus.  It did not seem like a big deal.  A little water and problem solved. 

He would have nothing to do with the “no big deal” and informed me my blood report also showed a dip in the anemia scale and perhaps the two were related.  Time to find out.  An examination of the esophagus was scheduled and the exam completed two weeks later.  The examiner did not have good news at all.  She informed us the blockage was such that she could not do a complete test.  She also informed us she had taken biopsies to find out if the tumor was cancerous.

Do you realize how long twelve days is?   We were informed the results would be back within a week’s time, but a holiday in the mist of the week set it back which only added to the stress that was building within us.    And then the bomb arrived at our door in the form of our doctor.  Who said doctors do not make house calls?  He had received the report in the afternoon and decided  to deliverer this news in person.  Yes, the tumor is cancerous, and the blockage is nearly complete.

By this time (Friday) I was able only to get liquids down and even that was a slow process.  But on the following Tuesday, I woke up to find the passageway was completely blocked.  A txt to the doctor created immediate action, ‘Get to the emergency room. NOW.  They will get you locked into an IV and ship you to Grand Rapids where they will take whatever measures are necessary to keep you secure while a plan can be developed to solve the problem.”

The trip through the emergency room was very focused, get this dude to Grand Rapids.  We were soon on our way to Grand Rapids.  I might add - the EMT who was with me on the trip was the son of one of our employees of past years.   Arrival are Butterworth and was met with a beehive of activity.  After getting me settled in what was to be my home for the next seven days, the parade of doctors and nurses began, each explaining what their expertise was and how it would impact on my stay.

In that week I do not have a clue how many times they took my blood pressure, blood sugar rates, blood test.  Even though they are very good and painless in puncturing, you do begin to feel a wee bit like a pin cushion.  But also included in that one-week span- PET/CT Scans, installing of a food intake tube and device, and a closer examination of the tumor.

We felt truly blessed that in less than a week the treatment plan had not only been established but scheduled for implementation in Reed City the following week.

So much for today.  Tune into the next blog for the next chapter of the story.

Blessings,

Gramps