Lee's Story: In His Words…

On August 16th my wife, Peaches, was diagnosed with stage 4 ovarian cancer. Peaches had always been the one taking care of me, now it was my turn. We were going to face this together.

On December 29th a five-pound tumor was removed from my wife. This meant that she would need a wound vac and her wounds would need redressed two times a day for months. I could do that for my Peaches. After her tumor was removed, we went to Tulsa where Peaches did her best to stay strong through fourteen rounds of radiation. This bought us some time and we took it.

Anybody that knew Peaches knew how dedicated she was to helping others, from 4-H kids to strangers, you could count on her. She loved animals and she loved raising her goats. If anyone had a goat problem, Peaches is who they called. This was just who she was, she believed in giving back to the world. These people that she knew through her dedication to others would end up back in her life, taking care of her.

On October 2nd she was given a six-month prognosis and it was time for hospice. We were told we had six months left, but we didn't…we had twenty-four days. Every day mattered, and we made the best of those twenty-four days.

It was five days after Peaches' hospice care started that she wanted to go to Natural Bridge. It was a sunny 70-degree day in October. We knew the beauty of the scenery that would surround us, what we didn't know was that the butterflies would be migrating. There were so many, and they made that day even more special. Of course, being Wyoming, the next day it snowed. She couldn't have picked a better day to make that trip.

During this time the hospice team was visiting us in our home two or three times a week. I had been helping Peaches with her care for a long time, I knew how to work her port and change her bandages. Dr. Dowell had given us supplies to help with infection control. I had grown to be her caregiver when she needed me.

Fifteen days into hospice care Peaches wanted to go fishing, so we packed her up and drove to Alcova. It was a gorgeous day and a wonderful way to spent time together enjoying the outdoors. This was time spent fishing and enjoying our love, it wasn't time thinking about being sick. I don't know if you know how every great fishing love story ends, but mine ends by getting skunked fishin' by the wife!

On October 19th, seventeen days into her hospice care, we celebrated our thirty-second wedding anniversary. We were twenty-three when we got married, she had always been by my side. Peaches' favorite restaurant was Red Lobster, so that is what we had for dinner. I brought it home to her and she enjoyed a lobster feast with a strawberry mango virgin daquiri. We savored the time together, but we didn't know how close we were to the end.

It was the next day that I couldn't get her up. I called her nurse, Kitty, who came to the house. We made the decision together to bring Peaches into the inpatient hospice home. We thought it was time for her to have twenty-four-hour care. When we got there, she was put into room number seven. Her favorite number was seven. We were greeted by Mel, Peaches' nurse. Peaches had helped Mel deliver goats, they already had a connection. We knew one of her CNAs from Bar Nunn. We had moved Peaches out of her home, but she was still surrounded by family, her hospice family. I was also able to keep caring for her. I even had the opportunity to demonstrate wound care on my wife for Casper College student nurses.

Well, you can take the girl out of the country, but you may have to bring some of the country to her…that's what we did. We brought rabbits in, but that wasn't quite enough. So, over the weekend a 4-H group brought two goats to the hospice house. Her CNA, Becky, opened the window and my wife lit up like a Christmas tree. That just didn't work though. We needed a bit more. So, into the room came two goats! My wife came alive, it was amazing! She was surround by what she loved.

On October 26th my Peaches went to see Father. We were given six months, we got twenty-four days. It wasn't enough, but she didn't suffer and none of us would have wanted that.

Peaches always gave back so I am doing what I can to fill her spot. I now ask myself, "What can I do to make this world a better place?". I want to give back, I want to be a hospice volunteer. Now that I am out of the tunnel, I can see the big picture. Peaches will always be missed by everyone that knew her. She was always helping others and I hope that I can help fill some of the space she left behind.