My story of hope

by Michael Moore
Monday, July 2, 2007 1:36 PM MDT

When the phone rings in the middle of the night, it’s rarely a good thing.

In my young life, I’ve been awakened by two such calls. Each was to tell me that one of my parents was dying.

My mother first was diagnosed with breast cancer in 1996. She began chemotherapy treatment and in early 1997, she underwent surgery. She made a recovery from the cancer, but it was a long, painful battle that took several years.

In early 2001, with the cancer behind her, my mother and father traveled to Texas after the birth of my first son, their youngest grandson.

During the trip, she constantly complained of a pain in her hip. Upon returning home to Colorado a couple of weeks later, she was diagnosed with lung cancer, which had spread throughout her body.

She fought the disease valiantly for another year, several times bringing back together a family that was scattered across the country.

In December of 2001, I spent Christmas with my parents, three older siblings and all of their spouses and children; it was the first time we had all been together for Christmas since I was about 4.

In late April of 2002, I got a call from my sister that they were taking my mother away from her home and into Hospice care. On April 29, 2002, at the age of 62, my mother lost her fight with cancer.

My mother’s death affected my father in ways that my siblings and I never could have imagined. My father, who always had been a quiet, unemotional man, suddenly ended every phone call with, “I love you.” I had never seen my father cry before my mother’s death.

He spent the next few years traveling the country; to Pittsburgh, to see his own siblings; to Fort Leonard Wood, Mo., to see his daughter and her family; and to El Paso, Texas, to see his oldest son and his wife.

By 2003, my family and I had relocated to Casper, and a quick trip up Interstate 25 became a regular drive for him.

On Jan. 28, 2006, we arranged a special surprise birthday party at the home of my brother Tom, who lived just a couple of miles away from my dad in Colorado Springs. Dad had a bright, beaming smile on his face as he walked through the door and was unexpectedly greeted by all four of his kids, several of his grandkids and many friends and neighbors.

My father had his own health conditions to worry about during this time -- diabetes, a kidney that had failed several years before, poor circulation in his legs. Around Thanksgiving of 2006, during a trip to El Paso, he contracted pneumonia.

He spent the next few weeks in and out of the hospital, until being admitted again for the last time in January of this year. On Feb. 2, the phone rang again late one night. My wife answered, and my brother Tom told her we should probably head down to Colorado Springs.

The next day, we made it in time to see my dad one last time, and had the chance to tell him how much we loved him. Later that night, he was sedated and battled several other medical issues. A couple of days later, an oncologist discovered that cancer had spread throughout his body.

My family made the decision to remove any life support that was keeping my father alive on Feb. 6. Just minutes later, he passed away peacefully.

Cancer took my parents, but it also gave my family life. From my mother’s death, my father learned how to love more deeply -- his children, his grandchildren and others. From my parents’ death, my siblings and I have learned to love one another. My brother Tom and I regularly exchange e-mails, usually ending with “I love you.”

We all found hope in our greatest loss.

At 31, I’ve lost both of my parents to cancer. Unfortunately, my story isn’t unusual. Over the last couple of weeks, the Casper Journal has been publishing “Stories of Hope,” a series of articles on people whose lives have been touched by cancer.

Leading up to the American Cancer Society’s Relay For Life on Aug. 3-4, we’ll be publishing several more. Some are stories of inspiration; others are stories of loss. But cancer is something that has affected or will affect nearly everyone in some fashion, and sharing these stories can be therapeutic.

We want to hear your stories. We’ve created a new section for these stories on our Web site, and you can find them at www.casperjournal.com/stories_of_hope. You can read stories written by the Casper Journal staff, and other stories submitted by readers just like you.

The Relay For Life is designed to raise money for researching cures for cancer. It’s also a celebration of those who have conquered cancer, and a somber time to remember those who have lost their battle with this horrible disease.

You can find out more about the event by calling 235-0044, or sending e-mail to awatts@fib.com.

The Relay For Life will be held at Kelly Walsh High School’s Harry Geldien Stadium. If you’ve been affected by this disease in some way, make it a point to attend. In the meantime, share your stories of hope, and find solace and hope in the stories of others.

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