Mount Prospect man hopes to help others before he dies
Günther Buhler was flying high, in more ways than one.
The Wheeling High School graduate was pursuing his lifelong dream, working as a pilot, while enjoying life with his wife, literally the girl next door, and his two young children.
Buhler, who is only 38 years old, enjoyed good health. In fact, he couldn't remember being sick.
His wife Carol said, "He had been so healthy that we always would joke about how ridiculously healthy his immune system must have been, because he never got sick."
Günther said, "I like to take pride in the fact that I was the epitome of good health. I worked out. When we lived in the city, I used to ride my bike up and down the lakefront all the time in the summer. And I ate - pretty healthy."
When Buhler came down with flu-like symptoms, his family figured he must have caught it from his son, who had come home with the flu from kindergarten, or perhaps it was brought in by Carol, who works as a teacher.
But when the symptoms didn't go away, Buhler went to the emergency room and received a CAT scan. The next day, he went in for exploratory surgery, which revealed a mass in the transverse colon the size of a grapefruit that had metastasized to his liver and lymph nodes.
Suddenly his life was changed. He could no longer fly because of FAA regulations. And he had to submit to chemotherapy treatments.
He recently traveled to the Mayo Clinic, where he was told he had six months to live.
Buhler, however, plans to use that remaining time, as he, his family and friends plan to hold a bowling event from 7 p.m. until 11 p.m. Saturday, April 25, at Pinstripes in Northbrook to benefit the fight against colorectal cancer, as well as defray expenses for Buhler's family.
The event's name reveals Buhler's bravery and sense of humor: Bowlin' for Günther's Colon.
The purpose, however, is serious. Donations benefit the Günther Buhler Cancer Fund, gcbuhlerfoundation.org. Donations are $50, payable at the door. The event includes a silent auction, raffles, free bowling and appetizers. For information, call (847) 480-2323.
At first, it looked like Günther would be able to attend, but that's looking unlikely. "There are days I don't get out of bed until 1 o clock," he said.
Günther, Carol, and their children, 6-year-old Max and 6-month-old Eva, live near downtown Mount Prospect.
Günther, who worked toward his pilot's license while in high school, joined the U.S. Navy and was stationed on the U.S.S. Lincoln on the coast of Dubai during the first Gulf War. Later, he attended the University of Illinois, where he double majored in art history and aviation.
Flying was in his blood. "His dad owned a plane, and when he was young, he used to take him up flying," Carol said.
Following graduation, he was a flight instructor at the university, then got a job flying charters at Palwaukee Airport. He moved into corporate aviation, working for a couple of patent attorneys, then Midwest Airlines in Milwaukee.
"It was shock," when the cancer was diagnosed last summer, Carol Buhler said. "The first thing (you ask) is how is that humanly possible. It wasn't in our family. He never had any history of it."
When the shock wore off, the desire to fight took over, they both said. "We kind of regrouped and got it together and said, 'OK. We're going to hit this full force, whatever it takes,'" Carol said.
At first, Günther responded well. "I had very little side effects from the chemo and I breezed through it. It actually shrunk for a while there," Günther said. "So the outlook looked positive. But I had another surgery in December, and after that it just seems to have gone downhill."
One of the most difficult aspects has been how to communicate the news to the children. Eva "is only six months old. But the six year old seems to be taking it in stride pretty well," Günther said recently, adding that he planned to tell Max "what the outcome could be shortly. It's kind of tough.
"You don't know what the right answer is to do with kids. You don't want to damage them too much, but I feel like I should be pretty honest and open with my son."
Günther's friends from Wheeling High School, including Dave Lewand, have provided much needed support.
"There was kind of a tight core of us from high school that go camping every year," Lewand said. This has brought us even closer together."
As for the event's name, Lewand said, "Since he was diagnosed he was thinking it would be a cool name for the event. He likes to keep it light. He doesn't like to be viewed as weak at all." The fund has an account at TCF Bank. A portion of the money will offset medical costs for the family.
"Depending on how much we raise," Günther said, "we would like to donate a majority toward more research into the colon cancer area, so that maybe even if I don't benefit in the little time I have left, somebody else will in the future."
<p class="factboxheadblack">Bowlin' for Günther's Colon</p> <p class="News"><b>Purpose:</b> Raise money for medical expenses for Günther Buhler, 38, of Mount Prospect, who is dying of colon cancer, with extra funds going to colorectal cancer research</p> <p class="News"><b>Cost:</b> $50</p> <p class="News"><b>Time:</b> 7-11 p.m., Saturday, April 25</p> <p class="News"><b>Place:</b> Pinstripes, 1150 Willow Road, Northbrook, pinstripes.com</p> <p class="News"><b>Activities:</b> Silent auction, raffles, free bowling and appetizers</p> <p class="News"><b>Information:</b> On the Web at <a href="http://www.gcbuhlerfoundation.org" target="new">gcbuhlerfoundation.org</a> or call (847) 480-2323</p>