Trevor Hamon\u2019s harrowing story about battling throat cancer begins with a vivid recollection of his beloved virgin Pina Colada tasting sour instead of sweet.<\/p>\n
\u201cI always made it with ice-cream and coconut and pineapple \u2013 it was so good! One day I gave some to my wife and my daughter and when I tasted mine, it was sour! I told them \u2013 \u2018don\u2019t drink it \u2013 it\u2019s no good!\u2019 But theirs tasted fine \u2013 there was nothing wrong with it,\u201d said Trevor.<\/p>\n
This marked the beginning of a persistent sore throat and cold that Trevor tried unsuccessfully to appease with lozenges. His doctor took a swab but found no bacteria.<\/p>\n
In the meantime, his career in Private Wealth Management was in high gear and he operated an office in Edmonton and two sub-branches in northern Alberta. At age 52, he and his wife Nina had relocated from southern Alberta to run a branch practice in Edmonton.<\/p>\n
When several months passed and his throat was still sore, he had another examination revealing that one of his tonsils was extremely swollen, hence, a tonsillectomy was ordered.<\/p>\n
\u201cI woke from the surgery and I felt good \u2013 no pain \u2013 but then I learned they hadn\u2019t taken my tonsils out, instead the doctor had done a biopsy,\u201d he said.\u00a0 Mysteriously, the results were fine, but Trevor was still not fine.<\/p>\n
It would be nine months before a second biopsy would reveal a highly aggressive form of throat cancer. Trevor was scheduled for an innovative surgery pioneered by a doctor in Edmonton and at that time, it was not performed anywhere else in the world.<\/p>\n
\u201cDr. Rizk performed the specialized throat cancer surgery pioneered by his teammate Dr. Seikaly. Surgeons from around the world came to the U of A Hospital in Edmonton to be trained in Dr. Seikaly\u2019s procedure. The procedure involves cutting the lower jaw in half and separating the tongue at the back to allow ease of access down the throat to the tumour. The hole created by removing throat tissue and the tumour is filled by a skin graft from the arm, complete with the vein and artery. The tongue is then reattached and the lower jaw reconnected. The hole in the arm is covered by a thin skin graft from a leg.<\/em><\/p>\n \u201cSince I had the surgery, I understand they have added an extra step to remove a node of the thyroid gland, which is inserted in the arm. It continues to function there at reduced capacity, safe from the otherwise destruction caused by the radiation treatments.”<\/em><\/p>\n \u2013 Trevor Hamon<\/p>\n \u201cI was in surgery from 7:30 am to 10:30 pm,\u201d said Trevor. \u201cIt was October and after the surgery, with all tubes and stents sticking out of me I could have been Frankenstein for Halloween. I felt down, like the only person in the world who was messed up like this.\u201d<\/p>\n Surgery was followed by 30 radiation treatments, which Trevor said, \u201cfelt like dying 30 times.\u201d The extreme difficulty he was experiencing in swallowing often caused him to choke on his saliva while trying to stay still during the 20-minute sessions.<\/p>\n Recovery was long and grueling with some setbacks and many tense moments. Trevor was told he might only live for three to five years, but he leaned into family and his Christian faith to stay positive.<\/p>\n One day, while in a prep room for radiation, Trevor saw a poster for a throat cancer support group, and joining this group was a huge turning point for him. \u201cIt was like a light went on. I was with other people just like me who could relate to everything I was going through. It saved my life \u2013 literally,\u201d said Trevor.<\/p>\n Eventually Trevor and Nina\u2019s kids convinced Trevor to retire, and move from Edmonton to Raymond, Alberta \u2013 where they would be closer to family.<\/p>\n Trevor sold his practice and threw himself into researching cancer. \u201cThe doctors bought me time and I\u2019m using it to learn all I can and live as long as possible, and to help others do the same,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n It\u2019s been 14 years, and today, sustained by a sugar-free \u2018Garden of Eden\u2019 liquid diet, he is alive and well and sharing his story, his wisdom and his faith with anyone who cares to listen.<\/p>\n \u201cFor me, survival has come from four things: my faith, my family, support from others in the same situation, and extensive research that has made me a bit of a very serious (like my life depends on it) student of cancer,\u201d said Trevor.<\/p>\n In 2020, during Covid enforced isolation, Trevor learned about Wellspring Calgary and joined the online community from his home in Raymond, Alberta. He continues to feel deeply appreciative of the programs, and especially enjoys the connection with others he can relate to, and those living with cancer in communities in his area.<\/p>\n \u201cI would say to anyone who has cancer, sign up for Wellspring support and whatever else you do, don\u2019t miss it! There is nothing worse than thinking you are the only one in the world with this problem. Everyone battling cancer should know about Wellspring. When you meet others who understand and can relate, it recharges your hope,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Trevor Hamon felt like the only person in the world living with an agonizing form of throat cancer. Today, 14 years after diagnosis, he has cultivated a passion for cancer research, and with the support of his Wellspring community, he knows he is not alone on this difficult path.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":8094,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[7],"tags":[],"location":[],"class_list":["post-7916","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-member-story"],"yoast_head":"\nWellspring Online<\/h4>\n