There is a tradition that when you finish cancer treatment you ring a bell in the infusion area before you leave so that others undergoing treatment know there is an ending and also a new beginning for life after cancer. I was so fortunate to be able to ring that bell…and I was so ready to answer it! I owe that to the care and treatment I received at Dana Farber.
Looking back over these past 2 years I am filled with such emotions. I am eternally grateful to have been able to achieve remission and to have this past year to rebuild my life. I would love nothing more than to be able to say we have returned to our lives as they were before cancer…however that’s not really the whole story and I wouldn’t be honest if I said I had gone back to my life as it was before Hodgkin’s invaded our lives.
Over the last year I’ve learned that there really isn’t any “going back”. Sometimes when things go wrong there is no way to put them back the way they were before. Things, and people, are forever changed. There is only a new normal. Along with that realization comes a certain sadness and longing for the “innocence” of my life before cancer.
Cancer has taken so much from me and my family. It stole my health and strength and it robbed me of my peace and security. The long-term physical and emotional damage that cancer inflicted on Vicki and I will last for the rest of our lives. But the people and the friendships formed since my first diagnosis 6 years ago has been an unforeseen gift.
Finally…I am one year out and still in remission I am very thankful for my life!!! I still have awesome days and less than awesome days. Now the awesome days far outweigh the difficult ones. This life may be chaotic, difficult and mysterious, but I am thrilled to be here to participate in it.
My hemo oncology team at Dana Farber has managed to keep me alive with dual leukemia and lymphoma diagnosis! Their attitude and approach each day make the worst of times so much better. It takes a special kind of person to work in oncology and these people are as special as they come. It's their job, yes but more than that, it's their passion. Recently we have found out the my CLL has returned but I am confident that my team at Dana Farber will manage that as well with one of the many new treatments that have been approved by the FDA over the last few years due in large part to research done by and with Dana Farber. I can attest to the many benefits the PMC has provided over the years. I am Living Proof!
I am riding in the Wellesley to Wellesley 50 mile PMC this year to raise funds for Dana Farber in honor and in memory of too many friends and family to name. Please consider a donation of ANY amount. Small donations add up to saving lives.
I'm a proud supporter of the PMC because it is leading a charge to beat cancer. In fact, last year 100% of rider-raised revenue went directly to support the Jimmy Fund and Dana-Farber Cancer Institute's tireless commitment to finding a cure.
