To Treat or Not to Treat. That is the Queston.

How do you make the decision to treat or not to treat stage 4 metastatic cancer? I had never before been in the position to make that decision on someone’s behalf.  With two doctors sitting across from me, sharing information about my uncle’s diagnosis, I knew that I would be the decision maker about his treatment. Oh my. The gravity of my decision weighed heavily on my heart and mind, but by the time our conversation came to a close, my decision was made and I felt good about it.  Well, I didn’t feel good at all, but I knew I had made the choice that was best for Ronnie.

You see, I keenly remembered how chemo and radiation affected my father’s life.  I remembered everything about the side effects, and I remembered how the chemo did nothing to reduce or even slow down the growth of his cancer.  I remembered that the worst thing that happened to my father was not death. The worst thing was enduring those side effects.

I wanted none of that for my uncle. None. I chose not to treat his cancer.  I chose not to biopsy his cancer.  I chose instead to allow him to have as much peace as possible during his remaining days.  I requested that he be transferred to the VA Hospital near me so that I could oversee his care.  The doctors both agreed with my decision and my request.

I do have a regret with a portion of this decision which I will share in the next post.

Seeing Ronnie For the First Time Since His Lung Cancer Diagnosis

I had never driven that far by myself. Well, even though I was the only one in my car, I wasn’t alone. God’s Presence gave me strength and peace, and I strongly felt the prayers of my husband and my sister. My drive to Albuquerque went smoothly, and even though I had never been there before, I had no problems finding the VA hospital.  Thanks to God and my gps.

I easily found Ronnie. In a ward with several other veterans,he was thrilled to see me. He seemed weak, but not in pain. Ronnie was emotional about all the events of the last few days, crying easily and frequently. When I began to talk to him about his diagnosis, he cried even more.

Within just a few minutes of my arrival at my uncle’s bedside, two doctors walked into the room and began to talk about his diagnosis, and the fact that some decisions needed to be made. Because Ronnie still had a great deal of confusion, the doctors felt that he was not capable of making those decisions himself.

At this point I did not have medical power of attorney, but because he never married and had no children, and as the oldest of his nieces and nephews, I was considered to be his next of kin.  Therefore, the decisions were mine to make.  The doctors wanted to talk to me alone.

I looked Ronnie in the eyes and asked him if he trusted me to make decisions for him.  He said that he did. I then told him that I loved him and would take care of him to the best of my ability, just as I did his mother.  We both cried.

For about 30 minutes, the doctors and I met and discussed treatment options for Ronnie.  One of the doctors was an oncologist and the other was a hospice specialist.  They were very easy to talk to and had quite a of information about Ronnie’s condition.

Next post: Making major medical decisions on Ronnie’s behalf.

The End Begins

The phone call that day from Ronnie’s friend brought with it the realization that the end had probably begun for Ronnie.  He had had a minor wreck that day.  When the police arrived, Ronnie did not know his name or where he lived.  He could not even communicate in a complete sentence. Something serious was wrong.

Ronnie never married and had no children.  As the oldest of his nieces and nephews, I was the one contacted that day.  Immediately I called the hospital where Ronnie had been taken. The hospital personnel was thrilled that I called because they had not been able to contact any of Ronnie’s family.

After transfer to two other hospitals and various tests, it was concluded that Ronnie had metastatic cancer, which began in his lungs and then spread to his lymph nodes and brain. The third hospital to which Ronnie had been transferred was the VA hospital in Albuquerque.

Nest post: My solo trip to Albuquerque.

My Most Unforgettable Character, Ronnie Patton

Yes, if I were going to write an article for the Reader’s Digest, it would be about Ronnie Patton, one of the most interesting, mysterious, and colorful people in my family. Ronnie began his life as the youngest son of a farmer in central Texas, He was shy and quiet as a young man. That is, except when he was playing pranks on my sisters and I. He joined the Navy after high school and went to sea on the USS Arlington, serving our country during the Vietnam War.

After his time in the Navy ended, he found himself in Arizona, then in New Mexico, cowboying for a land baron. Ronnie made his home in northern New Mexico.  Literally. He built for himself a little three room house, with a completely off the grid electrical system, using solar and wind to provide power for his lights and his well pump.

During the 80’s Ronnie and a friend leased wagons, horses, and buggies to movie production companies working in the area. He also had the opportunity to appear in several of the movies.  As his family, we were very proud of Ronnie’s moment of fame.

Ronnie also prospected for gold in the mountains of northern New Mexico.  Did he ever find any? “Yes and no”, was his answer when I asked him that question.

Another of Ronnie’s interests was writing cowboy poetry.  He could turn almost any story into a poem.

In addition, Ronnie was an avid ham radio operator, and he loved communicating with his other ‘hams’ daily.

If we were lucky we got to see Ronnie once a year when he came to Texas at Thanksgiving or Christmas, and if we were lucky, because he was so quiet and reserved, we got one good conversation with him.  For this reason, Ronnie remained a mysterious legend to his family his entire life.  And we loved him dearly.