11 Aug Preparing for the battle of your life

Many people have asked me why I stopped writing my blogs. I had written this blog, but did not have the heart to send it out. And the battle I describe below required every drop of energy I had.

Preparing for the battle of your life

On January 10 one phone call changed my family’s life forever. The doctor called and told my wife of 29 years Michele that she was diagnosed with advanced Esophageal Cancer. That call set off a chain reaction culminating in preparing for the battle of your life

The news was a shock for her, our family and all of our friends.

We have spent that next week in the wastelands of the medical system, all I can say is the system is great at wasting money, time and riddled with inefficiency and in my opinion unfixable. Especially now that the government is involved, one bureaucracy cannot fix another.

My take away is the only people who can drive the care Michele will need are ourselves. But even that is not enough. There is a critical skill needed in preparing for the battle of your life. It is having a nothing can beat me spirit. A shift happened that week. I went from being a realist to an optimist. Michele went from being an optimist to a realist.

One more shift is needed as we start chemo and radiation next week. Our family and friends all need to unite in creating a force field of optimism that smothers every cancer cell in her body generating a complete and lasting cure for Michele.

Winning against this particular form of cancer also requires more that medical skills. It requires a higher guiding force. This spiritual component is fueled by hope. All it requires is prayer and belief in miracles. I really have a hard time asking for help. These blogs have touched and helped many people. Now I need a favor.

It’s a simple request. Whether you are Jewish, Catholic, Muslim or Atheist.  Say a prayer for Michele. She has touched thousands with her generosity at Trader Joes and her involvement in the community and now she needs your help.

6 weeks of chemo and radiation are step one. The key medical step after that will be a complex and rare surgery to remove her esophagus and part of her stomach. We are just starting the search for the best and most experienced surgeons for this procedure.

Michele and I feel like we were in a bad dream, just wanting to wake up and have everything the same as it was 2 weeks ago, but that is not going to happen. You just learn to take each day and appreciate it, which is the hardest part for me. Life has thrown us a curve ball and we have to quickly learn to hit it for a home run.

Michele was on Caringbridge so everyone could follow her battle to beat this disease. I thank god everyday for preparing me for this battle by challenging me to grow and get in shape the last few years. I have to use all my strength to be Michele’s backbone, champion, cheerleader and partner especially on the days when she is worn out, tired and sick.

There is only one acceptable outcome to this disease – a complete cure.  That is the goal that will drive us from this second on.

Remarkable Recovery Porn

We went from this after chemo, radiation and surgery (in April)

To wearing her Trader Joe shirt as she started back to work a few months ago.

Where We Are Today

The last 9 months have been filled with tears (I cry everyday in my prayer for Michele’s lasting cure) to laughs (At one point Michele was so high on painkillers she asked who the 2 black midgets were in her room – They were 2 black garbage bags on the floor).

Michele is working out with my trainer (she didn’t do that when she was healthy), working full time and looks fantastic.

Without the unbelievable support of family and our good friends she would not be here today. Her surgeon Dr. Meredith in Madison is one of the best doctors I have ever met.

My only advice is if you have chronic heartburn get scoped even if your doctor says not too. Listening to her doctor almost killed Michele.

The only thing I ask for is continued prayers for a complete recovery.

So now everyone knows that preparing for the battle of your life is the reason I had to stop writing the last 9 months.