WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 16, 2023 - SENIOR HEALTH - 3

 WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 16, 2023 - SENIOR HEALTH - 3

Neal Martin was the district attorney for Crawford County, Wisconsin, for many years. And while he wouldn’t say this himself, he was a “good ole boy.”  On most Fridays, Neal, other county staffers, some of the Prairie du Chien policemen, state troopers, and others (and rarely any females) would stop at The Tavern for a beer (or two or three …). Sometimes Neal would call his wife Shirley, and some of the others would call their wives (or girlfriends) and have dinner together.  

Neal had been in the Army and had smoked cigarettes. About twenty years ago, he tried unsuccessfully to stop smoking and started to use e-cigarettes. Shirley wouldn’t let him smoke in the house, but he could smoke on the enclosed porch or outdoors. It does get cold in the winter in Prairie du Chien, Wisconsin, so he didn’t have to go out in the freezing temperatures to smoke.

He had a pot belly from insufficient exercise, too many beers, and fattening foods. It was like it was with his dad - just the ‘easy life’ in a small Wisconsin town.  

It was ‘what it was.’  A man needed friends, and a beer with friends after work on Friday was an honored tradition. 

*****

About four years ago, he had bronchitis. Dr. Yang told Neal he should stop smoking. Dr. Yang proposed using a patch and Nicorette gum. It took a while, but eventually, Neal stopped smoking.  

He was aware that he was not living a healthy lifestyle. His father had a heart attack at 69 and had heart surgery, but his father died at 73. Neal’s grandfather died at 68. That’s just the way it was.

Neal retired at age 67. District attorneys had no mandatory retirement age, but the Wisconsin Bar Association liked to “push” some older folks out so the younger lawyers could get their jobs. He had a nice retirement annuity, and Shirley had a nice retirement as a principal in the Prairie du Chien school.  

They traveled to Germany, the Czech Republic, Austria, Slovakia, and Poland. He and Shirley had done some genealogy and found distant relatives in Slovakia and Poland. A cousin in Southwest Poland looked just like Neal. Most of their relatives knew enough English to converse. Shirley’s ancestry was in Austria and eastern Germany.  

In Katowice, Poland, Neal felt sick and coughed up some blood. His relatives took him to the hospital. One of the doctors had done her medical degree at Oxford, England, and after some tests, diagnosed Neal with lung cancer. 

Neal thought, “Drat, I knew I should have stopped smoking - or not even taken it up.”  

There wasn’t much that the Katowice Hospital could do for Neal. He finished the rest of the trip - not walking far, not doing much, and avoiding alcohol and excessive food.

*****

Back in Prairie du Chien, Neal got in at the clinic quickly. Dr, Yang suggested a CT Scan and soon afterward sent Neal to a specialist in LaCross. The specialist suggested chemotherapy. Once a month for the next year, Neal and Shirley would go to LaCrosse on a Sunday night and go to the Gunderson Clinic the following day. They stayed Monday night and Tuesday - and late on Tuesday afternoon, they drove the hour and twenty minutes back home along the Mississippi River.  

Seemingly the Katowice doctor had caught the cancer before it had spread to the lymph nodes and other parts of the body.  

This was a huge wake-up call for Neal and Shirley. He still joined his friends on Friday nights at The Tavern but had a soft drink or coffee. They got a senior membership at the Prairie du Chien Y, and most mornings (other than Sunday), they would be walking on the track or using the pool or weight room. It was gradual, but slowly the pounds came off Neal (and Shirley). Shirley joined the “Prairie Dogs” (the granny basketball team in Prairie du Chien), and Neal became the scorekeeper for the team.

Neal took on other jobs - like volunteering with the Meals on Wheels group - delivering meals to older adults. He joined the Parish Council for St. Gabriel’s Church and worked with homeless people in Crawford County.

And he noticed that more and more of “the guys” were drinking soft drinks at the Friday gatherings, eating healthy, and exercising more.  

Last July, Neal celebrated his 80th birthday - fit and healthy. The lung cancer seems to have disappeared, but Neal gets an annual checkup. His family celebrated with a long weekend at a resort in the Wisconsin Dells. (Neal even went down the waterslides with his grandchildren).

And, daily, Neal thanks God for allowing him extra years to enjoy his family and life!!!

*****

As with many situations, change can be challenging. Giving up beer and fatty foods, exercising, and adopting a healthy lifestyle made a difference.

How about me? How about you?

LOVE WINS

LOVE TRANSFORMS

KAREN ANNE WHITE, ©, AUGUST 16, 2023