In the Blink of an Eye

Everything changes in just a moment.  In a blink of an eye.

This is the story of Sherry and Phil.  I first met Sherry about 12 years ago.  I was just starting my first job at Iowa Lutheran Hospital and she was leaving to join The Iowa Clinic.  A few years later, I was working at The Iowa Clinic, about 2 feet away from her.  As ultrasound techs working in close quarters, we bonded over my 2 pregnancies and her teenage sons.  Over the years she became my close friend, joining with 2 other employees to become lovingly known as "the square".

The Square.  From left: Sandy, Cris, Me, Sherry

Phil and Sherry have been married for 13 years (ish).  They had both been married before and each had 2 sons.  Phil's were grown and out of the house; Sherry's were teenagers.  Phil helped raise Sherry's sons and get them out the door...with love, of course!  As Phil and Sherry started planning their retirement years, they dreamed of camping, traveling and just loving life.  

Everything changes in an instant.

Phil started having back pain.  He's worked as a machinist for years, so back pain wasn't a big concern.  But then it wasn't getting better.  A chiropractor wasn't helping either.  So an MRI was ordered, just to make sure everything looked ok.  The MRI tech told Sherry that rarely is anything found in the thoracic spine, unless it's bad.  

It was bad.  There were tumors on his spine.

The diagnosis::  Multiple Myeloma.  Cancer of the plasma.  In other words, a cancer that can not be beat.  A cancer that will take more than just Phil's life.  It will kill Randy and Thomas' father, Nathan and Jeremy's step-father.  It will kill Sherry's husband, the one she says finally 'stuck'.  Gone is the fun-loving, hard-working man.  Instead there's a shell of a man.  In the few weeks since the diagnosis, Phil has undergone radiation treatment and started chemo.  Because of the tumor's location, the radiation burned through his esophagus, causing severe pain.  He wasn't able to eat or drink.  So back to the hospital for IV fluids to help hydrate his body.  

Chemo has now started and with it, the loss of hair.  He's already lost over 20 lbs and things are just barely getting started. 

Phil and Sherry

From one breath to the next, everything changes.  The retirement you thought you'd have is gone.  The money you've saved your whole life will be spent on doctor's visits and medicine.  The person you said you'd love until death is going to die long before you.  What would you do? 

The difference between this kind of cancer and say, breast cancer is that there is little known about this cancer.  Because it's a cancer of the blood, it's lumped with leukemia and lymphoma, even though they are very different beasts.  People are quick to throw money at breast cancer research, but little known cancers are left with nothing.  Race for the Cure has sponsors handing out everything from free meals to free bags to free...everything.  Walks for blood cancer?  Nothing is given away, unless you've raised $100 for research.  That just doesn't seem fair.  

Nothing is going to save Phil from this disease.  He's going to die.  It may not be tomorrow, next week or even next year.  But it's going to happen.  

To help raise money for cancers like Phil's, there's a Light the Night walk in October.  The square has started at team named "Phil's Fearsome Fighters".  It's my goal to raise $100 for this cause.  If you'd like to donate something towards my goal, you can follow the link below.  To learn more about Multiple Myeloma, click here.  To learn more about the Light the Night cause, click here.