My Journey

My 6 year journey battling Acute Myloid Lukemia Flt3 ITd, a deadly rare form of Leukemia with a survival rate of 8-10%. My younger brother died suddenly 2 weeks earlier of sepsis. Over 250 days in the hospital long stays. 280 hrs of IV Chemo. 45 days of Oral chemo. 40 hrs of dialysis. Bone marrow transplant. 5 near death experiences. Encephalitis of the brain, 3 severe bouts of GVHD, Rejection of the bone marrow transplant. Paralysis of left leg from knee down for 2 years. Heart failure, Liver damage, Kidney Damage, 2 heart attacks, 2 back surgeries, wound care for 6 months. Most of the glands in my body are damaged or destroyed. Tears, Saliva, Sweat, Adrenal glands all damaged. Esophagus. Spent over 5000 hrs of therapy trying to walk again. Daily maintenance. 18 pills a day, 4 sets of eye drops 4 times a day, nasal flush, 4 sets of nasal spray just to exist. After all this I feel like I’m the luckiest man in the world. Always a positive, No quit attitude. My renewed Journey of faith. I’m truly blessed.

Reflections on Faith and Blessings

During my journey, I never questioned God or asked why. I thought, "If you don’t question the daily blessings of your life you can’t question the hard stuff." Along the way, conversations and circumstances with strangers, seemingly random, turned into faith-based conversations that were life-changing for them and myself. When they first started happening, I thought it was strange, but gave you a nice feeling. With subsequent conversations, they were getting more profound and the odds of the people I met, the connections, were too great to be random. Miracles. The ripple effect of these conversations would emotionally shake you to your core. Truly examples of the power of prayer and God.

Today and Lessons Learned

Today, 6 years later, I look very healthy and fit to most outsiders. I still have hours of daily maintenance to make it through my day. I counsel many people as well as cancer patients and families on their journey. I am truly blessed to be with you. The big lesson: Time is the most important thing. Don’t waste it. Be aligned, not conflicted, with your faith and your actions. Spend it with people you love, family, and friends. It’s really all you have. From the beginning to the next beginning. God bless you.