Drifting into Oblivion

By Andrew Ian Dodge

You're 39, just got married and everything looks bright until the sudden discovery of colon cancer. A first hand account of the events that follow written by Andrew Ian Dodge and his wife Kim Dodge. A percentage of the proceeds will go to Maine Cancer Foundation.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Andrew Ian Dodge
• Release date: Mar 7, 2012
• ISBN: 9780615594866

Andrew Ian Dodge

Former US Senate Candidate 2012 (Maine), former tea party state coordinator, writer, cancer survivor and rocker.

Book preview

Copyright

Drifting into Oblivion

Andrew Ian Dodge & Kim Dodge

Copyright 2012 by Andrew Ian Dodge/Kim Dodge

Smashwords Edition

Cover by John Cox. Photos by Kim Dodge & Elizabeth Dodge.

Acknowledgements

Andrew: I would like to thank Kim my wife, my parents Arthur and Elizabeth as well as my late dog Vera. Additionally I would like to thank Dr Howe, Dr Stemple Johnson and everyone else who cared for me medically. And finally a special thanks goes to all those who stuck with us through the worst of times including Jill & Ted Compton, Rob Mallows, John Harrison, James Elder, Tracy Johnson, Tom & Noreen and Chris Mounsey. Lastly, I would like to thank Christine Chamberlain and Simon Barrett for encouraging me to write this book.

Kim: I would like to thank everybody who supported us through this very stressful period in our lives from the diagnosis to the cure. My family, My friends and all the medical staff who have helped with Andrew’s care, Dr TImothy Howe, Dr Stemple John- son, Dr Andrew Sussen, Dr Charles Tashima, Dr Shah, the Staff at Parkview Hospital and the staff of North Middlesex Hospital. Lastly, I would like to thank Andrew for being a survivor.

Foreword

In your hands you find the tale of my experience with cancer that spanned from October 2007, the discovery until the end of my chemo on 4th of July 2008.

I have never been quite sure why I took it all as I did. There were times when I was annoyed and frustrated but they were few and far between. I was able to keep my sense of humor and drive to survive constant throughout the whole ordeal.

Now I would be the first to admit that my experience was nowhere near as bad as some. First of all, so far, I have survived my ordeal and seem to be in good health. Recently I was amused to hear from my doctor that my growing girth was a good sign. I still have to lose it, but it was an encouraging sign that I so easily went quite a bit over my previous weight.

You will be able to read my wife’s account of what happened too. It was not until very recently that I realized how many times the doctors had the talk with Kim and my mother Elizabeth. As I lay oblivious to all in a haze of morphine and other pain killers she was suffering far more than I was. The fact she was only married to me in May of that year made it all the harder to bear.

My dear mother has experienced a rough couple of years too. After the joy of our wedding it was all downhill. The end of my chemo was quickly followed by the worsening condition of my father, only to have him be