A Bump? in the Road--March 23, 2010

Hi there,
I'm going to do something I've never done. I am not a Facebook person and really am a letter writer, not a computer guy, but sometimes life changes how you look at things. Diane has suggested I do a blog as my experiences might provide direction, guidance, solace, information, and maybe a light moment or two for those of you facing similar challenges. I need to state up front that this will not be as well written as my "Across the Miles" column in the Western News where I was ably assisted by hidden editors, Cathy Onion and Diane Taylor.

Here goes: I just turned 64 and my life has been a wonderful one AND I intend for it to go on for quite some time. As a youth, we were a lower income family but I received a stellar education in the Hinsdale school system. Sure, there were challenges ahead but 4 years at Western, marrying the love of my life, 3 great kids, the Ph.D., two loving grandsons, legacies in the classroom, the alumni job, and life long friends have made my life journey spectacular.

However, recent events have put a little dent in my otherwise carefree and healthy existence. In October, while on a trip to San Francisco (I told you my life was terrific) I began to have severe back problems. The next 2 months were awful-such pain. I went to doctors, chiropractors, a spine specialist, physical therapy, and finally on January 25, 2010 got a facet shot in between my 4th and 5th lumbar and got immediate improvement. Not sure why I got relief, maybe everything I did coming together but I was a "new man." I spoke to the Chamber Leadership Academy here in Macomb (heh, I can't give up that motivational speech) and then it was off to Florida for a couple of months. Life was good-two months in Florida with just me and Diane and Ft. Myers Beach.

Here's a brief rundown:
February 1st--I got a sore throat. Didn't go away.
February 14th--Apt. with a GP who gave me a Z-Pac, the wonder antibiotic drug. Didn't work because I didn't have a bacterial infection.
February 23rd--Had a upper barium GI swallow--came out fine
February 25th--GP recommended I see a Ear, Nose, and Throat (ENT) specialist in Cape Coral. Please realize that normally, to get all of this done would take literally weeks but I'm married to the "Diane, the queen of public relations" who worked miracles in terms of getting all this done.
March 2nd--saw Dr. Lozano, ENT, and I knew in my heart my life was about to change. He put a tube with camera down my nose and said, "you have a mass on the back (base) of your tongue--left side." He put on his gloves, pulled out my tongue, and said, "Yep, there's something there. You need to get a biopsy."
March 3rd--Blood work-up, EKG, and CT-scan--not exactly how I planned to spend my time in Florida.
March 4th--The biopsy was supposed to take one half hour but instead took two hours. Good friends David and Gretchen Miller were with Diane in the waiting room. We had asked the Dr. if he would be able to "eyeball" the biopsy and let us know then and he clearly said no, we'd have to wait for the results. (yes, I am Gordy Taylor and want answers now-patience is not one of my few virtues). After the surgery Dr. Lozano came out and took Diane to a private conference room (not a good sign) and gave her the bad news. I have a one plus inch malignant cancerous tumor on the back/base of my tongue. I was in recovery for 3 hours and it was decided I needed to remain in the hospital overnight. I was a mess. My mouth was bloody, I had cologen lips, and a blank stare. Of course I was on morophine-let the fun begin. Diane stayed with Millers that night as they are renting a place close by and there was nothing else to do for me that night. I, naturally, being of small bladder had to relieve myself every hour into one of those "fun" containers so I would drag myself out of bed, my rear hanging out the back of my gown as I rolled my IV with me to the bathroom. As I laid there in bed, it sort of struck me-"Damn, I have cancer-this isn't good." For the first time since my Phd defense 30 years ago, I felt alone, very alone. There I was in a hospital, 1400 miles from Macomb and I had been diagnosed with cancer. Yipes!!
March 5th
Millers and Diane came to retrieve me and I had a nice visit from my Uncle Bill, one of the world's nicest men. Not much to talk about as the news had not been very good but heh, time to press on after my discharge. Dr. Lozano recommended a Pet Scan and that was to take place in a week or so BUT the folks in Florida forgot the Diane Taylor part of the equation, so it got moved up to March 10th.
Now, those of you who know me, really know me, are aware that I am not above "dark" humor so here's example #1. When we arrived in Ft. Myers, I got on the scale and it said 191.5. I told Diane on the spot that I was going to lose 10 pounds, so I began walking the beach to the tune of 10-15 miles a day. Now remember, this is before any of this cancer stuff reared its ugly head. When I'm focused, well, I'm focused so walk, walk, walk and I did it--by March 1, the day before I saw Dr. Lozano, I hit the scales at 178-way to go Gord. Get this visual: I have lost 13 pounds and as Diane said, "Gord, you look terrific! You lost that little tummy. I like your hair long, and you have nice tan." However, as I was to find out, a little extra weight would be helpful when confronting what I was about to face.
March 5th to 10th--my tongue/throat was very sore. Darvocet and Vicadin were my new friends. I had broth and milkshakes in place of steak and wine. Son Ryan arrived on the 10th and he was a wonderful tonic to keep our minds off the "C" word. We swam in our pool, walked the beach, and had some laughs.
March 11th--Diane and Ryan had breakfast while I had a PET-scan. A little valium puts a person at ease prior to the procedure. Results were to be available, Monday, March 15th. However, when Dr. Lozano's office called to get a fax number, Diane worked her usual magic and we were told the results were good--clear. Dark humor #2: we promptly opened a bottle of champagne to toast my good fortune. The cancer had not spread. But don't forget I still had a malignant tumor on my tongue--stage two. Oh well, one day at a time.

March 12th to 18th--Diane made phone calls and sent emails to family and friends as we attempted to get the word out and get our minds wrapped around this situation before everyone found out. I much appreciate the kind words from family and friends. It's odd but Gordy Taylor "the talker" who got a double red check in 6th grade from Mrs. Wakefield for "too much talkie talkie" just doesn't want to talk about "IT" too much so that job has fallen to Diane who fortunately does like to talk and is good at it. Diane made appointments with specialists in Burlington, IA, compliments of David and Gretchen Miller and at Northwestern Memorial Hospital thanks to good friend and former Alumni Council president Rob Christie.

We enjoyed our last week in Florida as best we could and then on Diane's birthday, the 18th, it was homeward bound. Forgot dark humor #3: one day while Ryan was with us, it rained, and rained, and rained so Ryan took me to the Mermaid where people drink and smoke. We had our first 7 and 7--whatever that is--and after 15 minutes, I looked at Ryan and said, "you know, I don't think tongue cancer and smoke are a good combination--let's go!"

March 18th--left Florida at 7 a.m. CST and arrived in north Birmingham, AL, at 7 p.m. for what was almost our last night on this planet! After making hotel reservations with Marriott over the phone and securing the address, Diane keyed it into our new GPS system. As we got closer and closer to the end destination, we found ourselves in a very, very bad and unsafe part of the city. YIKES. We called the hotel number and young Zack laughed and apologized and gave us the approriate hotel destination which was Fultondale, AL, and NOT Birmingham--HUGE difference. 750 miles that day.

March 19th-21st--We had a nice dinner in Springfield, IL, with Zack Stamp and Diane Ford which was very relaxing and therapeutic for us. Funny how good friends can make a difficult situation much more tolerable. We spent the bulk of the evening talking about our dear friend Kirk Dillard's primary loss for Illinois governor. It's a story that makes us very sad as it was avoidable and Illinois needs the kind of leadership Kirk Dillard can provide. I must admit that through all these trials and tribulations of the past couple of months, I feel equally bad for my good friend Kirk.

March 22nd--Monday morning found us in Burlington, IA, at the Great River Medical Center with Dr. Doug Henrich, ENT. We had all of our medical records including a CD with the PET-scan and CT-scan. Doug is a friend and neighbor of the Millers and was very easy to talk to. He stated that he did not do the robotic surgery and due to my small chin--don't laugh--laser surgery would be difficult. Isn't that ironic! For 50 years, I've joked about not having a chin and here it bites me in the ass. Doug recommended radiation--five times a week over 7 weeks. He then said, "this procedure has a 70 percent survival rate." Diane and I were both taken aback and I looked at Doug and said, "what about 98 percent?" He indicated that this is a serious cancer because of the location so it was a REAL wake-up call for the Taylors. We left his office and not a word was said for about 15 minutes. Then of course one of us said something stupid and we had "words." Now when you are married for 41 plus years such arguments don't last long because we know that neither one of you is going anywhere. I then informed Diane in no uncertain terms that I was NOT driving to Burlington 35 times in 7 weeks. At this point, it dawned on me that those of you living in cities commute an hour to work everyday. Doug was inconcurrence that we should get a second opinion which we are going on the 29th in Chicago. Diane didn't want to talk to anyone.

It is interesting how people deal with such things. When we arrived home, I had a bowl of soup--my new food of choice--and then spent the afternoon going to the bank, post office, dry cleaners, grocery store, pharmacist, barbershop, and upcoming Across the Miles interviewee. I then washed and vacuumed both cars, shot hoops, swept the garage, and worked in the yard. This reminds me of my Ph.D. days when I would do anything except work on the Ph.D. This is not exactly a parallel experience but it shows I like to keep busy and not focus on my situation.

People emerge to help and many of you have already done so. I called Don Patterson who had tonsillar cancer and he visited with me for about 45 minutes. At the close of our conversation and I get a little choked up as I write this, Don said, "Gordy, every body who goes through this needs a go to person who has survived a similar experience, and I would like to be that person for you." I readily accepted and as I hung up the phone, I was misty-eyed. People sure do step up to the plate.

I hope I've lived a life where I have been there for others and now it seems they are there for me. It is a nice feeling. Dark humor #4: as I talked to Jennifer, Gordon, and Ryan, I told them, "remember take good care of your mouth--always brush, floss, water-pik, and gargle. You only get one set of teeth so take care of them." I do all of these things and here I sit with tongue cancer.

It is my hope that if you read this you will do what I did and if you have a persistent health issue, you get it addressed sooner rather than later. Okay, I'm off for a walk and then a visit to the folks at University Television who actually do the work on Across the Miles. I have an interview scheduled for April 1st with President Goldfarb, April 2nd with local business woman Sue Melton, and maybe, just maybe, with Don Tomnitz, CEO of D.R. Horton on April 19th but I will have to see about that one. My guess is, excuse me, I can be certain on this ATM will be going on hiatus for a couple of months. WOW, this is a lot. I shall return to this site when I have something to report or say.