This one’s for Jim
For 10 years, local beach boy Jim Varney has battled against a recurring cancer that started in the colon and worked its way through his body into his lungs. Sister Kendra Varney and Bonita Bill’s will be holding a fund-raiser and poker run for the resilient fighter Saturday, April 11, from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m., as the repetitious medical treatments (and mis-treatments) have been adding up quite a bit lately.
Jim has fought a one-on-one battle with his cancer for a decade, keeping a smile on his face all the while.
“I’ve been through hell for 10 years now, but I’m still chuggin’ along. I’m still dukin’ it out,” he said.
The 14-year Semmer Electric veteran said he first realized there was a problem when he was experiencing pains in his abdomen.
“I was having stomach pains and my doctor said I should get a colonoscopy. That’s when they discovered it,” he said.
After this disturbing discovery, Jim urges men of all ages to get the preventative procedure.
“Men especially should get the procedure,” he said. “Lots don’t want to because they’re afraid of what they might find. But they should do it before it’s too late.”
After the shocking finding from the procedure, Jim’s ride through the medical world began.
“It started as colon cancer, then came back after about four years. I went through another surgery/chemo/radiation. They got it out. Two years later, it came back again in a different spot more radiation, more chemo,” he said. “In about ’07, they found a spot on my lung. Radiation and chemo again.”
But, it doesn’t stop there. While fighting this horrible disease, the one group Jim thought he could rely on was that of the medical professionals. But, during a procedure to remove his kidney, due to the intense radiation, there was a “malfunction” with the equipment, resulting in a five-hour surgery and a fight to save Jim’s life.
“During the surgery, there was a malfunction in the vein valve cutter. Instead of closing off the vein and clipping it, it just clipped it, spewing blood throughout my body. The surgeon ripped me open, found the problem and fixed it. Normally a two-hour surgery, I was in there for five hours. The doctor/surgeon said it never happened to him before. He said it misfired and malfunctioned.”
Jim said he didn’t even know what had happened to him. The only way he found out was from his sister, who was hesitantly waiting in the waiting room, asking the nurses and medical professionals what was going on with his brother’s extended surgery.
“The hospital never even said, ‘I’m sorry.’ I wouldn’t have even known about the malfunction if my sister wasn’t waiting for me during surgery.”
Through all this, Jim keeps a smile on his face.
“All I can do is keep fighting. A lot of people get this and feel it’s a death sentence. But a lot of good things have happened to me in the 10 years since I started all this: I watched my daughter graduate, get married, have a little baby girl, who’s now 3-and-a-half years old,” he said. “There’s a lot of reasons why you’ve gotta stick it out, go through all the aggravation of treatment. It beats you up, but it’s worth it.”
Jim offers some words of encouragement to other cancer-fighters and their loved ones during a time of need.
“I always try to keep my little smile on, keep people happy around me. I’m too easygoing and happy-go-lucky to let it get me down. It’s been a long road, but I think everybody should just give it the good fight. Don’t get discouraged. If you’re happy and smiling always, it helps your body heel. That’s my outlook.”
The fund-raiser
Bonita Bill’s will hold a fund-raiser for Jim Saturday, April 11, with a boat poker run leaving the slips at 11 a.m. Registration’s at 10 a.m.
Boats of all sizes and shapes are invited to run, from dinghies and jet skis to speedboats and pontoons.
The party will hop to five stops, making their way back to Bonita Bill’s around 4 p.m., where an array of food will be available to indulge on.
Plenty of raffles, prizes, 50/50s, silent auctions and live music will take place, so for all you landlubbers who don’t want to hit the water, there’s plenty for you to do on-deck. To donate an item for the raffles and silent auctions, or to make a monetary contribution, call Missy Clausen at 849-1951 (cell) or fax 454-4825.