22 | www. Char l es tonPhys i c i ans . com | www.Hea l thL i nksChar l es ton . com Dennis Simon, a naval officer and then a submarine navigator, was deployed at sea when his commanding officer decrypted a life-changing, urgent message about his wife, Patricia. She was only 33, but she had been diagnosed with breast cancer – the same hideous disease that had killed her mother at 42. Simon remembered feeling overwhelmed. What if she did not survive? What if he had to raise their two young sons without her? What about his career with the Navy? He battled these fears as he flew home on the very next flight available from Andros Island and met her right before her surgery. All he could do was take one day at a time. Like Harry McMillan, Simon found his personal faith to be a comfort and trusted that God would help him handle this time of family crisis. A particularly difficult moment occurred when Patricia, typical of so many women with breast cancer, finally voiced her fears that her husband’s love for her would be diminished because of her breast surgery. Simon gifted her with the perfect answer when he said, “You know, I’ve always been a leg man, and your legs are perfect!” He and their sons, Scott and Christopher, became the bearers of hope and laughter, especially during those difficult days when it was hard for Patricia to find it for herself. The fear of returning cancer is very real for all cancer survivors and their families. While 90% of those with nonmetastatic invasive breast cancer remain cancer-free at the five-year mark and 84% are still free at the 10-year anniversary, Patricia Simon has been part of the minority who has had to face a rematch. It has been six years since she won her latest battle with uterine cancer. Throughout each rough spot, Dennis Simon has operated on the simple principle of: With his ever-abundant supply of love, hope and laughter, he continues to help navigate the Simon family safely in their life journey together. Currently, 3.8 million women in the United States are battling breast cancer, and the numbers are increasing by about 0.5% each year. The importance of the support of family members cannot be underestimated. In sharing their stories, Harry McMillan, Harmon Kerrison and Dennis Simon illustrate how tough families can go through tough times and emerge even stronger than they were before cancer reared its ugly head. THE SIMONS “Love your wife and support her. Life is a highway – there are many reasons to turn into the slower lanes or even stop at rest stops, but the important thing is to get to your destination.”
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