July 17, 2001

My Dear Husband, Dick
Jordan's letter to "Papal"  HERE

 

On May 19, 2001, my husband, Dick, was diagnosed with lung cancer. His first and only symptom was coughing up blood. On April 6, I had undergone surgery for the fifth time in one year. I was very tired and weak this time and slow to recover. My sister, Mardi, insisted that I join her and her friend, Freda Wright, in going on vacation to Myrtle Beach. Mardi knew it would be great in helping me to recover and renew my strength. The vacation was fabulous! I returned home on May 18th. Dick was so happy to see me and very thankful that I was feeling better. He looked and acted great. However, the next evening I sensed that something was terribly wrong.  I continued questioning him until finally he broke down and told me that he had been to the doctor while I was gone and that he had lung cancer. He had hopes of keeping it from me as long as possible to spare me the pain. I laid in his arms and cried hysterically. A million thoughts and emotions flashed through my mind and body. How could this be? How will be able to survive this? Please God help us! The CT scan of his chest revealed two huge tumors in the left lung. One of the tumors was 5 inches in diameter and had invaded both lobes of the lung. A chest x-ray that was taken in August, 2000, had been negative for tumors. This type of cancer is very fast growing-a non-small cell, squamous cell carcinoma. It is the only lung cancer that is operable. The next step was to find a thoracic surgeon. Dr. Patrick Ross at the Arthur James Cancer Center in Columbus, Ohio, came highly recommended from numerous sources and we proceeded to get the appointment. After meeting with Dr. Ross, surgery was scheduled to remove Dick's entire lung on June 22, 2001, his 63rd birthday. All of the additional scans had been negative for metastasis, and his pulmonary function study demonstrated that Dick could do well with only one lung. Unfortunately, shortly after the appointment with the surgeon, Dick twisted a rib. Because of the rib pain, he was unable to take deep breaths and subsequently developed pleurisy and pneumonia in the same lung that was ravaged with cancer. A week later, the chest x-ray showed an abscess in addition to the pneumonia. He was immediately admitted to "The James" and started and I.V. antibiotic therapy for one week. I slept in his room and helped care for him. I had never seen him this sick. I was afraid to leave him and he was afraid to let me leave. His body seemed too weak to fight off the infection. It took four days for the antibiotic to begin to show its effects. After one week, he was sent home on oral antibiotics. We expected him to improve every day, but we were sadly mistaken. He lost 25 pounds, continued to run a fever, which was indicative of continued infection, and could barely walk through the house. Surgery was cancelled on June 22 and again on June 25. The surgeon wanted him to be free of fever and infection. The rescheduled date for surgery was July 6. Dick was never able to rid his body of this severe infection. It was explained to us that the antibiotics could not reach the infected area of his lung due to the fact that the tumor was growing rapidly and had begun to block the blood supply. The surgeon had to proceed on July 6th in spite of the infection. Dick came through the surgery with flying colors. He looked wonderful, like a new man, and this was seven hours after Dr. Ross had removed his lung. His recovery since has been miraculous. He was discharged from the hospital five days post surgery. His anticipated stay was seven to ten days. He looks and feels great! It almost seems impossible that he had his entire lung removed nine days ago. He gives all the credit to a wonderful surgeon and God and I have to agree. We both would like to thank all of our family, friends, and the many people and entire church congregations who prayed for us. Please keep us in your thoughts and prayers. We should have the pathology results in a few days. These results will determine our next step as to chemo and radiation. We have battled this devastating disease for three straight years, first with Jordan, then me, and now Dick. Without our faith in God, we couldn't have survived these battles. There were many times when I felt I could not make it through one more day, only to be strengthened and comforted by God's love. Bless you all for your love, support, and constant prayers and vigil. Thanks, too, for your patience and understanding in my lack of time to update the web site. In spite of our personal trials, we have been able to continue our mission to help others.

 

With love and sincere thanks,

 

Pam

"Heart Baby Quilt"

Recently I decided to spend a couple days on the road with my husband, Dick. He sells aircraft parts and calls on aircraft maintenance facilities. One of his stops was at E.F. Aircraft  Services, Inc. in Cadiz, Ohio. Dick introduced me to the owners, Mike and Sharon Mihelarakis. While Mike and Dick were discussing business, Sharon and I were "girl talking". Sharon introduced me to their cat, "Mittens" and shared his story with me. He was found as a kitten in Sally Buffalo park and brought to Mike and Sharon and has been the airport cat ever since. He is a beautiful cat who greets everyone who arrives at the airport. In talking to Sharon, I discovered that she had a talent in quilting. Pictures of her work were displayed in a photo album and as I glanced through it I saw a beautiful baby quilt with a heart pattern. I talked to her about "Help From the Heart" and the upcoming benefit and silent auction. One of her quilts would be great to have as an auction item, especially since everything was hand-sewn and gorgeous. When we left, I told her that I would talk to my committee about purchasing one of her quilts. The following week after we returned home, I received a phone call from Sharon. She had spoken to her friend, Freda Brownlee, who had lost her mother to cancer. Together they made the decision to donate a "Heart Baby Quilt" in beautiful pastel colors to help us raise money for children who are battling cancer. They are busy quilting it now and will sign it and ship it before the benefit. My heart was blessed beyond words. I had only spent thirty minutes with Sharon and felt as if I had known her for years. Their willingness to help me from their hearts demonstrates the true spirit of giving, loving, sharing, and caring. I am so thankful for both of these wonderful ladies. God Bless You, Sharon and Freda, and Thank You From My Heart!

 

Sincerely,

Pam Steele

"Will work for food"

On a recent trip to Columbus, Ohio, while stopped in traffic at a busy intersection, I happened to see a man standing on the street corner with a sign that read, "I'm homeless and hungry, Will work for food". He was shivering in the bitter cold and was thin and gaunt in appearance. A hundred thoughts raced through my mind in a flash. There was no certainty of knowing whether he was indeed homeless and hungry. In the next instant, before the traffic light changed, I scrambled into my purse, grabbed a five dollar bill and slightly cracked the window. I yelled to him, "This is for a hot meal". He responded, "Praise God and thank you. I'm going to eat". I will never know whether this man was sincere, but if I hadn't given him money for food, I could not have forgotten that pitiful face. I remember many years ago when a supermarket here in the Newark area took a chance on a man who stood on busy street corners with a similar sign that read, "Will work for food". Just last week I saw this same man outside the store with a broom and a dust pan. I watched as he meticulously swept off the sidewalk area. I'm certain that this man has become one of their most dedicated employees and has to be thankful to the management for giving him a chance.

 

From my heart,

 

Pam Steele