Letter to the editor

 


When did it begin? No one knows but from early spring, summer, and fall of 2020 I had this “hacky cough,” light chills, and tired, worn out feeling.

After pleading, during this time, from my wife Phyllis and daughter Arlene and feeling worse I entered the emergency room at Dahl Memorial Hospital on Saturday the twenty first. X-rays of the chest and stomach were taken which showed pneumonia and infection of the lungs. A few days later a trip by ambulance to the Fallon County Hospital for a Cat Scan verified the findings.

After very little improvement it was decided on November thirteenth that I be transferred to St. Vincent Healthcare in Billings by ambulance and entered on that day. The next day a surgeon took a biopsy of my lung and found I had cancer of the upper left lung. On Thursday December third I was dismissed and Gary Jardee brought me home.

After a week at home we went to Dahl Memorial Clinic and Dale Diede received permission to send records and have me transferred to St. Luke’s Cancer in Twin Falls, Idaho where our daughter Arlene lives.

On Saturday, December 12th, Gary and Margaret Jardee drove us to Bozeman where we met Arlene and the next day she took us to Twin Falls, Idaho.

On Tuesday, December 14th we met with oncology and radiation doctors who set up appointments for treatments. With thirty radiation and five chemo treatments, there were no effects from any of these.

On the night I finished the treatments, I developed severe chills, shakes, and fever. Arlene took me to the emergency room at St. Luke’s Hospital where they found I had pneumonia and Sepsis which required four and one half days in the hospital.

After some twenty days a Cat Scan was taken to see what the treatments had accomplished. No spread of the cancer to other parts of the body, lymph had reduced but the lung was still collapsed.

On March fifth we left for home and arrived on March sixth with Arlene as our driver.

Why am I sharing all of this with you readers?

No. 1: If you find yourself with a “hacky cough,” chills, very tired and with a temperature — get yourself examined.

No. 2: Because of the health condition it may be some time before I can write the “Memories” articles for the Ekalaka Eagle. I miss doing this.

No. 3: We want to THANK the Dahl Memorial staff for my great care and the ambulance crew. THANKS to all of you who sent Christmas and birthday greetings, get well cards, and your phone calls — these were so appreciated and encouraging. To others who gave us transportation, took care of the “homestead” and our incoming mail, thank you. But most of all, thanks for your special prayers while we were gone this long time.

Loyd & Phyl. Townsend

 

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