#Crushit The Light of A Clear Blue Morning

  It’s time to put an exclamation point on this fight against cancer.  So many people have joined me on this journey so far and I am truly grateful for the support. THANK YOU.

 Today I am ready to #crushit! for everyone who has fought and will fight! I’m riding 100 miles along with 8000 others who will raise $12+ Million this year to find cures and treatments.

I have fought cancer for 8 months and while I am cancer free, I’ll fight just as hard today as I did this past 8 months because the hope of a clear blue morning on the other side of a diagnosis is all part of crushing it!

Fight Cancer Today. Donate Now!

Cancer Sucks

  I thought  I would share this note I received today from a great friend. Cancer touches many people and on many days this past 8 months I have been blessed to receive notes like this one that both remind me that I am not alone, that many have battled, and we are all in this fight together.

#CrushParty

Awesome Pic from the crew at 62 today, helping me celebrate the end of chemotherapy at 3:30PM. So many people have given me their support and this crew in particular has greeted me with smiles and encouragement at the office everyday these past 6 months. They are a special group of caring individuals. I am blessed to work with  such great people.

    

3.5 Hours To Go – Reflection “Thank You Spotify”

Over the last few eight months, a constant companion has been a series of playlists on Spotify. One called #crushit, is my creation. Another,#inducingapoptosis is the creation of an incredible friend, Brian Basil who has been a constant source of positive energy and optimism.  And, a prefab play list from Spotify called Zen.

As I lay on the gurney getting ready for my first surgery, I put on Zen to calm my nerves and focus my energy on getting well. This playlist served me well through both surgeries, and restless nights in the hospital as well as at home.

#crushit and #inducingapoptosis are filled with songs that keep me focused on the prize, on #crushingit and looking foreword to a future beyond this inconvenient and temporary scourge.

Certain songs and lyrics stood out . . .

December was a particularly tough month, and the song form Alison Krauss, “Get Me Through December” comforted me.

Get me through December
A promise I’ll remember
Get me through December
So I can start again

In March, as the accumulating chemotherapy grew tougher and tougher to weather I adopted Rachel Platten’s “Fight Song” to help me stay focused and remind me I can get through this.

This is my fight song
Take back my life song
Prove I’m alright song
My power’s turned on
Starting right now I’ll be strong

In May, as the end came into view, my constant refrain became “The Light of A Clear Blue Morning,” a Dolly Parton song that the UAHS Vocal Ensemble beautifully performed during their Spring Concert.

It’s been a long dark night
And I’ve been a waitin’ for the morning
It’s been a long hard fight
But I see a brand new day a dawning
I’ve been looking for the sunshine
‘Cause I ain’t seen it in so long
But everything’s gonna work out just fine
Everything’s gonna be all right
That’s been all wrong

‘Cause I can see the light of a clear blue morning
I can see the light of a brand new day
I can see the light of a clear blue morning
And everything’s gonna be all right
It’s gonna be okay

19:00:00 To Go Until DONE; Reflection – ” I’m not giving up, I’ve got too much to live for . . .”

We have 19:00:00 to go until I”m officially disconnected from chemotherapy.  Today I reflected on words Heather’s co-worker Carrie Best shared with her in early November. Carrie is a true cancer warrior and you can read about her story here. It is a miraculous cancer story and it is the definition of determination!

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Carrie Best

One evening shortly after my diagnosis, Heather and I were preparing dinner and I asked her about Carrie and her situation.  Carrie had been treated by the James initially for a rare and aggressive cancer, Merkel Cell Carcinoma. She had reached a point in her battle where standard care had failed and she was faced with experimentation.  It is fare to say that Carrie faced the reality that her options were few, unproven and that her time might be limited.  I asked Heather that evening, “what does Carrie have to say about her situation” and Heather replied in a very matter-of-fact manner, “Carrie says I’m not giving up, I’ve got too much to live for, I am going to see my kids grow up.”

These words, “I’ve got too much to live for . . .” are with me everyday and if you read Carrie’s story you will understand how important those words can be to #crushingit.