It’s been a year like no other. One year ago, on October 4, 2016, my eye became sore and by the end of the week, I was in surgery having a brain tumour removed. On October 23, 2016, my surgeon called us at home to inform us that it was in fact cancer. October 2016 is a month that I will never forget.
So much has happened in this last year, it’s quite overwhelming to think about. I’m not the same person I was both physically and emotionally. Physically, the cancer and drugs have done a number on my body. At one point I had lost 35 pounds and a full 3 inches of height. There are the physical side effects brought on by the hormone medications, as well as the back issues related to the spinal compression fracture.
My personality and emotions have also been deeply affected. Kathryn is likely the best witness to this, seeing this roller coaster ride day in and day out for more than a year now. I believe the drugs have had some sort of cumulative effect. I’m definitely not as easy going as I used to be, as was evident a few weeks back when I began screaming at a group of University students who were riding their bicycles on a busy sidewalk, with a bike lane only inches away on the road. This is something that I would usually just ignore and brush off.
I’m inspired by Michael J. Fox’s amazing book "Always Looking Up" about his battle with Parkinson’s disease, and one particular quote resonates:
“For everything this disease has taken, something of greater value has been given”.
I feel the same way today about my disease and what has happened to me. Yes there have been so many terrifying moments, shocking days, seemingly never-ending weeks of pain and discomfort, but amazingly, so much good has come out of this.
I wish I could describe to you how I feel at this particular moment. The pure joy of simply breathing and being alive is so exhilarating and euphoric, it’s something that I wish I was able to fully experience before I got sick. I wish it was something that everyone could experience every day regardless of your age or health situation. Also, the overwhelming sense of love and friendship that I've experienced through friends and family over the past year. These things are all positive "side effects" - gifts that must be fully appreciated.
This past weekend, we spent Thanksgiving with both sets of families: Kathryn’s family from Montreal came out to our cottage in Prince Edward County, and yesterday we were at my sister Sue’s house in Richmond Hill with her and husband entire Angelo’s family. Two huge family get-togethers and both were just amazing! We had so much fun this weekend, and it was the perfect way to give thanks for what we have, particularly since it was the one year anniversary of the “cancellation” of the 2016 Thanksgiving weekend as a result of my surgery.
Life is good!
My beautiful boy
