I’m still here, not lost, just doing other things lately it seems. I do like to stay in touch and would rather not go a week without connecting with you but I do know that it will happen from time to time. Today’s title was chosen because it seems it has become one of my new motto’s as I have discovered that I say “slowly but surely, one step at a time” what seems like 100 times a day. As that is my answer to “how I’m doing”. I am rebuilding “slowly but surely, one step at a time”.
I will say that as the weather in St. John’s continues to warm, and the sun shines more and more, I seem to be spending less and less time at my computer or doing anything that resembles work. My love of being on 2 wheels, out on the road, in the sun and wind taking in my surroundings, that love is flourishing and appears to be growing daily. I had no idea that I could get so good at dropping work to “play” as soon as the sun comes out, but that is certainly what has been happening. I have missed just 2 sunny days on my bike, and that is a trend I would love to continue through to October. We’ll see how I do.
Complementing the play on 2 wheels this past weekend I got the opportunity to play on 2 feet, as I was at a wedding of two friends of mine and I made a return to the dance-floor after a 10 month absence. I mention this mainly because there’s nothing quite like Footloose, a bunch of friends and a dance-floor. One of my favourite things in the world, and another favourite thing that I have missed and enjoyed reacquainting myself with.
While I certainly have been doing my share of playing, there has been great progress on the working side as well. I have been planning RealTime Cancer’s 2nd Birthday Party, which is on Wednesday June 19th at our 3rd annual golf tournament (if you are interested to join us please let me know). And that is progressing very well. Having just finished visiting 7 new schools in the month of May, I am also in the process of adjusting the RealTime Cancer Challenge for next school year and am also making some great progress there. Slowly but surely, one step at a time. Sometimes you make the same progress regardless of how hard you push, while this certainly isn’t always the case, I am learning to ease off the pushing without giving away the goal.
Complementing the playing and the working is the active rebuilding, physical rebuilding. And that is coming as well, though I can’t say that I notice an improvement in my strength or stamina but I’m at it consistently, walking and yoga are the bulk of my efforts to this point and as summer strolls in I’m looking forward to growing my list of activities to keep the muscles growing and getting my energy back up. We have a long way to go, but this is a familiar Challenge for me, and I am pleased to say that I am now tipping the scales at 177, a big gain of 4 pounds. Of course that could be from the drug Prednisone which is having a little affect on my appetite, who knows, but I’m gaining!
Was back at the hospital last week and had a really good check up, good blood work, liver functions are still a little high, which is why I’m on the Prednisone (a steriod, not performance enhancing). The rest of my blood was quite good and I have actually been given almost 2 months away from the hospital this time which is a nice break for sure, not so much to have a break from the hospital which I actually really like visiting, but it will keep the needles away for an extra month. Always welcomed! I do still have active Graft vs. Host Disease (GVHD) thus the Prednisone and high liver functions, and at this point the GVHD is bringing a pretty dry mouth, pretty normal side-affects. And all the same rules apply, any major changes in feeling or well-being, or should I spike a temp, must check in promptly and make sure things don’t get away from us.
I get asked often what is the prognosis and the best answer I can give you is that I’m here today, I’m feeling well today and I’m loving today. Anything outside of that I can’t say. The truth is that none of us know what will happen tomorrow, it just seems that I have a heightened awareness of that due to the presence of Leukemia in my life. The long term prognosis… who knows, from what I’ve gathered it really depends on which Doc I talk with. Some say 40% chance to be here and well in 5 years from Transplant, which was last October, others say that as a Patient your first remission is usually your longest, my first remission was about 2 1/2 years. By that train of thought I’d have somewhere less than 2 1/2 years from last August.
The reality is no one knows, not for me, not for you, we have today and I had a pretty fantastic one. Hope you did too!
Always…
Live Life. Love Life.
Geoff
