"My Fight Back Story"
March 24, 2009, I had my first surgery and two days later
a visit with Dr Page, I heard the most frightening three
word statement in my life, "We found Cancer."
Over the next few days, my body was beginning to
wake up from surgery and new experiences were on
the horizon.
My wife spent the first few nights attempting to get
some sleep in a make shift bed in my room. At the time,
the floor I was on was full and space very limited. Then
about two days later we got some very refreshing news
and I was moved into a private room.
I guess the staff started noticing the visitors I was receiving and felt the need.
This brings me to a very special place in my heart. A great Hospital allows their Nurses to nurse their patients. I quickly learned I was blessed with the very gifted and talented Staff of "6 North."
Great nurses understand that when they answer a call button, it is not always our bodies that need their attention – they may find a mind that needs calming, a heart that needs soothing, or simply a hand that need holding. A good hospital gives it’s nurse time to do so.
You see there wasn’t a shift that went by that I didn’t tell the staff, when they stopped in before their shift ended, "Go home now and tell your spouse, family or children you made a major difference in someone life today." The Staff needs to be reminded the wonderful job they do.
During my stay in the hospital, I had time to think, past all the drugs or maybe because of the drugs.
I soon realized cancer does funny things with time. #1 it surprises you when you don’t expect it and #2 you’re caught between time moving ever so slowly, giving you too much time to think and time moving so fast you can’t live the life you want to live.
During my days leading up to surgery and the first few days following surgery my dear dear friend gave me a CD by a musician with similar challenges. On this CD was a song entitled, One more Day.
The artist is david m. bailey, but up to this point in my life, his music I had heard before, but never truly listened to what was being sung. david's message is of hope and to assure as long as you can awake each day, there is hope to move forward.
Listening to david bailey that morning and after having a one day pity party, I got up out of bed that next morning and stepped out into the hallway and realized, what was ahead of me was no different than what I have been trained to do as a Police Officer for 30 years and a veteran in Air Force for 24 years, I dug deep within and prepared for the survival battle ahead of me.
I decided I would take the anger of what my first Colon Doctor thought he was taking away from me and multiplied it and use this talent God had in store for me to start helping for others.
Following my first surgery, I was on an ostomy pouch for six weeks, which was a miserable ordeal.
During this transition, I met a wonderful person with similar health concerns who is and also will be my pouch partner and a very dear dear friend. She spoke openly with me about my concerns about the disease and what was ahead of me.
We spoke that night for several hours and today I am grateful for God’s introduction.
Her commitment was for me to understand this disease would be a live style change, but not ending my enjoyment of living.
During my first hospital, my Police Department was fantastic to my wife and I. To my Division Commander, Captain Arnie Porath, we can not thank him enough. He was a Supervisor for other Supervisors to follow by example. During my stay on a daily basis he was in communication with my wife. Then, two to three times a week he came up for visits. Now understand, at this point my Department was preparing on huge transition, moving from it's current location into a new state of the art Police Headquarters. I felt the last thing my Division Commander needed to be making hospital visits. It was greatly appreciated and these memories will never be forgotten.
To emphasis his Leadership Skills, during one evening visit, the same night he was taking his wife and daughter out for his daughter's birthday. My Captain stopped by my room after he dropped his wife and daughter off at the restaurant and spent a few minutes with my wife and I. Why, because that is the kind of Supervisor he was.
Speaking of visitors, my Wife and I are truly blessed with our friends during this time period. . At one point, I had 26 visitors one day. WHOA..
I spent three weeks in the hospital following some minor complications with a deep wound infection and then returned home for six weeks of recovery.
During that time I continued to work on ways I can turn this disease into a positive experience. Brain storming ideas with my wife and making some great healing advancements.
Then May 19, 2009, I returned back to the hospital for my second surgery; a colon re-construction surgery.
One memory I will never forget, while I was in the recovery room, I reached down to feel if I still had my ostomy pouch and began smiling; it was gone.
I spent two additional weeks in the hospital, with some minor complications and set backs and then sent home with more energy and a strong passionate drive towards a major goal.
Less than 24 hours after being discharged home; let me say a little sometime about not drinking enough water and colon surgery. You get dehydrated easily. Back in the hospital for one more week, why? Didn't drink enough water and got myself severely dehydrated. E.R visit during the night.
Once I returned home after an additional week in the hospital, I took on a whole new appreciation of living and my surroundings. I wanted to give back. I was reading an Internet article on a colon cancer organization out of Minneapolis entitled "Get your Rear in Gear." The web site is Colon Cancer patients sharing their experiences and stories.
Another idea my wife and I shared was "now we have a reason to form a Relay for Life team." We contacted our local office and became registered and in sharing my story the event coordinator was interested in my cancer journey and asked if I would be interested in sharing my story during the event. I soon realized what this disease gave me and what I needed to do.
I sat down at the computer and in a few days wrote out my "Fight Back Speech." As 2009 was the 25th Anniversary for Relay for Life, I wrote on the "having an extra hour in a day, how would you spend it; that special 25th Hour."
We formed our team and the evening of Relay (2009), while my Wife and I were walking around the track in the heat and humidity, things slowly started to make sense to me.
I spoke that evening from the heart and something happened to me, during my speech.
I realized what had taken place these previous five months.
Craig, You had Cancer. It finally hit me. Sitting back now reflecting, I think things were so crazy following my surgeries and what my wife and I were experiencing, not only my recovery, but also with her job and what she had been going through as a care provider.
We walked around the Relay track that evening quiet and reflecting and realizing this was a major, major event in our lives.
That evening speaking in front of several hundred people, I realized I needed to use the talents God gave me and share my experience with others and helping others. That evening was a major milestone event in my life.
June 2009, following my last post-surgical Doctor's appointment with Doctor Page, I was asked when I wanted to return back to work. I explained to Doctor Page my successes in my recovery and how I felt.
Well, July 01, 2009 at 5:00 in the morning, another major milestone in my life. I woke that morning with more appreciation of life than ever before. I kissed my wife and told her how these past months were extremely emotional and painful for both of us. I thanked her for all she had done the previous four months and for being the best Care Provider anyone could ask for.
Four and a half weeks earlier than expected, I dressed that morning the first time since March in my Uniform and returned back to full duty as an Ankeny Police Officer and went to a profession I LOVE.
I found it difficult that morning not calling my Colon Doctor and politely telling him, you’re not playing God anymore. I back stronger, healthier, and wiser with more determination and yes damn it,
I'M BACK, CHASING BAD GUYS.
This site was last updated: February 18, 2015
