Hi all, I am writing this message as if you all received Friday’s message on Friday, which I hope was the case. If not these messages may be quite a surprise. I am writing you from 4 North A room 215, where I haven’t written for quite some time, actually September 3, 1999 was the last time I was here for a “sleepover”. So here I am, scheduled to have another Hickman put in my chest tomorrow first thing, and assuming that flows well I’ll start chemo tomorrow as well.
My main purpose for writing tonight is to give you some idea of how I will be approaching this new Cancer Challenge, as I’m sure you have been wondering “how” I’m going to tackle this situation. Of course I have a strategy, and it evolved quite nicely and naturally on Thursday night as I thought about the possibility of a relapse. While I was never much of a boy scout in the traditional sense, I do like to have a plan and be prepared, and these life Challenging situations definitely display that tendency.
So you all know, this time out there will be no hockey analogy, no Series, no face-offs, no fighting for the puck, in fact there will be no fighting at all. I am not in a combative mind-set at all this time, and I haven’t been right from the time I learned this situation was a possibility. Maybe it’s because I’ve changed since November 98, maybe it’s the way the wind was blowing when I heard the news, whatever the reason I have chosen to adopt a much different approach this time. Yet at the same time my approach will be very similar.
At the core of my strategy will remain two core components – my Positive Attitude and my desire to share my experience. My mind-set has changed, and instead of a Series I am viewing this Challenge as a journey, a journey that I am hoping to have all of you along for, as well as any other person, anywhere, who has a computer and an email account. Just like last time, I ask that you pass along my invitation to anyone you feel may be interested to join my email group and share my experience as you are. It is open to everyone, and I would like to share it with anyone.
Now that I am on this new journey I want you to know that I very much think of you all as coming with me, however outside of my email friends, and “in-person” friends and family I’ll have some other company along with me. They are old “friends”, except this time I’m planning to treat them like real friends and embrace them and their role on this life journey. Two of these friends will be my Hickman Catheter, which I’ll get tomorrow, I’m going to call him “Hickman”, the other friend that I want you to be aware of is “Mo”, as in “CheMo”. I have a couple of buddies named Mo who will be joining us on this journey, and I’ll introduce them to you at the appropriate times.
As with any journey, there will be hills both up and down, turns both left and right, sun, snow, rain, maybe even fog at times when I’m not quite sure what’s happening or where I’m going. And at various times I’m sure I’ll look to those sharing this journey with me for advice and direction (that’s you). For now I have a very clear picture and our destination is a place called Remission, and while the road to Remission can be quite a challenging journey it is quite an exceptional place. It is my hope that we can make it to Remission in the next several weeks. (In case you don’t know, Remission is the medical term that describes a state in which no Leukemia can be detected in the blood)
I’m promise to keep you updated on my travels as I progress toward Remission.
Another key part of my strategy that I would like to share with you is the more public promotion of this email group. When I was originally diagnosed with Leukemia in Nov 98 I looked for a vehicle to share my experience, there was not one, so I created this email group which ultimately lead to the development of RealTime Cancer (The Vehicle). Now that I have been handed another Cancer Challenge, my desire to share my experience has never wavered, and now there is a vehicle established. So I have every intention of using this Cancer Challenge, which I consider an opportunity, and the vehicle, RealTime Cancer, to bring my message of Positive Attitude to as many people as possible. With the help and support of some great people I have begun to implement my strategy to let the “world” know about the ‘real’ RealTime Cancer Challenge that is happening. Any assistance you can provide in helping me communicate my message to others would be greatly appreciated.
While I can reach you all through this email group presently, I am planning to switch this email group to the “My Friends Email Group” that runs from the RealTime Cancer website, and at the appropriate time – not yet – I’ll ask you all to go through the process and register on the RealTime Cancer website. Give me a couple of days to make the appropriate arrangements and I’ll make that request.
I hope this message hasn’t been too much, and please excuse the grammar now and always. Know that I am up for this Challenge, I’m packed and ready to leave for Remission, it will be a tough journey, but it is one I have made before and I’ll draw on that experience, as well as the love and support of those around me, in-person and virtually. You can count on hearing from me again very soon.
Always…
Live Life. Love Life.
Geoff
