Queen of the Road
With the open road stretching for miles ahead and the wind in her hair, Cheryl White is in her glory. While riding her motorcycle, the past melts away and anything is possible.
“It gets my mind off of everything,” says Cheryl. “It’s a thrill beyond anything I’ve experienced.”
Passing her on the road, no one would ever know that this attractive 60-year-old from Dobson, North Carolina, has an ileostomy or could ever imagine her life’s bumpy journey. It began when her mother passed away from advanced colon cancer. Doctors tested the entire family and discovered that Cheryl has Familial Adenomatous Polyposis (FAP), which led to the removal of part of her colon at age 18. In the ensuing months, polyps multiplied resulting in several surgeries and finally an ileostomy at age 27.
Cheryl originally didn’t want to go through with the surgery, but after hours of library research, talking to her pastor and praying, she decided it was the right thing to do.
“My mom’s death really saved my life,” explains Cheryl. “Though she was given an ostomy, it was too late because her cancer was too advanced. I was fortunate that an ostomy would work for me—I knew I had to do it.”
Cheryl and her husband lived on a farm that raises tobacco, corn and wheat. Before her ileostomy she could do anything the men could, including lifting a 50-pound bag of fertilizer. But afterward she was required to take it easy, which was difficult for her husband to handle, and the marriage eventually fell apart.
“I knew I could do it better on my own,” says Cheryl. “It was rough, but I got through it.”
It was this can-do attitude that kept her going even after a second failed marriage and five surgeries due to blockages and an obstruction. The road finally got smoother when she met her fiancé Jack—her rock.
“He has been my biggest supporter; whenever I’m sick he’s right beside me in the hospital,” says Cheryl. “He told me I don’t have to go at it alone anymore.”
The two spent hours riding together on his bike, but Cheryl was hesitant to try it on her own because of her ostomy. Then one day Jack found a Honda 200 at a yard sale, fixed it up in Cheryl’s garage and replaced the kick-starter with a battery to make it easier for her.
He taught her to ride, and she’ll never forget the chilly day in December when she got her motorcycle license.
“I was so excited that I insisted we go out on the highway in spite of the cold weather,” chuckled Cheryl. “So we wrapped ourselves up and there we went!”
Due to a serious vitamin deficiency, Cheryl has to do infusions three times a week through a PORT-A-CATH system, but that doesn’t keep Jack and her from their adventures. Jack has traded up to a Honda 1300 VTX and pulls Cheryl’s ostomy supplies and infusions behind him in a trailer. With his love riding beside him on her new Honda Shadow 600, the world is their playground. They’ve ridden from North Carolina to West Virginia several times, but their longest trip was to Georgia this past April.
According to Cheryl, the key is to stay hydrated, take a lot of bathroom breaks, stretch and rest when necessary. She exercises at least five times a week on a treadmill, an elliptical and a small trampoline.
“Right now, I’m the healthiest I’ve ever been because I choose to eat well, exercise and I have someone who loves me,” says Cheryl.
The road ahead is now clear. Cheryl plans on doing more to support others going through ostomy surgery. She remembers when a woman wearing a tight skirt came to see her in the hospital. Cheryl couldn’t believe she had an ostomy and looked that good!
“If what I saw in that lady, people could see in me,” explains Cheryl. “I could help so many people.”
She had the chance when a friend asked her to speak to a young woman who was against having surgery. When they met, she looked Cheryl up and down and couldn’t believe she had an ostomy. They spoke for an hour, and thanks to Cheryl’s words of encouragement she decided to go for it.
Now Cheryl knows how important it is to share her story as often as possible, because when two paths converge the real healing begins. No matter the arduous journey, with someone who has gone before you cheering you on—anything is possible.
“I would have never dreamed in a million years that I would ride a motorcycle with my ostomy,” concludes Cheryl. “Now I just put on my tight jeans and go!”
If you have questions about Cheryl's story, email us at securestartnewsletter@hollister.com
Financial Disclosure: Cheryl White received compensation from Hollister Incorporated for her contribution to this eNewsletter.
