March 9, 2006 - 6 Years!
Hi Everyone,
Happy 6-Year Anniversary! Where does the time go? Six years ago today -- this very day,
Thursday -- Dave had his transplant.
A couple of people asked me today, "So how's he doing?" He's doing great! We were talking
about it last night, and aside from occasional muscle cramps, bone pain and joint stiffness, he's
fine. All things considered, his quality of life (that's a post-cancer treatment term for those of you
not familiarwith it) is very good. There's really nothing he can't do.
We read about people who are who are unable to work or care for their families because they
suffer from long-term side effects -- graft vs. host disease, debilitating neuropathy, etc. -- or who
are on various drugs to help them deal with these effects (which often cause more side effects),
and Dave realizes just how fortunate he is to be in such good health.
He's spent the past year concentrating on survivor issues and volunteering his time with the American Cancer Society, The Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, various cancer groups and coalitions here in Vermont, and perhaps the most rewarding of all, time at the hematology/oncology clinic at the local hospital. He helps out in the infusion room -- the place where people get their chemotherapy treatments. He gets people blankets, magazines, coffee, water, sandwiches, or whatever else they might need, and sometimes he just sits and talks with them. They often ask
why he volunteers there. He tells them he's a cancer survivor and what his journey was like, and they suddenly warm up to him and tell him about their disease. He gives them hope. Here is a
real person who has survived cancer. It's been so rewarding for him. It's the best way he knows
to give back, to repay the kindnessshown to us when he was sick.
For the next 3 months, he'll be filling in as the director of Hope Lodge, the local home-away-from-home for cancer patients and their families who are in the area for treatment. He's been going in
for the past couple of weeks to learn the ropes (the current director will be going on maternity
leave any day now), and met a young man who had a stem cell transplant just last week. He's
really looking forward to meeting the folks who will be staying there.
And to go along with his good health, he's busier than every, including working tonight. But he planned to spend the day celebrating any way he could.
We hope each of you, too, will celebrate your life, for we only have one chance to pass this way -- we have to make the most of each day.
Take care,
Allison and Dave