A Meaningful Journey For Moe
In 2021, Walter “Moe” Scheel retired after forty years of doing appliance repair.
He looked forward to relaxing, enjoying his family, and catching all the baseball games he could now.
But after only one year into retirement, Moe started to experience severe back pain. With nothing helping, his primary care doctor recommended a nerve block. Moe would need bloodwork done before this procedure.
In February 2022, Moe’s bloodwork results came back.
“My primary care doctor called me and said, ‘I need you back as soon as possible,’” says Moe. “They redid the tests, and those results were so bad they admitted me to the hospital at CHI St. Francis. The tests revealed I had cancer – Multiple Myeloma.” Multiple myeloma is a cancer that forms in a type of white blood cell called a plasma cell.
Moe and his wife, Connie, were crushed by this news.
“But that same day we received the cancer diagnosis, Dr. Ramaekers came to Moe’s hospital room with a plan,” says Connie. “He said he has great treatments available and has had some of the same patients in his care for over 20 years. This gave us a boost – it gave us hope for Moe.”
Dr. Ryan Ramaekers, an oncologist at Nebraska Cancer Specialists in Central Nebraska, told the Scheels that Moe’s cancer was treatable. He also immediately set Moe up for a kyphoplasty to alleviate his back pain. This procedure was done right in Grand Island, and Moe’s back pain instantly disappeared.
Moe’s cancer had weakened his immune system so severely he contracted C-diff, a bacterial infection in the intestine that can become life-threatening. Unfortunately, this infection spread to his blood, and he had to be airlifted to Omaha.
“Any cancer treatments were halted because now the focus was just to keep Moe alive,” says Connie.
While in Omaha, twice Connie was told to bring their kids in because it could be Moe’s last moments. But Moe did not give up. After several weeks in Omaha, Moe was able to return to Central Nebraska to continue his recovery and begin cancer treatment.
Moe pauses his story. He turns to his wife.
“For two months, Connie never left my bed,” says Moe, holding back tears. “She never left my room. The whole time I was in Omaha – she never left. She was there. The whole time.” Moe was determined to get well to continue loving Connie and his family.
Returning to Grand Island and being closer to home was a blessing, but Moe still had a long road ahead.
“When Moe came back to Grand Island, one of the first people that came up to the hospital was Dr. Ramaekers. He truly cared for us,” says Connie.
Moe remained admitted at CHI St. Francis for several more weeks.
“It was so nice having Nebraska Cancer Specialists right there connected to CHI,” explains Connie. The nurses would take him over to the cancer center. They coordinated all the appointments between the extensive rehabilitation Moe was undergoing and his cancer treatment.”
Connie had to return to work, so she was extremely grateful CHI St. Francis and Nebraska Cancer Specialists worked together to make sure Moe was making it to all his appointments.
Currently, Moe is in remission. He receives a monthly injection to keep the cancer at bay.
“Being able to treat cancer close to home means everything,” says Moe and Connie. “Our support system is close; we can go home at night and keep ourselves rested, and it keeps us from getting run down.”
A big smile comes across Moe’s face as he continues, “Dr. Ramaekers and his nurses, I can’t say enough good things. Those nurses—those are ‘my gals.’ I love them all. One day, I began to have some trouble with lightheadedness after treatment. Those NCS nurses just ran from every part of the room, and they just stood around me to make sure I was okay.”
“Moe has been such an inspiration to our clinic and other patients,” says Dr. Ramaekers. “No matter the obstacle, he has always kept a positive attitude and worked hard to overcome it. His family’s love and ongoing support have also played a huge role in his recovery.”
After a recent hip surgery, Moe was once again recovering at CHI St. Francis Hospital. One of his first visitors was from his NCS care team – Megan Schriner, a physician’s assistant at Nebraska Cancer Specialists.
“It’s just invaluable, the people and support we have at NCS,” says Connie.
“Everybody’s always in a good mood – when I’m up there getting my injection or fluids, they all know my name and say hi,” says Moe.
“Moe and his family are treasured by all of us at NCS,” says Stacey Strong, NCS Patient Care Coordinator. “He comes in with a big smile and greets everyone by our names. Moe is such an inspiration to us all, and seeing him is one of the many reasons I love my job at NCS.”
The Scheels also benefited from the NCS staff’s help navigating insurance and medical bills.
“Lisa Montanez, Patient Financial Advocate, got us assistance through different programs. She did everything, applied for it all, and all we had to do was sign,” says Connie.
The Scheels also appreciate that NCS offers a 24/7 doctor’s line. This means anytime they have a question about a symptom, medication, or possible side effect, they can call NCS and talk to a real person. If it’s after hours, a doctor will call back promptly.
“A bigger city wouldn’t be able to work with us like this,” says Connie.
In October 2023, Moe and Connie’s daughter was getting married. Moe was determined to feel well enough to walk her down the aisle. Dr. Ramaekers and the NCS team rallied behind Moe and coordinated his treatment and medications to ensure he would have that special moment.
“My daughter’s wedding day arrived, and just like Dr. Ramaekers promised, I was able to walk her down the aisle,” says Moe.
Today, Moe and Connie joyfully get to watch their family grow, knowing the NCS team is behind them, providing the best cancer treatment possible right here in Central Nebraska.
