Life Doesn't Get Easier, You Just Get Stronger

Prior to Jason beginning chemotherapy, a lot of healing needed to occur. His body required healing, and our hearts needed a rest, too. We had just been through so much emotional upheaval in our home and it had been exhausting. In just two months, Jason was diagnosed with colon cancer, had undergone one surgery to remove a good section of his large intestine, another to procure possible future Gooleys, and even another to place a port in his chest for chemotherapy. We had been under a lot of stress already, needed a break and had a lot yet coming. We knew the next six months we needed to rally to support each other – life was about to get tough!

At work, many don't even know he is sick. 

When we spoke with Dr. Rhapson we were happy to know that she was very well received with her peers and patients alike. She had an amazing reputation and an awesome bedside manner. I’ll never forget the first time we consulted with her. She said, “So colon cancer, huh? Well, crap!” We had an immediate bond with her and have appreciated her ever since. Not only do we respect her opinion, but we know that she is moving forward with our future in mind. The ‘Doc,’ as she is often called in office, treats her patients with compassion, dignity and respect - and hires & trains staff to do the same, that all her patients have great esteem for her. We were relieved to find a doctor we felt comfortable with, especially since we had such a haul ahead of us. 

Jason was ordered 12 cycles of chemotherapy, for his particular type of cancer – Colon Cancer, Stage III. The tumor removed had grown quite large, the size of a walnut, had invaded the colon wall, and had invaded the lymphatic system – it was in two lymph nodes. His cancer was a beast.

A rub for luck. 

Jason began chemotherapy September 23 of that year with Eloxatin, brand name for a chemotherapy drug called oxaliplatin, a platinum-based anticancer drug. Oxaliplatin is given in combination with other drugs, 5-fluorouracil plus leucovorin (5FU/LV) and has some pretty nasty side effects.  He went in every other Wednesday where he sat in the infusion center at Red Cedar Oncology and was sent home with a pump. He came back the next day, Thursday, for a few more hours of infusion fun and was sent home again with another pump. Finally, after a full 48 hours of being infused with toxic drugs to kill the cancer cells in his system, the portable infusion pump was taken out of his port, his port was flushed, and he was sent home free of the tether that bound him to the drugs that made him ill - though he wasn't free from sickness for the weekend, or the week for that matter. He would try to battle the nausea, exhaustion, and the irritability that came with the chemotherapy drugs, the steroids, anti - nausea medications, other treatments and all the other issues that came with the management of this disease. It was a wicked time for all of us, especially since we had a four year old to try to make life somewhat normal for at home.

A tender moment. 

For six full months, Jason completed chemotherapy and then tried to bounce back to normal the following Monday morning for work - through the pain and side effects of it all. Every Monday morning. Six Months. Chemotherapy.  He was pretty miserable, to say the least, but managed to take as few sick days as possible yet very few people heard about the nauseousness he was feeling at the beginning of the week, the  neuropathy, (tingling & numbness) in his fingers and toes, or about the gastrointestinal issues he had nearly all the time. He just didn't complain, especially at work.

This first round of chemo, there were a number of officers in his department that donated sick days to him. Jason had been an officer there just about five years so did not have enough days to cover lost time & wages from a surgery and all that was needed to get him through the chemotherapy, too. Those sick days were a blessing to our family and we are forever grateful to those who donated. At the same time, at my own job, teachers throughout my district did the same for me so I could take him to treatments and appointments.

Love & laughter - Daddy Warbucks

Incredible, giving, beautiful people we work with! We are thankful for them daily!

Jason’s ability to manage this life has always astounded me, especially given the side effects of the different treatments. He has faced this head on and we have stood by him, of course will stand by him every step of the way. Just before this first round of chemo, our friends, in honor of Jason, shaved their heads in anticipation of Jason losing his hair. People say in times like these they find out who their friends truly are. We did. They haven’t let us down.

Our life did get tough. And I think our skin got thicker right along with it – we got stronger. We cried a lot, but we didn't stop laughing, either. I’m not going to lie – this first round of chemo was nothing I’d ever prepared myself for and nothing I’d ever imagined my life to be. But, we had each other and a great bunch of friends and family and we were working our way through this one day at a time together! Thank God for each other!