Merry Christmas

Every once in a while, something happens that stops me dead in my tracks. Today, when I got home from the last of my last minute shopping, and finished up my wrapping, I decided to lay down for a nap. I've been running pretty hard lately and can feel myself wearing out. However, before crawling into bed, I decided to check my email. And that's when it happened.

I received an email from someone I didn't know with the subject line, "fellow cancer survivor...." I won't disclose her name because I don't have permission to, but the email blew me away. She told me she was diagnosed with Hodgkin's Lymphoma at the end of the summer and underwent chemotherapy. In her November followup, she had already relapsed and is preparing to undergo an autologus stem cell transplant. She was looking up BEAM chemotherapy on the internet and ran across this blog.

After reading the blog, she wrote to say thank you for sharing as I went through the process and could I answer a few questions for her about the treatment. I responded with my best answers and told her she was in my prayers.

What blew me away was that, for just a moment, I realized that although my fight is over for the time being, for so many it continues regardless of the holiday season. Cancer doesn't care about Christmas or Haunnaka(I think that's spelled wrong, I apologize), it doesn't care about glad tidings or caroling in the snow. But the patients who face it do, and because of the cancer I would venture to say most are probably like me and know that the carolling, the good wishes, the glad tidings are more valuable gifts than any under any tree.

For that reminder, I will always be grateful for the fellow cancer survivor who reached out to me on the eve of her treatment to ask a few simple questions. She's got a great chance. She's young, strong and full of hope, and this Christmas, she's in at least my prayers as well.

So in the midst of all the pagentry and regalia that go on during this wonderful season of love and forgiveness, pause for a moment and see what the true value of the season is to you. To me, it's a simple, wonderful opportunity to share the preciousness of life with those who are closest to me, and to be grateful for the opportunity to be alive.

Best of luck to you Fellow Cancer Survivor, and Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays and Happy, Healthy New Year to all.

Much love,

Travis