Good Monday morning everyone. A little note to say another big thank you to everyone who came to help me celebrate victory on Friday evening and thank you to those of you who called and e-mailed, it is always great to hear from you. Those of you who didn’t are forgiven and I hope to see you next year.
I have included my not-so-little poem that I wrote and read to those at the party. As you may remember poems are one of my favourite ways to express myself, but I do write in “super free verse,” so you have to work a little to make it rhyme. I hope you all had a great Easter and you’ll hear from me again soon.
My Victory Party Poem
Here we are at my Victory Party
April 13th, 2001
Two years after my transplant
I am so glad you all could come
The past 27 months have been quite amazing for me
Chemotherapy for Games 1, 2, and 3
More drugs, some sun and a transplant in Game 4
Which I thought would be the last game in my Series for sure
Game 5 was played on the road in new surroundings
Different Docs and Nurses, same friends and family supporting
After one missed attempt, on July 6th we got the boot
We hopped on a plane, with Gramps’ car holding half our loot
Beginning to focus on some new directions
I definitely wasn’t thinking about another infection
July 25th at about 3:00 in the morning
I woke with a temp and shaking
Game 6 began, as I was admitted to hospital
Brutal pain, and my temp rose while I went down hill
Moved to the ICU later that day and stopped remembering
The next 5 weeks I know through other’s story telling
Continued loss of ground, more oxygen, less and less comfort
Doctor’s words were “Transplant patient’s don’t do well on life-support”
That was the explanation to my coaches and fans
But I’ve always been a believer in the word “CAN”
More battles ahead, some lost some won
Slowly but surely progress had begun
I was in a coma for 3½ weeks
August 23rd waking from my sleep
Out of ICU, then home and back on my feet
A long road, lots of obstacles on this street
Since leaving hospital in September ’99
I’ve been back many different times
Some as a Patient, some as a visitor
But none yet for a sleepover
It has been an incredible ride with many important lessons
But couldn’t have imagined what was on the horizon
My two early commitments are still the same
Share myself with everyone, and fight for every game
Today we are here to mark my medical Victory
As it is a special anniversary
I do want you to know that from the beginning
Medical science never determined my level of winning
I defined success on my own terms, in my own way
It all focused on making an impact on another’s day
If I could influence someone’s life positively
How could you call my experience anything but a Victory
I hope you have been able to take some positive
From my struggles that some feel are so negative
I have loved sharing with you as a group and individually
You all have contributed to my success incredibly
Today’s event is my opportunity to say thank you
For listening, advising, sharing and all that you do
It is has been a great gift our group connection
I hope you got as much as I, as that was my intention
Always…
Live Life. Love Life.
Geoff
