Life Happens

We have had some real ups and downs in the last couple of weeks, bad news, followed by hopeful updates. Earlier this month we learned that our older son, Doug, has been diagnosed with colon cancer. When they did a CT scan to see how widespread it was, the good news was the area of the colon that is involved was relatively small. But the scan showed something on his liver.

Next, they did a Pet Scan to look at the liver. We are very thankful that results from that scan showed the liver is clear!

Later this week Doug will have a port inserted so he can have chemotherapy, as well as radiation treatments, over a period of four to six weeks, followed by surgery. That surgery may lead to a colostomy--either temporary or permanent.

Doug and his wife, Sherry, have two daughters, 8-year-old Rachal and 6-year-old Samantha. They have asked us to come out and help support Doug and care for the girls when he has surgery.

We will be glad to be with them at that time, get a better understanding of how things are going, and help care for the girls. Until then, we will continue volunteering at Casa Grande Ruins.

Doug has retired after 23 years with the U.S. Marine Corps. When he was deployed to war zones, we worried a lot and were always relieved when he returned home. This is different. This enemy is inside his body and he has to let the doctors and medicine do most of the fighting. We can only imagine how Doug and Sherry feel in the midst of this battle. Hearing this news feels like being punched in the stomach.