Hey all, it’s Friday afternoon, and just as I used to do back in the “old” days I’m writing you all a message before the weekend.
As I write my 4th bag of Mo is finishing up, to clarify the beginning of my journey saw me reunite with two old friends – Mo, who is with me for 7 days, 24 hours a day, and “Push Mo” who was only with me for about 20 minutes for the first 3 days. So today is officially Day 5 of my journey, and at this point I’m feeling about a million times better than I was on Day 5 of my “original Series”. My blood counts are still pretty high – hemoglobin is around 90, platelets around 80, with next to no white cells. The blood transfusion borderline is 70 for hemoglobin and 10 for platelets. Which means once my counts begin to approach those levels I’ll need to receive the appropriate blood products. (It’s people like me that make giving blood since an important process, it is one of the gifts of life you can give while your still alive)
I seem to be having so “feeling” troubles from about 5-8 each day, as last night once again, despite the fact that I didn’t meet with “Push Mo”, I felt like crap. Usually lying down and relaxing helps the feeling pass, which has worked so far, and at some points I’ve had some aid from other drug friends, but I try to keep that to a minimum. My pain or discomfort usually has to be pretty high before I’ll take something, as I figure I’m meeting enough new friends, with more to come, that a guy can only have so many of these “drug/medical” friends.
We have officially started the more public side of this journey, which is the part of my strategy that I haven’t really shared with you all yet. Here is where my mind is…
When I was diagnosed originally in November 98 it was my desire to share my experience with any and all interested to share it with me, so I looked for a vehicle to do so, but there wasn’t one. So I created the My Friends Email Group, and when I reached a point where my energy and resources where at an appropriate level this email group evolved into RealTime Cancer. Now that I have been handed another Cancer Challenge, and there is a well oiled vehicle in the drive-way, it only makes sense to me that I take it for a spin. So in addition to sharing this journey with you all, I have made, and will continue to make the effort to promote my journey and share my experiences with others. Fortunately there is a great system of print, TV, and radio media established to help me get my message out, and I have full intention of using that system.
As it happens today I did an interview with a friend from the Herald, and with a new friend from the Telegram. The Herald article should be in stores in a little over a week, while the Telegram article should be in one of this weekend’s papers. And Krysta Rudofsky, host of Up at St. John’s Lane – mentioned my journey on this week’s show and I’m hopeful that we will connect in person soon.
Complementing that, with the fantastic support of one of RealTime Cancer’s major contributors – M5 Marketing Communications – we filmed a 30 second spot for TV last Sunday prior to me entering hospital, which will be used for tv, and also radio, M5 are also developing print ads that will run in all supporting newspapers. Simply put, although I’m next to completely cut off from the outside world – as I don’t have my tv hooked up or have a radio – starting some time this weekend you may begin to see my face, and hear about my journey from any number of sources.
Those of you who know me well, know that I view Challenge as equal parts challenge and opportunity. And this situation is exactly that, and I have always had a thing for opportunity. I have a message that I want to deliver, and I have been handed a situation that can dramatically aid the delivery of that message. It seems like a ‘win-win’ situation if you ask me. Of course a part of that ‘win-win’ is me going through another Cancer Challenge, which I have explained to you all that I am absolutely up for. I have full and complete faith that whatever will be, will be, and it “will be” for the right reasons. Those reasons are something I will discuss many times in the future I’m sure, but for now I feel it’s important to say that they are each and everyone’s own to think about and discover.
I’ll be in touch again, very possibly over the weekend. Have a good one.
Always…
Live Life. Love Life.
Geoff
