One Year Later...

It has been one year ago today since I was diagnosed with Hodgkin’s. Crazy! I remember it like it was yesterday. How I felt when the doctor told me what I had and when I told Lorraine and my family about it. I still get emotional thinking about it. I am now five months in remission and feeling normal as can be. It was like it never happened. I’m back to running, hiking and doing the things that I always have done even before the cancer. Like I said before it was like I was adrift at sea for six months almost like a dream. Hard to believe a year later I am healthier now than ever. I already had my first three-month checkup and I’m still good to go! I hadn’t been to the doctors since my Chemo days so the nurse’s and doctors were excited to see how healthy and hairy I looked. The doc says I was the first healthiest patient they seen in a while. I ended up taking out my Port in my chest at the end of February. They wouldn’t let me keep him. Now I have an inch size scar where they used to pump the chemo in my chest. Other than that you would never know I had cancer.

As most of you know during the chemo treatments Lorraine and I were still looking for a house to buy. On March 5^th we finally found one and it has been everything we wanted. So, this first half of the year has been the best yet! Like night and day compared to where we were at a year ago. Lately we have been extremely busy trying to organize our house and trying to get situated. After going through chemo and everything else that goes with having cancer I feel that I can accomplish anything. If something is not going the way it should be I always think back to when I was sick out of my mind and think this little thing is nothing compared to having cancer. It helps me in just about every situation. When I’m running and I feel like I want to stop because I’m tired. I’d rather be running and tired than go through cancer again. It boosts me up and I think that wasn’t bad at all.

Keep moving forward and never give up!

Back from the Sea...

I am officially in remission! My results from my latest PET scan didn’t detect any cancer. I am happier about this result because this PET scan is more accurate than the CAT scan I had in December. I had to wait a week for the results of the scan and as you can imagine it was a tough week. Thinking about what the results may be was an awful feeling. You try and stay positive but every moment of the day you think about it. I am going to have to do this every three months for the next two years and then every six months for the next five years after. I imagine this first scan was the toughest and it will all be routine from here on out. It was a tough road but Lorraine and I did get through it and now we can move on! Felt like I was out at sea for seven months and finally hit land! The Doc gave me the O.K. to take out my Port! So, I may take it out within the next month. Perhaps I can keep it in a jar or something. You know, for old times sake.

It has been two months this week since my last Chemo treatment and I’m feeling pretty good these days. I was able to get my first haircut in seven months and now I am able to comb my hair and my eyebrows are getting darker. I may let the beard grow for now. I been running and hiking more and started golfing again. I still do get kind of tired but not as bad and I can tell the tiredness is going away. It’s amazing how your body can recover and become stronger from such awful treatments. I hate to say it but I feel that the cancer took a piece of me. I don’t think I feel the same as before. I have different worries and stress that I didn’t before. I feel like I was more worry free before the cancer. Sometimes when I’m out and about I look around and think that most people don’t know how much your life can change so quickly. Talking to different people about my experience almost everyone always says, “If I get cancer I don’t know what I’d do?” Unless these things happen to you we really don’t realize that we will suck it up and focus on being healthy again. I tell them, “I know what you would do” you will deal with it and focus on being better because we want to survive. Sometimes I notice when people see me they look like there not sure to ask me how I'm feeling. Its like if they are not sure if I want to talk about it or not sure if they should bring it up. Please don't hesitate to ask me questions about my experience. I'm more than willing to share them and talk to you about them. Before I started the Chemo treatments a friend who went through the similar experience told me to keep doing the things you love, never give up hope and continue listening to the music you love.

at Priscilla (Lorraine sis) & Toms Wedding 2/6/10