fishing

Illustrations © Barbara J Holzapfel

Barry, facing a recurrence of skin cancer, had to make a choice - surgery plus radiation, or just surgery. His main objective with this decision was to be well enough to join the rest of his beloved family on their annual, northern Saskatchewan fishing trip. If they went in aggressively to ensure all of the cancer was removed, and included radiation in the plan, they faced the probability that he may not recover well enough to make the trip.

On the other hand, a more reserved approach would likely leave some of the cancer, increasing the probability for expansion of the existing tumour which, in all probability, would advance the progress of his decline, but increase the possibility of immediate wellbeing and of attending the family fishing trip. At the end of the day, Barry chose to be less aggressive with his treatment, which he felt would provide him a better quality of life longer.

Surgery was a success; they were able to get all of the cancer present. Radiation was not included in his preferred treatment plan. Now, a mere three weeks from his surgery, Barry is preparing himself for the challenging trip ahead. Next weekend he will be driven to his home town airport a couple of hours away by a family friend, while the rest of the clan begins the arduous, day-long drive up past La Ronge, Saskatchewan.

At the airport, a fellow pilot and fan of Barry's celebrated career as a spitfire pilot in WWII, will help him to board a small plane and fly him the four to five hours to the fishing camp, where his family will be anticipating his long awaited arrival.

In order to select the appropriate treatment plan during the end stage of life it is imperative that one considers realistic expectations with regards to side effects and estimated recovery time. For Barry to meet his goal of attending the cherished family outing, time and overall impact of each option required careful consideration.