Do I have an Aunt Bev? No. So why is this Blog Post titled as it is? It is merely meant to represent the idea that my blog is for any reader, whether they are members of my own family or otherwise. Whether they have a critical illness or not. Whether they are literate or not. Ok, well, that last one is a bit of a stretch. My point is that when I began this blog (back in December of 2010) the purpose of it was to inform all of those I knew about my medical situation and give them all of the updates as I learned about them. It was a method that was easier than mass texts and/or emails, however it has become more than just that, as people have told me over time that they have read my blog and gained insights from it they might not have otherwise. Often these people are individuals I had never met (and possibly might never have otherwise). So to the Aunt Bevs of the world I say this blog is for you. I can't say I have answers to all of the questions you may have, as I've not yet found answers to all of the questions I have had myself (and I'm the guy writing this thing)! Before I start to ramble incessantly I should start a new paragraph.
What do terminal illnesses, termites, and extra-terrestrial beings have in common? If you said the letter "T", "They're all hard to get rid of", or "I know very little about them", give yourself partial credit. The correct answer is: "They're not the end of the world!!!" Sure, that movie "Mars Attacks!" might have given you reason to doubt me, and those of you who've suffered insect infestations in their home at one point felt like "there was no end in sight". Let me ask you this: Did Richie and his grandmother not stop the alien invasion and receive the Congressional Medal of Honor from Taffy? To those of you trying to sell your homes, did you not finally get rid of those pesky little insects from your floorboards & between the drywall in your home? Sure most of the American government might have died in the process, and you might not have been able to do it without a visit or two from Poulin's Pest Control... but there is always a way!
When cooking any quality meal a good chef knows it only takes a basic set of culinary skills, upon which a simple set of ingredients can create a delicious meal. I have no culinary skills (as my wife can attest) in the kitchen of our apartment, however in the "kitchen of life" (I'm deep like that) I have one key ingredient that (like butter) can only stand to make any dish better... hope! I have ample amounts of hope and I keep it everywhere. I use so much of it I believe I may single handedly affect the commodity price of it worldwide. BUT WAIT! You are a good economist and know that a commodity price would only be affected as such if it were available in LIMITED QUANTITIES! Hope is LIMITLESS, and thus always free! So go for it everyone, use as much as you want and don't worry about inflating the price of it on the world markets :)
I can assure the average reader I was this crazy BEFORE my brain surgery December 2010... just ask my wife! My point is this: "There is always light at the end of the tunnel". This is a phrase my Dad said only about 832 times a day when I was growing up. He had a habit of repeating himself quite a bit. While repetitive, his words were nonetheless ones of wisdom, and certainly words to live by. It simply means there is always hope. No matter how bad things appear to be there is ALWAYS hope. Should I find myself back in a hospital bed hooked up to all kinds of IVs in immense pain, I will know that there is still hope. As long as I have my wife Nicole by my side to remind me of that I shall never give up that hope. That shall be today's second lesson of the day. Have someone who you can turn to that can remind you of that hope and tell you to "be strong" when you might need that reminder more than ever. It isn't weakness to rely on others to keep you strong. It's just being smart. There have been times I haven't been able to do things on my own in these past few years, and it has been those times that I've had a person as amazing as my wife to be my strength and push me to continue on. Even when she doesn't realize it she motivates me to stay as strong as I can. <I'm going to get a little mushy / sappy here so the romantic-averse can stop reading here>...
Being able to spend each day with her is a gift unto itself. Losing even a single day of that breaks my heart just to think of. Keeping to my diet, remaining mentally and emotionally strong, and hoping for that day that a cure for my illness will come keeps me here each day to ensure I don't give up the fight before that time comes. Will there come a time when they find answers to treating my type of brain cancer? I'm almost positive there will be. Will that time be tomorrow or two hundred years from now? I have no way of knowing. What I do know is that if I give up tomorrow the answer matters not. Should I fight on and the answers come while I'm still alive and here... then the fight was worth fighting. Should I find myself alive in ten years with no answer on the table having the ability to look back at ten great years spent fighting that fight with my wife by my side will it have been any less worth it? I should think not.
So whether you are facing Glioblastoma Multiforme, any other Brain Tumour, a sprained ankle, or simply a coffee with a bitter aftertaste... remember: there is always HOPE! They may find a cure, be able to do surgery, put you in a cast, or offer you some sort of coffee whitener or cream. Hope is never lost, and so long as you hang on to it life can take you to some pretty fun places along the way. I can say that because I'm an old man now! Booya! Who has two thumbs, just turned 29, and wasn't expected to live much past his 27th birthday? "THIS GUY" {Points at self with thumbs} Happy almost Friday everyone!
Cheers! :)
--
Tom
