My wife went through her cancer surgeries and radiation treatments like a trooper. But she is not wanting to go to Africa on our hunting trip.
We were going to stay and hunt with Cruiser Safaris, Lizelle and Pieter were very understanding.
But my wife told me to just go by myself. Not sure I want to do that.
I do not know what type of Cancer your wife has or where it is at now, but I understand and feel free to share this with her.
Last year my wife and I went to Africa and although I have been many times over the last 38 years or so, going with her and hunting with her was the best of all trips. Shortly after getting home from Africa we went away Deer hunting in NY for a weekend. Not wanting to screw up my wife's hunting weekend I kept quiet that I wasn't doing well. Well that Monday morning I was in the hospital. 3 pints of blood later to get me back to what I had lost over the weekend and the tests began. Yes I had cancer.
It is a shock to first hear those words, even still a shock to type them today. They scheduled surgery for the next month which would be last December. They said recovery would be about 6 weeks and I wanted to make SCI in Nashville.
We had already booked a trip to Africa this year and all the doctors, friends etc wanted me to cancel it. Chemo was to start feb 1st and run thru July. Well I was not changing my plans for Africa. In fact I thought about it everyday and it kept me going. Thru the months of chemo I could not pull my bow back, but I did what I could to use my arms. when I finally could shoot again, I shot just a few arrows every morning and evening.
I made sure the doctors scheduled to have my port removed intime to shoot a rifle if I needed to without crushing the port or jarring the lead out of an artery. My point is the thought of going to Africa helped me heal, gave me a goal and pushed me harder than I have ever been pushed.
For someone who is very active, still works 7 days a week and has never been sick a day in my life, this was a tough deal. But as of right now all scans are clear. However, they did find I need to have a triple bypass on my heart. Again they thought I should not go to Africa. Well we went in Sept for 3 weeks and it was an amazing trip!
Now moving for ward we scheduled the next surgery for again December. Body should be in a little better shape since chemo, and if we heal as we should we are booked for SCI. Again we have a trip in Africa booked for 2026. I hope they let me draw a bow after cracking my chest open, but if not I will use something else. Either way we are going to Africa and I am using it to push me again.
Until you go thru it one can never truly understand what she is thinking. But tell her, plan for something this year, plan for something else next year and plan for something else in 5 years. Don't let the negative thoughts in, fight and get it done. Life is better than good!
