Plot Twist

You know those moments when your life is split into "before" and "after"? Ours happened on May 12, 2025, after Phillip went to the ER for abdominal pain. An unassuming ultrasound wand revealed what the nurse's suddenly furrowed brow couldn't hide, leading to an abdominal CT scan that painted stark, unimaginable news.

Cancer.

The ER doctor saw a "colorectal mass and lesions throughout the entire liver." This initial CT also showed what appeared to be a blood clot in Phillip's abdomen. After speaking with the doctor, Phillip called me and broke the news. I went numb and was in disbelief. This can't be happening to us. After I was able to calm down, Phillip went on to tell me they were transferring him to Abbott to run additional tests and treat the blood clot. He then said, "Kelley, I have the carpet shampooer in the back of my truck, so I think I am going to run that back to Delano quick and then check myself into Abbott."

This is what I call farm strength. He carries on and gets things done despite the situation. While this farm strength may be part of the reason we are where we are, I know his stubbornness, determination and resiliency will be pivotal for this fight. Let's not forget HE IS AN IRONMAN.

Coeur d'Alene Ironman, 2015

But it turns out, Phillip did not need to use his farm strength to return the carpet shampooer because they transported him via ambulance to Abbott due to the blood clot (2025 deductible met!).

Unfortunately, the Oncology floor at Abbott did not have availability so he was put on the Orthopedics floor in a back corner room. The only plus to this was that Phillip had front row views to the construction workers building the new hospital addition right out his window. The jackhammering provided a rhythm for the parade of confused orthopedic nurses wondering why this not-broken guy kept asking to speak with an oncologist.