Perspective
2003-09-25

This email from an old friend was in my inbox this morning...

Subject: My battle with Lymphoma

1st the Good news:I've been home 3 weeks, my bone marrow is still mushing

along, and I had some red blood cell and platelet transfusions last

Monday.

Except for fatigue, lack of strength, and sensitive stomach, I feel pretty

good.

Now the Bad news: (I knew I should have got rid of this section): My

Lymphoma has already returned!!!!

The type of lymphoma that I have (Burkitt's Like) is wildly aggressive,

typically is killed by the chemo that I endured, but mine appears to be

one of the rare subset that is resistant to chemo. Our only hope/strategy is to try to contain/control it with a variety and drugs and chemo to buy me

some life time. The prognosis is 2 to 8 months until the cancer overcomes this

strategy and kills me............

We have some thoughts and will be working to try to extend the "months" to years, but only time will tell.

We found this out Friday morning: Joan and I were very depressed, distraught, etc etc..... Friday and Saturday morning, but a sail with a good old friend (Chuck Saccardo) on beautiful Saturday afternoon. On Sunday, with some help from a good new friend (Norb Rattay) who helped carry my dinghy to the beach, Joan and I had a wonderful time on the water on beautiful Sunday....but it's obviously difficult not to get into the "black hole" of depression. After the Giant's foot ball (they had a 21- 3 lead which they let go to a tie game, but then proceeded to win it in overtime), I called my son and said if the Giants could blow it when they had good prognosis to win, and then proceed to overcome diversity and win at the end, then so can I......

Now I need a miracle.........Pray for one.

Kind of puts all the day to day disappointments in perspective huh? Bad jobs, lack of money, petty squabbles, all seem pretty minor compared to what could be happening in our lives. Take a minute to give thanks, and then maybe take another and say a prayer for Russ. He's a good guy, who deserves better.

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