When life throws a curve

By NOREEN HYSLOP

Managing Editor

It took a life changing event for Wesley Montgomery to realize his potential as a writer.

Montgomery has lived all his life in Dexter. He attended Dexter Schools and went to work shortly after graduation in the fast food industry, eventually working himself up to assistant manager. He wasn't unhappy in his work, but in the back of his mind, he knew he could be more productive.

It was about nine years ago that Montgomery developed what he remembers as a "sore spot" on the bottom of his right foot after stepping on an object. He was 27 years old.

"I really thought at first that it wasn't healing because I was standing 10 hours a day at work, but even staying off of it didn't help," he recalls.

When an infection developed, he finally relented and saw a doctor. In spite of medications and treatment of the wound, the condition worsened. Gangrene set in, and there was no other option but to amputate about half of his right foot.

Doctors realized after weeks of treatment that Montgomery, like his mother and father and at least one sibling, was a diabetic. The diagnosis explained why the foot was so resistant to healing.

"I remember being told that I would likely have died within 24 hours if I hadn't had the foot amputated," he says.

Following his recuperation and in spite of his handicap, he returned to work in the fast food industry, with the help of a prosthetic worn in his shoe that enabled him to stand.

"I always worked at fast food. I went back to work with half the foot gone. I was determined. I didn't want to quit," he remembers.

"I did it for as long as I could. I finally realized after about a year continuing to work on my feet that the time would come when I'd lose that fight."

In the meantime, problems with the left foot developed, necessitating a further amputation of several toes. Another prosthetic device was used to help him balance and to allow him to walk without the aid of a walker or a cane. Against the advice of at least one physician, he kept working. But the day came when he realized that remaining in a job requiring a full day of standing was not conducive to his overall health.

One day, Montgomery ran into an old friend who was enrolled in college, pursuing a degree in her desired field. After some thought, he made the decision to do the same.

"I think everyone comes to a point in their life where they either lay down and give up or decide to keep going, and I decided to keep going."

He enrolled at Southeast Missouri State University and initially took classes at their Malden campus, eventually taking all of his classes at the university in Cape Girardeau. He decided to pursue a degree in English.

"I've always loved to read and loved to write," Montgomery attests. "I'd write things, and I'd later throw them away, but I always had a passion for it."

All Wes Montgomery needed was encouragement, and he found that at SEMO.

"They're great people there," he says. "They're great encouragers. Not only did they tell me I could write, but that I was actually pretty decent at it!"

With a newfound determination, Montgomery completed first a bachelor's degree in Creative Writing and then a Masters in English Studies -- both in five and one-half years. One semester was completed while he was hospitalized, recovering from the second amputation.

Armed with two degrees and a confidence he hadn't known before, Montgomery went to work authoring his first book.

"My first book is actually my college thesis," he explains.

"Imaginary Friends" is a fictional story of a young man named Alex and a "friend" who often comes to visit. While the story is not retold from a life experience, the plot does derive from territory familiar to Montgomery in his adulthood. It is a story of imagination and reality and a journey discovering both.

The book is self-published and is available online through Amazon. It is available in e-book form or in paperback.

The ambitious new author has also released a second book in recent days. "The St. Nick of Halloween" is a children's book that tells the story of Michael and an unexpected visitor on Halloween night. This Santa Claus type figure teaches Michael a valuable lesson about being nice to his little brother. Montgomery's second book is also available on Amazon.

Life for Wesley Montgomery has changed dramatically over the past few years. He is insulin dependent and walks with a pronounced limp, but he has called upon his newfound confidence to change the worst of times into the best of times, seizing the opportunity to fulfill a lifelong dream.

Wesley Montgomery may be reached on facebook or at wdmonty1688@yahoo.com