Your cancer sucks too

I know the blog is MyCancerSucks but I am not so arrogant as to think that your cancer does not suck too.  In some ways, my cancer is a great deal (if one has to have cancer).  It grows relatively slowly and there are many treatments to beat it back some when it does start to grow.  There are the annoying side affects of explosive diarrhea, flushing, the occasional surgery and, not to mention, the 19 gauge intra-muscular shots that I get every three weeks.

Other cancers can be extremely aggressive, leading to death within just a few short months of diagnosis.  Other cancers have treatment options that are incredibly debilitating, making my shots look like a walk in the park.  Every three weeks, I go to the infusion room to get my shot and I see so many other people who have lost all their hair, have wasted away, or need aid just staying on their feet and I feel fortunate.

When I was diagnosed just 10 years ago, my wildest dreams were to see at least one of my kids get to high school and live long enough for my then 6 month old son to remember me.  It is now 10 years later and I get to

• watch my oldest son play soccer for the JV team (and get pulled up to the Varsity team on Tuesday)
• see my youngest son be a leader on his soccer team, fish all day long, and beat me in the first 5k that I have ever completely run
• show my daughter the joy that is all the bump runs at Mary Jane, watching her leave me behind on Outhouse and Drunken Frenchman
• see my wife graduate with a culinary arts degree and cook me some of the best food a cancer tolerator could hope for
• Win a pair of All Tournament Goalie trophies

I want more.  I want to teach my kids to drive.  I want to see them off to college.  I want to purchase that retirement condo with my wife and work on the Ski Patrol at Winter Park all winter long.