Dear Family, Friends, Co-workers, American Me, Associates, and even people on here whom never acknowledge my posts: In the recent few weeks, I have been enduring a very personal ordeal which I have chosen - with the exception of Family and a select few co-workers with whom I work on a daily basis - to keep private. I likely would have kept it that way until i deemed it necessary to publicize, however I have triumphed over adversity, and am now both truly elated, and extremely proud enough to let You know: I have beaten Cancer. On July 25th, the day after We had returned from Our summer vacation, I was diagnosed with a malignant tumour. Let it be known that this type of tumour was not caused by any bad habits, poor youthful lifestyle choices, or the like. This was simply misfortune. Exactly one week later, on August 1st, I had emergency surgery to have the tumour removed. A week after that, I had a barrage of CT scans to determine if the Cancer had spread beyond the tumour itself. This past Wednesday, August 13th - the day after Our 3rd Wedding Anniversary - I received the results. I was explicity pleased to hear that the scans were clean and I was Cancer-free!! To this date, I am still recovering from my surgery, but I am healing well and re-gaining my strength and energy daily. I would like to take this opportunity to thank my Beautiful Wife, Alyson Côté Foster, for not only being my steadfast supporter since my diagnosis, but also for her solace, her tenacity and her relentless provision of, and champion to my courage and resilience while We fought this battle together. Aly never failed to re-light the fire in my eyes when it had faded to merely ashes on many occasion in this time of desolation, helplessness, and veritable fear. A special thank You also, to those aware whom offered encouragement, compassion and motivation to Alyson and I as We journeyed down this dark path. I write to You today not to seek pity, nor charity, nor an outpouring of praise, but rather to inspire two positive actions: 1. Share in my joy by embracing life, and cherishing the trivial things You have and hold dear. Life, as understated to me, does truly not last forever. 2. Respect Your body, Your health, and the fact that we are only human. Respect the frailty of life and that unfortunate things may happen. Know that the little lump, bump, or odd feeling You may experience one day may require some more attention and should not be dismissed as something that will probably go away. That is what I thought, and if I had not pursued my curiosities through my physician (with much coersion from Aly), this message may not have been so delightful. As a final thought, and albeit an encouragement, I offer You this: Strengthen Your allies, settle Your feuds, re-kindle old friendships, and surround Yourself with positive people. In these past few weeks, there were times when I felt so lonely and isolated, and I feel this could have been lessened had I reached out, but frankly I wasnt sure I would garner support if I did. In fact, although I wanted to share my medical issues with those around me, I hesitated and refrained as I feared that many either would shy away as a result of the stigma of the illness, or perhaps even not really care. This is not saying that I feel any of You are horrible people, but believe me, when You go to a dark place - there isnt a lot of light. I feel this self-segregation is true in many an instance of fragility on our journeys, and I recognize now that we dont have to go it alone. Aly and I do not have many close friends, and have lost touch with many of those We did or do have due to time, locale, or simply lifestyle changes. We shall strive, moving forward, to re-commit to these ties, as relationships with friends and loved ones enrich us. I challenge everyone to re-establish their lost connections if and where possible for enrichment in Your own lives. No-one should have to feel alone - especially when in times when You need people the most, and unfortunately as we grow older, too many of us are not seeing those we care about until it is too late. We all have so much to offer, and the people we choose to not share our lives with are truly missing out. I am thankful for those in my life and regretful that that some of those bonds have weakened - by my own hand in some cases - throughout the years. Equally, I am sorry that I did not share my troubles with many of You sooner, but so very glad that I am able to share my wonderful news with You today. Thank You for taking the time to indulge me in this account of a dynamic chapter of my life. I look forward to re-connecting with You in the near future. Take care, D.
Posted on: Sat, 16 Aug 2014 21:44:42 +0000
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