And so the story continues to take shape, the road ahead becomes fairly clear, at least for the next many weeks. After a collection of conversations between hospitals here and in Ottawa I am set and ready to go.
On September 26th, two weeks from today, I will be heading to Ottawa with my Dad (and Donour) for our Pre-Transplant assessments, which will involve a variety of tests and I’m sure some extensive blood work. We’ll return on the 27th and make the final preparations to move to Ottawa for an undetermined amount of time. For my first Transplant I was in Toronto for almost exactly 3 months, but each experience is very customized so we really don’t know how long I’ll be away.
I’ll start Out-Patient chemo on Tuesday the 2nd of October, which will last for 4 days and I’ll be admitted to hospital on Saturday the 6th for 2 days of high-dose chemo. In Toronto they called the high-dose “Mo” the “point of no return”, as it is designed to bring me to the immune-system edge, and then ideally the Transplant brings me back. After the high-dose Mo I’ll have 48 hours off and have my Transplant on Wednesday the 10th.
We have made significant progress in the past 7 days since learning of my new Challenge to find a Transplant Center. Through the ups and downs, I can honestly say that at a couple of points I found myself consumed with this Challenge, which is not usual for me as I can most often pull myself out of a situation if need be. That was not the case at certain points in this past week, and while I do understand why I had those thoughts and feelings I am a little amazed by the experience. The thoughts of having no options, or none that were particularly attractive, was not a comfortable feeling for me at all, and there were a couple of points this week when it appeared that I may not have any real attractive options for an immediate Transplant. I am blessed to have found an option that is consistent with my original treatment plan, and I have quite an inner calm as a result.
Now that I have been able to work through the Transplant Center Challenge I am very quickly switching my focus to other things, and of course they do involve Challenges. Except this time it’s a Challenge that I am picking. The next Challenge on the slate for me is climbing Signal Hill next Thursday, September 20th. Last year I, along with about 170 Climbers, climbed Signal Hill on September 20th.
Why the 20th?
Because in September of 1999 when I left the hospital after my ICU stay I was unable to do anything for myself physically, save breathing and speaking which were no small feats. Thus at that time I was 100% dependent on my family and friends, and I was forced to learn to walk and write again, to regain virtually all my muscle as it had been beaten down by the infections I fought while in a coma. It wasn’t exactly that I had to learn that one foot went in front of the other, more the fact that my body had no interest in following the orders from my brain. My Physio figured it would take me 4-6 weeks to get back to walking with a walker – so of course I focused on beating that. And on September 20th, 1999 I took my first steps, without the aid of my walker, as I went from my hospital bed at home to a very near by couch. And I figured that there was no better way to mark the significance of that day than to Climb Signal Hill with my friends, family and Supporters. So we did, and I did.
The Climb was designed to be an annual event, always held on that day, as I’m big on significance, so next Thursday we will be having the second annual RealTime Cancer Climb. Here are the details:
Registration Time: 6:00 p.m. to Climb at 6:30 p.m.
Registration Location: NewTel Building (the Fort William Building – lobby)
Registration: $10/person – first 1,000 Climbers are guaranteed a Climb shirt
It’s really straight forward, we climb the hill, hopefully will get a group picture at the top, and then make our way back down. Nothing official, just a Challenge from me to all of you, and your friends and families, to make the climb with me. My strength has been improving and I’m certainly planning to be able to make it to the top, however if I can’t, or if any of you can’t there will be transportation to help you get to the top, and back down. And we will of course, be climbing rain, shine or fog.
I hope to see many of you there next week, and you can count on hearing from me many times prior to then. Have a great evening, I’m off to continue training for next week.
Always…
Live Life. Love Life.
Geoff
