Harry went for his annual checkup and after blood tests were done it was discovered that his PSA levels were high. Off Harry went to a surgeon to get checked out. On June 1 we learned that Harry had prostate cancer and the doctor recommended surgery with a 95% success rate.
We were not worried but we made plans to get some travelling in and get some work done around the house before the surgery. We travelled to B.C. in May before we even had the results. I had just retired and this was my retirement trip. At the end of June we travelled to Winnipeg to see my oldest brother and his wife and spent a wonderful six days with them. I made use of my photography hobby and took hundreds of photos.
Surgery was planned for September 19 at 8:00 a.m. at St. Joseph’s Hospital. I took Harry there for 6:00 a.m. They called him in to get him ready for the operation and said they would call me before his surgery. I had a panic attack around 7:30 when I had still not been called in to see Harry and his surgery was scheduled for 8:00. When I was finally called in, I had just a brief time with Harry, had not even said “I love you†and the orderly was ready to pull the bed away. I asked if I could give him a hug and the orderly backed off and said sure. Then began the waiting.
I never knew it would be hard to see him go into surgery. A skill I had recently mastered was texting and I got my fingers busy texting our sons and daughter. Michael and Zane were on their way from Orangeville and would be there as soon as they could make it. Annette had her daughter to get off to school and her young son to look after before she could come. After texting them and seeing their responses, I was able to pull in my emotions and calmly wait. Lots of prayers went up at the same time.
Zane and Michael were with me when the doctor came out after the surgery. He was pleased with how everything had gone and felt it was a successful operation. Once Harry came home from the hospital around supper time on September 20, there was a challenge for me to do many things around the house that I did not usually do as Harry was not able to do them. Taking out the garbage became a new weekly chore; getting the sprinkler system ready for the winter; finishing up the gardening, including rototilling. We even got involved cutting down our crab apple tree and planting two new pear trees – Annette helped with that job. Our neighbours, Len and Kathy and son Liam helped with cutting the grass. With our first snowfall, our daughter and two of our neighbours helped out. What a blessing to have others there to support us in our time of need.
We continue pressing forward with smiles on our faces and a happy outlook on life as we move forward with plans for the coming years. We anticipate a good doctor’s report on December 23 with positive results from the blood tests.
