I have always wondered why the medical world tags those in need of assistance as patients when that is exactly what the majority of people don’t have when it comes to getting well. My colon surgery was a success.  

I thank all of you who put me on your prayer lists. I also appreciate the cards, the emails and the texts checking on my progress. If I were an entertainer, I could call the first five months of 2022 “The Hospital Tour.” 

I made stops at four different hospitals in the first five months of the year. I have no plans for a reunion tour. And I don’t want a T-shirt to remember the tour. I still have follow-up visits ahead with my surgeon.  

I also am scheduled to undergo DNA testing to determine how likely it will be for me to have to deal with another bout of cancer. The good news is they caught my cancer very early. It did not spread.  

Thanks to God I am cancer-free. But I am anything but a patient with patience when it comes to my recovery.  

I am in week two of a fiber restricted diet.  

Based on what I am able to eat mealtime is not extremely exciting. I have two more weeks to go. On the positive side I am losing weight.  

The even better news, to put it delicately, is all my functions are functioning the way they should.  

I am thankful to be talking about the operation in past tense, and I promise this will be the last time I use this space to write about it.  

The surgery ended a medical odyssey that began in January.  

First, there were delays as my surgeon worked to find me a spot on his schedule.  

On my scheduled date in April the surgery was delayed for three weeks. That morning I tested positive for the Covid virus, even though on Monday I was told I was negative. What a strange disease.  

All the delays prompted a member of my church to ask me if I just liked seeing my name in the church bulletin. I didn’t, especially not in the prayer list section. But I wanted to make sure who was going to be performing my surgery. 

My surgeon is rated the best in Nashville in dealing with colon and rectal issues. He lived up to his billing. Colon issues aren’t usually normal dinnertime discussion.  

And the preparation for a colonoscopy is worse than the procedure. But I urge you to have the test performed. Early detection was important to my successful outcome.  

In the end, no pun intended, it proved to be worth all of the delays.