Saying Goodbye

I met Sean Regts when we were both 16 years old working at Steenstra's Royal Dutch bakery. He used to clean the baking pans back in the bakery and I worked in the store. He would come in every day and work alone in the back so I made a point to go back and talk to him as often as I could. (Because who wants to be alone all the time?) It wasn't long and I was looking forward to my daily "visits" with Sean. He would leave every day for a few minutes and return with a soda. Once I asked him if I could go get a soda with him and from that point on he could usually count on me to walk with him across the street to buy a soda.
My sweetest memories were the hours we spent together at Farrow's Music. We spent many hours in Farrow's shopping, dreaming, listening, and learning. Sean was a great guitarist and he had taken up the challenge to try and teach me how to play. He bought me an acoustical guitar for my high school graduation gift. I tried hard to get it and Sean was so patient but I am no better at reading music for guitar than reading my music for piano.
He had a boat that I would join him and his family on Gun Lake. Many fond memories on the boat. I enjoyed being with his family too.
We went to an Alanis Morissette concert in Kalamazoo in the middle of a snow storm. I remember thinking that we should not have been out on the roads but we did make it there and back home safe. Sean had to remind me recently that we had back stage passes before the concert but we did not make it in time due to the weather.
Sean was there for me during a rough period in my life. He was always there to help in any way needed.
After marrying Corey and our move to Ann Arbor, we still remained in contact with Sean. After our move back to Grand Rapids a few years ago, our activities usually centered around Sean's cars. Rhianna was able to sit in Sean's racing cart (no it was not going anywhere!). We sat in his Firebird as it roared for the Metro Cruise.
Sean had joined us for summer gathering/pool parties at our house. Sean and Corey both played in the praise band at church and they would converse about music and the instruments they each played.
November 14, 2010, Sean called me to tell me his doctor found a patch of cancer on his tongue and he was diagnosed with diabetes. I prayed with him over the phone and he remained on our prayer list from then on. He met with a radiation specialist November 22, who confirmed that he had a large sized tumor on his tongue. The treatment was a combination radiation and chemotherapy. Treatments started the second week of December including surgery for a feeding tube and PET scan which showed cancer only in his tongue and lymph nodes. The doctors believed it was curable but warned having radiation to the throat and mouth was rough.
January 24, 2011, Sean was admitted to the hospital for pneumonia in his right lung and shortly after, completed his radiation and chemo treatments. The end of February, Sean was able to go to Florida with his brother Dave's family.
During therapy Sean, felt something was not feeling right and a biopsy was taken. March 17, the biopsy report showed the cancer was still present and Sean was referred to UofM for surgery. April 14, Sean had surgery to remove his tongue. They had to do a trach. Sean also was not able to eat via mouth again. Stage four cancer. No other options available. The doctor was surprised how fast the cancer had advanced in the two weeks since he had last seen Sean. June 21, 2011, the doctor felt the cancer had returned. June 28, biopsy came back positive for cancer again and more aggressive than before.
July 6, received a report from Ann Arbor: the cancer was back and has metastasized to other areas in Sean's body. The doctor said they could do nothing more. Their goal was to make Sean as comfortable as they could for the next few weeks.
I had several sweet visits with Sean. At one point in conversation he wrote he was concerned I wasn't handling his situation well and he reassured me with these words, "It isn't nice when someone hands you a timer, but I'm ready to go home."
July 15, Sean was moved to Faith Hospice at Trillium Woods
He never lost his humor in everything he had been through.
Rhianna wanted to give him a gift so she read a section from her favorite book, Bink and Gollie. It is a book about dear friends who are marvelous companions agreeing on most items and learn compromise is required for the matters they don't see eye to eye on. Bink finds a bright rainbow colored pair of socks to buy and Gollie begs her not to get them. By the end, the two friends find a sweet comprise. Rhianna finished reading to Sean and asked him if he liked to wear bright socks. He wrote, "I wear bright white socks!"
July 22, 2011, Sean left this world to his eternal home with his Heavenly Father. Though I am sad for him to leave us here, there is great comfort in knowing he is in a better place and pain free!
Sean you will be missed, but I'll see you on the other side!