Week Six Cancer Treatment: Enjoy Every Sandwich

It's Thanksgiving and the end of week six of seven cancer treatments.

I'm thankful for:
My wife Rita, who has been steadfast through all of my challenges. Resolute. She's my everything.

That my side effects haven't been as severe as I was warned they might be, and still could be.

I'm thankful for all the people, friends, family, and colleagues who have been supportive.
It's been hard to accept this outpouring of support. It's been emotionally overwhelming. I really didn't expect to receive this much. I'm not the most outgoing person, so this has been humbling. And that's ok.

Gratitude is something I value. My entire working career has ultimately been in the service of others. Sure, in my retail and consulting careers, it's an obvious transaction. In Higher Ed, the service was more noble. Regardless, it's always appreciated to hear "Thank you." But this is different- an outpouring of support and encouragement by people from all across my life. Truly humbling. I can't say thank you enough.

And the words of encouragement have come serendipitously at just the right moments and from the right people. Amazing.

The staff at the Cowell Cancer Center has all been phenomenal. Caring and compassionate is just the beginning. Many of the staff are themselves Cancer survivors. The empathy is genuine. The caring is real. I'm so lucky to have this amazing group of people just a few minutes from home. I can't imagine the daily struggles other patients must endure, driving hours each day to receive treatment, especially in winter.

While I didn't have anything resembling a traditional Thanksgiving, I am thankful for he blessing that I have. I'm also looking forward to some very simple things once I'm able again, like eating solid food. Warren Zevon's advice, "Enjoy every sandwich," hits home.