1. My name isRichardbone.On December17, 2012, I WAS INVINCIBLE!OnDecember18,2012, I wasjust
anotherstatistic.Thatwouldchange intime.
On December18, 2012 I washavingjustanothernormal day while awayatwork.I workedfora very
large oilfieldcompany,andwe were workingata locationjustsouthof Rocky MountainHouse,Alberta.
I woke uparound 4:00 p.m.and startedgettingreadyforanothernightof well serviceoperations.I
noticeda slightbitof discomfortundermyribsonthe rightside.Ipassedthisoff as nothingand
proceededwithmyday.Afterthe usual safety/procedural meetingswithourcrew,itwastime to start
work.As we progressedthroughourevening,the discomfortbagantobe more of a pain.I figuredI
simplyhadto go anduse the facilities.Thisdidnothelp.The painsoonbecame more andmore intense.
My taskat the time wasto operate the unitwhile runningpipe intothe well.Thisrequiressome simple
sitting,andmovementof ones’wrist.Eachtime Ibreathedin,orshiftedmypositioninthe slightest,a
shootingpainwouldcause me toflinch.My supervisorhadbeenquietlykeepinganeye onme as the
painincreased.Afterseveral hours,Ibegantosweat,andwas turningpale fromthe pain.Atthispoint
my supervisorcalledatime-out.He lookedatme andsaidI was done forthe nightand that he was
sendingme toget checkedoutat the hospital.“You’re atoughguy and all,butI have to sendyouto get
lookedat”.
That was the lasttime I reportedforwork.
On Dec.19, 2012 I was sentforan ultrasoundto checkfor anypossible blockagesinmybowels.From
there I wassentdirectlyfora CT Scan. Thingswere gettingveryserious.Afterthe CTI wassenthome.
The nextmorningthe phone rangat 7:30 a.m. It wasthe doctorfrom our hospital here inPonoka.First
hintthat it wasserious?The doctorcalledat that time inthe morningherself.Notanurse,or other
office staff,butthe doctor.“Okay,we’ll be rightthere.”SaidI.I woke mywife up,andoff to the hospital
we went.We were sat downinan examinationroomthatseemedoddlyquiet.Thatiswhentheytoldus
that I had cancer.Stage IV ColonCancer withmetson myliver.A verysuddenblow indeed,withall of
the initial fearsattached.The hardestpartof that meetingwaswatchingmywife shrink.Icouldliterally
see herheartbreak as we were toldthe news.Itwasobviousthatthiswas not going tobe a great
Christmas.We decidedrightthenandthere thatwe wouldface thishead-onandfightwithall we had.
We toldimmediatefamily,andhada wonderful Christmasafterall.
On Dec.29, 2012, I wasin hospital fora biopsyof one of the 2 tumors on my Liverto confirmnotthat I
had cancer,but as to whattype I had. Turns outthe tumorinmy colonwas the size of my fist,andthe
tumorson my liverwere the size of golf balls.Itwasoddhavingthatbiopsyas I watchedthe whole thing
withthe assistantonthe ultrasoundscreen.Afterthe resultsfromthe biopsycame inIwasscheduled
for a colonoscopy.A WHAT?!?!Yup,a camerasentto explore the partof my bodyI had no interestin
beingexplored.Iwasadmittedintohospitalsothata 4 month waitinglistcouldbe avoided.Onthe

2. fourthnightI wasgivena 4 ltr jugof a beverage withinstructionstodrinkhalf now,andhalf whenIget
awakenedatwell before adecenthourinthe morning.Thatbeverage wasone hell of apipe cleaner!In
the morningoff I wentformy filmdebut.The entire procedurewascompletelypainless,anddidnot
justifythe anxietyfeltleadinguptoit. Of course there was the fact that I wascompletelysedated.
I believeitwasthe secondweekof Januarywhenwe went toEdmontontomeetwiththe surgeonwho
had beensentmyfile,andwhomwouldbe doingthe surgery.AfterwhatIcan onlyassume wasa very
tellingfilm,itwasdecidedthatIwouldneedtohave a full 2/3 of my large intestine,the tumors,my
appendix,andmygall bladderremovedfrommybelly.Thiswouldall happenwithinthe nextfewweeks.
On Feb5th, aftera day of paperwork,andpreparations,Iwaswheeledintothe operatingroom.Roughly
7 hourslaterI was wakinguplookingfortwothings.My weddingring,andanuglybag attachedto my
side.My wife hadmyringready forme,and there wasno signof the colostomybag!!Goodnewsmy
friends.Goodnewsindeed.
Aftera 9 daystay at the UofA Hospital,Iwas finallyallowedtogohome and recoverincomfort.
April 3, 2013. FirstChemotherapytreatment.ThiswasNOTa goodday forus. Withthoughtsfilledwith
fearand anxiety,we made ourwayto the Central AlbertaCancerCenterformyfirsttreatment.Idid
have whatis calleda powerportimplanted forthe chemo,soitwas ratherpainless.The side effects
howeverwere notfun.Iwason all the anti-emetics,buttheyonlyhelptoapoint.My hands andfeet
became verysensitive tocold.Toa pointitwasrather painful.Myfeetstill botherme tothisday.It feels
like mysocksare alwaysbunchedup.Thistreatmentwastobe repeatedevery2weeksuntil September
4, 2013. Since that wasthe daybefore mybirthday,we startedplanningahuge partyto celebrate both
the endof chemo,anda birthdaywe weren’tsure Iwouldsee whenthisall started.Thiswasnotto
come to fruition.InJune Ihad anotherCT Scan. Thisshowedthe growthof 5 tumorsinlymphnodes.
Four inmy abdomen,one undermycollarbone.Withthe discoveryof these new tumors,Iwas
reassessed,the type of chemodrugswere changed,andIwasgivena terminal diagnosis.There wasnow
an expiryattachedtomy name.Theygave me 1-2 yearsto live.Currently,Iamstill alive anddoingas
well asI can after1 ½ yearsafter beingtoldIwas terminal.Iguesstheydidn’trealize whomtheywere
dealingwith.Letthe fightcontinue.Iwon’tbackdown!
Thisbringsus to today.Today I am doingprettygood.All scanshave shownthatthe new tumors are
shrinking,orat leaststable withnonew problemsspotted.
Throughall of this,I have hadsome prettygood supportfromFamily,Friends,andmanymanypeople
nearand far. I wasinvitedbymyfriend’swifetojoinherRelayForLife teaminthe springof 2013, and
todayI am the Co-Chairof the eventforthe secondyearina row.I have appearedasa guestspeakerin

3. frontof school kids,andfeaturedasa “Survivor”on local TV.I have beennominatedasaRegional
Spokespersonforthe CanadianCancerSociety,andasNational spokespersonfor Heroesof Hope
representingCanada.These are incredible honorstosaythe least,buttheyare not the greatestof
honorsI have receivedbyanymeans.The greatesthonorI have yetto receive iswhenIamtold“Thank
You” by someone whoreadsmyon-linepostsandfindssomethinginspirational there.
June 1, 2015
On Thursday,May 28 I wentfor a proceedure calledaCYSTOSCOPY.Thatiswhere theyinsertacamera
up the urethraintothe bladderand take a lookaround.Thiswas bookedbya surgeonas theyhadfound
somethinggrowinginmybladderinthe CTimages.Itwas found,andconfirmedtobe a new tumor that
has beencausingme some urinaryissues.Iamnow on a short listforsurgeryto have thisnew tumor
removed.Thisislikelytohappenthisweek.
To Be Continued................
The aforementionedsurgeryhasnowbeenbooked.Iwill be goingtoRedDeerHospital onJune 22nd to
have whatis calleda Transurethral TumorResection.Thatmeanstheyare sendingacameraand tools
up myurethra,and removingthe tumorfromwithin.Noscars!
I wil alsobe takinga breakfrom chemountil we have a CT Scan done inthe firstweekof August.This
breakis sothat I can be at my strongestforsurgery.The resultsfromthe AugustCT will hopefullygiveus
a betterideaas to whetherthe remainingtumorshave beenrespondingtothe currentchemo,or if we
have to switchthingsupagain.
To Be Continued.................
June 24, 2015
I am now2 days postTransurethral BladderResectiontoremove whatturnedout tobe 2 tumors inmy
bladder.The surgeonsaidthatall wentverywell,andIwill be rightas rainin notime.I do have some
painwhenurinating,butthistooshall pass.I am restrictedfromanyliftingover10 lbs,andcannot sit,or
stay insame positionforlengthyperiodsof time.There isstill alittlebloodbeingpassed,butthistoois
normal.I will be goinginforanothercystoscopyin3 monthsasa follow up.ThisIdo notlookforward
to. I WILL be takinga couple of myfriendlydilaudidsbeforethat,soa ride to that procedure will be
required.LOL
That is mystory sofar. There will be manychaptersyetto be revealed.

4. NOBODYFIGHTS ALONE!
Thank You forreading,
RichardBone
"PRIDE: a highor inordinate opinionof one'sowndignity, importance,merit,orsuperiority,whetheras
cherishedinthe mindoras displayedinbearing,conduct,etc."
WhendiagnosedwithCancer,one mustputpride aside.Youwill be poked,prodded,scopedandpoked.
You will have more peopleinterestedineverypartof yourbodythan youeverfantasizedabout.Gene
Simmonshasn'thadthis muchattention.Youwill meetmanypeople whoare doingall the same things.
Theymay wantto talk aboutit,theymay not.You will shedmore tearsthanyou everthoughtpossible.
Evenmore than when"Fluffy"yourbelovedkittywasfoundhitbya car. You will soonrealize that
"PRIDE" isa luxuryyoucan no longerafford.Youwill releaseyourinhibitionsandacceptthe factthat
youHAVE CANCER.All the pokingandproddingisnecessary,andeverypersonfromyourwife,children,
medical professionals,andthe neighbordownthe streetare justconcerned.ItWILL be hard to lookinto
your wife'seyeseachdayandsee the sadnessshe sobravelytriestodisguise.ItWILLbe hard to lookat
your scars andnot feel asthoughyouhave beenrobbed.ButwithStrength,Love,Trust,andFaith,you
will reacha place that requiresadifferentdefinitionof "Pride".
"PRIDE:....the state orfeelingof beingproud.A becomingordignified sense of whatisdue tooneself or
one'spositionorcharacter; self-respect;self-esteem."
The latteris a much more fulfillingstate of mindthanthe prior.
Thank You,
RichardBone
AdenoCarcinoma,Coloncancerwmetastasizedspreadtothe LiverandLymph nodes,andBladder