Kevin Wagner
As told by Beth Wagner, wife and current Cedar Valley Hospice volunteer
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“Kevin Wagner was a playful soul. He loved music, nature, lifting weights and learning. He was a man of integrity who was always kind, patient and helpful. Some of my favorite memories with Kevin are the camping trips we did when our kids were little, along with our annual Minnesota trips with extended family. In 1996, we took a trip to Australia to visit my sister and her family, who were living there at the time, and it will forever be one of my favorite memories of our years together.Â
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Kevin fought thyroid cancer for almost two years. It eventually spread to his liver – a rare occurrence. Prior to calling Cedar Valley Hospice, I was totally focused on doing anything possible to fight his cancer. I read all the research I could and really concentrated on having him eat healthily. I juiced fresh fruits and vegetables and had him try different supplements. Bless Kevin, he tried everything I came up with, even if it almost gagged him. After enrolling in hospice, he felt like it was OK to just eat and drink whatever he wanted. I had to learn to accept the fact that he wasn’t going to get better, and he needed to do whatever made him the most comfortable.Â
I could never have cared for Kevin without their help. There was so much they did to support me. When it got to the point that Kevin could no longer be left alone, Cedar Valley Hospice had someone come sit with him for an hour a day (respite care). That gave me time to get out of the house and walk our dogs, which was a great comfort to me.Â
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Kevin’s nurse was so patient with our dog, Buddy, who would carry one of her shoes around in his mouth after she had taken them off at the door. She maybe wasn’t thrilled to leave with a shoe that had dog slobber on it, but she never complained and was always sweet to Buddy. I’d tell anyone that the Cedar Valley Hospice staff treats you like family and will go out of their way to give you whatever support you need.Â
Not too long before he died, Kevin told me he had suffered so much and was ready for the suffering to end. I think having the Cedar Valley Hospice’s support allowed me to accept that. Beyond helping me to come to terms with Kevin’s life coming to an end, they helped him the most by trying everything they could to alleviate his discomfort. He suffered from severe nausea due to the cancer in his liver, and his care team always kept trying new things to keep that under control.
After all the support I got, I felt I needed to give back. I’ve been a volunteer for nine years – ever since I retired. I’m a patient-family volunteer, serve on the Friends committee and make rest assured calls, where we call patients or their caregivers every Thursday to make sure they have everything they need prior to the weekend. I enjoy all of it.
Until I became a volunteer, I didn’t attend a Release & Remember event. I’ve since helped every year. I love the celebratory atmosphere, the music, the family-friendly activities and the sheer energy of it all. I especially love looking at the list of people being remembered and seeing the names of all five of our family members who have been served by Cedar Valley Hospice.”
"I could never have cared for Kevin without their help. the Cedar Valley Hospice staff treats you like family and will go out of their way to give you whatever support you need."
– Beth Wagner, wife and current Cedar Valley Hospice volunteer
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