Cancer Wasn’t On My Calendar – Gratefully Celebrating The Pink This October

At the age of forty-two I was diagnosed with stage three colon cancer. This year I celebrated my 14th year anniversary of being cancer free. October is Breast Cancer Awareness month and I am always reminded of my journey and those of others who courageously battle this disease. I proudly wear the pink!

My story began on Monday, August 18, 2003, a routine day and my first day back from a vacation. I went home for dinner and then returned to the office to finish up some work. I began to feel sick, went to the restroom, and found myself passing a lot of blood.

I called my wife Sharon and told her what was happening. Feeling faint, I dialed 911 and to this day remember the surreal feeling of hearing the approaching sirens, knowing they were coming for me!

Fast forward through an ambulance ride, the emergency room exam, a next day emergency colonoscopy, and groggily waking up from the anesthesia hearing someone in the room using words like cancer and surgery.

Becoming more alert I quickly realized my life was forever about to change.

My doctor had a great bedside manner, began to calmly talk and show me the pictures of the grapefruit sized tumor that had been secretly growing within my body. Being forty-two years old at the time and being diagnosed with what appeared to be colon cancer was quite rare.

Surgery would need to happen the next day to remove the tumor and the part of the affected colon. The surgery happened and when the pathology report came back – it was indeed cancer. And though not breaking out of the colon wall, the cancer had reached my lymph node system which then triggered a protocol of chemotherapy that went on for the next six-months.

As a pastor I had been on the other side of the hospital bed hundreds of times – but this was my first experience as patient.

Fast forward to 14-years later and present day – and I can truly say that I have been the beneficiary of lots of prayers, lots of support, lots of great doctors and treatments. And most of all I’ve come to accept and believe that in all things you can find a pathway forward – even the pain and hurts and struggles of life.

I have experienced the wonderful gift of an extended life. I am thankful and blessed to be able to have had fourteen more years to celebrate important family milestones, to experience many blessings, and also to walk with others as a survivor of cancer. My thoughts and prayers go out this October to those currently on this road.

Grateful Survivor,

Jim

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