Outline FINALLY

1. I.            Introduction
   1. One in four people will die from cancer in the next year.
   2. Disregarding all skin cancers, colon cancer is the most prevalent cancer among men and women in the United States.
   3. My father was diagnosed with colon cancer in March 2000 and struggled over 6 months prior to diagnoses and the aftermath still continues.

Thesis: In this journal, I will share the story of my father’s cancer and our family’s struggle with this horrible disease and its effects on us.

1. II.            Main Topic #1- Before
   1. Friday, March 10, 2000, doctors discovered and diagnosed my 45 year old father with stage three colon cancer.
      1. i.      My father hid symptoms from my family for 6 months.
         1. Symptoms of colon cancer include: changes in bowel habits, blood in stools, constipation, and abdominal pains.
         2. Because he waited so long to see a doctor, his cancer progressed to stage 3 of four stages, where the fourth is fatal.
2. Chemotherapy, Radiation, & Medication
   1. i.      My dad endured twenty-four hour chemotherapy from March through July.
      1. The therapy caused his hair to thin out.
      2. His hands and feet became sensitive and his skin began to peel.
      3. Many times he missed work and this was the beginning of our financial struggles.
      4. ii.      Radiation was not as often as chemotherapy and also caused skin irritation and hair loss.
      5. iii.      He was on many medications that caused him to feel nauseated, irritable, and listless.
      6. iv.      Because he had radiation and chemotherapy, he missed out on a lot of family activities.
         1. He missed our trip to Disney World.
         2. He missed my birthday party.
         3. He missed dance competitions.
         4. III.            Main Topic #2- Surgery
            1. Surgery was over the summer in July.
               1. i.      The surgery was meant to remove the lower part of the colon and just reconnect it to other parts.
               2. ii.      When the doctors realized how bad the cancer had developed, they could not save the colon and intestines at all.
               3. iii.      They removed all of the intestines and colon and this resulted in an ileostomy for my father.
                  1. An ileostomy brings part of the intestine to the surface of the skin for waste removal of the patient.
                  2. An ileostomy is then replaced with a permanent colostomy bag.
3. He was supposed to stay only a little over a week.
   1. i.      Nurses ignored him and he developed a staph infection.
   2. ii.      He was hospitalized for six weeks.
4. My mother stayed with him during the majority of this time.
   1. i.      I was home alone, with my elderly grandfather.
   2. ii.      I had to learn to cook, clean and fend for myself.
5. Because my father was out of work for this time period and my mother spent a lot of time with him.
   1. i.      Bills did not get paid due to financial problems.
   2. ii.      The phone, television, and electric were shut off at one point.
   3. iii.      This was the start of our financial issues and back pay.
6. My father was on bed rest for 3 months after the surgery.
   1. i.      We had to move things in the house to accommodate his illness.
      1. He had to be able to move through the house with ease and be able to reach things without strain.
      2. He was bed ridden in my parent’s room.
      3. ii.      We had a nurse come to our home 3 times a day at the beginning and then as time went on, nurses came less and less.
         1. Nurses had to change his dressings during the day and check him for any infection.
         2. Eventually, my mom learned how to change the bandages and had to become my dad’s nurse’s aid temporarily.
         3. My dad could then change his own bandages after time.
      4. iii.      I had started sixth grade at this point.
         1. My father could not come to my middle school orientation.
         2. I was also having a tough time in school and neither of my parents was supportive of me because my father was more important.
      5. iv.      My grades started to slip and this continued then through middle
      6. IV.            Conclusion
         1. My family is still struggling now because of this illness.
            1. i.      My mom blames my father for our financial problems.
               1. My father now blames himself.
               2. Their marriage has problems because of this illness.
      7. ii.      My parents cannot pay for bills and are very close to moving into a smaller apartment.
7. I still struggle because I am the initiate of my parents and their problems.
   1. i.      I have to pay for everything myself; therefore, I struggle everyday.
      1. I pay for my rent, my college, and my expenses.
      2. I also pay for my insurance, cell phone, electric, and water bills.
      3. ii.      I have to help my family.
         1. I pay my car insurance.
         2. I gave my parents a car and bought my own.
8. Without this experience, my parents would not have problems like they do.
   1. i.      We would not be in this horrible financial trouble.
      1. The financial troubles put stress on my family.
      2. It strains my parents’ marriage.
      3. ii.      My father would not be in the situation he is.
         1. His health would be better.
         2. He would not be as stressed or psychologically illed.
9. Other’s reactions….
   1. i.
   2. ii.