Latest News for the Month of
April 2008
Another month gone for 2008 and a brand new month has started. And this month marks a milestone in my life. On April 4th, I will have been alive for half a century. I cannot believe I have made it to the 50 year mark. To be honest, I never expected to live this long with this disease. The prognosis at the time of my diagnosis was just a few years, and here I have been fighting the battle since 1999. Just amazing. I can contribute some of this to excellent doctors, and especially my good friend, Doctor and medical confidant, Andy Brockmyre. He has worked tirelessly to keep me out of the woods medically and been there for me as a friend. I am extremely lucky to have such an awesome Doctor looking after me.
But I would be amiss to not include my dear wife Allycat, my kids and my family ( and her family too ) who have supported me from day one. Without their love, understanding and support, I doubt I could have fought this long and survived.
Of course my thanks and appreciation doesn't stop there. All of you have had such a major impact on my life by always being their for me with your love and support. I just wanted to take this time to say thank you, because without all of you, this battle would have been a very hard fight. Much harder then it has been.
I always seem to get sentimental on my birthdays. And this one is no different. I look back on my life and wonder where in the heck has all the time gone to ? I think what ages me is my kids. I see them grow, mature, get older and go through all the stages in life that I went through. Of course I look at the pictures of my granddaughter and I then realize just how quick life moves forward. This year has been a huge year for me and its only starting. In 2008, Lindy turned 30 and Natalia turned 26. This year Ally and I will have been married for 10 years. And this year ( and this month ) marks the 9th anniversary of the diagnosis of my disease. The prognosis was that I had 5 years left to live. I pushed through, survived a number of strokes, bone marrow failure and went 6 years - then 7 - then 8 and now 9 years. I am proud of the fact that I made all my oncologists liars. :)
I will never forget when talking with a close friend of mine, Bo Peng and he told me " I am not worried about you. Your one tough SOB, your a fighter and your stubborn. You will probably outlive us all. " Hearing those words lit a fire inside me and I have been on a mission ever since. Bo help me realize that I can beat this thing.
Recently, I sat down and made out my own " Bucket List ". For those of you not familiar with a bucket list, its a list of things you want to do before you " Kick the Bucket ". I do not mind sharing my list with all of you here.
1.) I want to fly a North American T-6 aircraft ( click here )
2.) I want to ride the entire Blue Ridge Parkway on my motorcycle
3.) I want to tour New Zeeland in an RV
4.) I want to visit Fiji and experience the Polynesian culture
5.) I want to tour a few of the mountain villages in China
6. ) I want to see the Phantom of the Opera one last time on Broadway
7. ) I would like to take a hot air balloon ride
8.) I would like to own a completely restored classic car instead of one I have to work my guts out on
9.) I would like to visit Coughton Court ( the Throgmartin ancestral home ) again with both of my kids and Ally by my side
10.) I want to live long enough to watch my Granddaughter graduate from High School
There you have it, my " bucket list ". Some of those items I hope I can accomplish, others may never happen because of the costs. But either way, it gives me something to shoot for. These are more along the lines of are dreams I hold and of course personal accomplishments.:)
On the medical front, I am still injecting that nasty chemo drug. I have my good days and my bad days, but I am getting by and trying to get through the bone marrow pain and the sickness. I had a bad spell with my kidneys and was in severe pain, but got that cleared up. It seems to happen every time I get on Interferon, it beats the daylights out of my kidneys and they take a big pounding. It seems that every new treatment regiment adds more intolerance with the drug. My body, instead of getting used to it appears to be revolting even more then before. I plan on staying on the latest Interferon regiment till June then take a break in preparation for our big trip out west.
Overall, I have been doing OK. I wished I could ride more as I miss being on Mojo, but despite not feeling well enough to ride most days I am trying to stay positive and keep my attitude going in the right direction. I will admit, it gets damn hard sometimes, but I carry on and move forward. There is no future wallowing in self pity, so I leave that crap behind and carry on with a smile on my face. Of course it sure helps getting your e-mails, phone calls and your support. Thanks gang for all you have done for me.
Here's to a great month. I hope yours is filled with great moments and memories. Remember, life is a gift, so get your backside out there and enjoy it. Smile, laugh and live today like its your last.
Sending my very best to all of you,
Chris
You can view the birthday photos by ( clicking here )
Keep up to date on the latest photos ( by clicking here )