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Summer, 2002: 2 Years, 3 Years

As I have a resting, relaxing night, after my night of awesome activity, I am making fun of myself for a mistake I made in last night’s message. And the funny part is that it really was a mistake that I thought about before I wrote it, and felt that I did have the right answer to my question. The question was how long ago did I have my first Transplant? I was writing last night about rolling the dice and going to see Mellencamp after my first Transplant, and without doing the math – 2002 minus 1999 = 3 – I thought it through and decided, “yeah, it was 2 years ago”, which is what I wrote in my message.

I think it is funny that I couldn’t “do the math” or remembered wrong, as I have been having thoughts about how long ago my first Transplant was, along with thoughts of how long ago it was that I was originally diagnosed, spent time in ICU, started RealTime Cancer, all kinds of things that have happened over the past 3 1/2 plus years. Truth is we are now closer to the 4 year mark than we are the 3 year mark since my November 1998 diagnosis.

These have been thoughts that have been passing through my mind pretty consistently lately. Not sure where they are coming from, could be celebrating RealTime Cancer’s birthday, could be a little reflecting on getting back to the high schools that I have missed and love, could be random reflective thoughts, which I do have often and enjoy.

Whatever the source of the thoughts, I can say with great comfort that they have come with great comfort. I feel amazing that I have been able to see this day, Day 1331, since my first trip to the ER in 1998. Here’s a little caption of my past 1331 days, as best I can remember them tonight…

1 Cancer Challenge, 48 days of chemotherapy spread over 8 rounds, 1 “life-time” dose of Radiation, 1 Bone Marrow Transplant, 31 days in Protective Isolation after Transplant, 3 1/2 weeks on life-support in a coma, many times it didn’t look like I’d make it, 1 month I was the focus of some many people’s energy yet I have no memory of the experiences, lots of infections, flus and other “minor” complications, 1 Leukemia relapse/another major Challenge, 1 Stem Cell Transplant, no Protective Isolation and a happier Me, 2 donations from my Dad, 197 total nights in hospital, blood transfusions from over 230 donours, somewhere around 1 to 2 million blood tests!!, CAT scans and MRI’s and other investigative work, too many needles for a bunch of reasons!!, 3 Hickman Catheters, 2 Hickman Catheter infections, 1 PICC line that was next to useless but did save a few needles, hundreds of Doctor’s appointments, a ton of drugs, many awesome Healthcare Professionals, Patient friends for life, 1 email group that grows every day, hundreds of messages written by me, thousands and thousands received in return, 1 charity started, 2 birthdays celebrated, lots of schools hit – many more to come, a bunch of other great events, from golf, to climbing Signal Hill to filling our Coin Collector, 2 Transplant parties with another a few months away in October, amazing personal discoveries and growth, new and old connections changed and evolved, a valuable and exceptional perspective of life and all things in it… 1331 days of Challenges and triumphs, ups and downs, pain and pleasure, 1331 days I wouldn’t trade for anything in the world, some of the greatest blessings I’ve been given, and that is really where my thoughts have been in the past many weeks as I have marvelled at the fact that I am still here over 3 1/2 years after diagnosis.

I’ve said it before, many times when asked how I am doing… “I’m just happy to be here”. Hope you are too. Have a good one!

 

Always…
Live Life. Love Life.

Geoff

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