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Who am I? Prior to my diagnosis of Multiple Myeloma, I had an identity. I was a business owner, a volunteer, an author, an announcer, a husband, a father, and more titles could be added to that list. But after my diagnosis it seemed as if I was just ‘the guy with cancer’.
I could hear the whispers and see the stares at meetings and social events as people whispered, “he has cancer.” That is not who I am, and let’s be clear, cancer does not define me, or who I am. I won’t let it.
I’ve since been in remission for two years, and unless you knew my history, you’d never guess I had cancer.
I prefer the term 'cancer thriver.' After undergoing chemo, surgery, and a stem cell transplant, I worked hard to reclaim my strength—and now I feel better than ever. But I have been told my cancer will return someday (hopefully a long time from now) and I will have to fight it again, which I will. This knowledge is like having a little gray cloud following me around. Some days it is far off in the distance as I do not think about cancer, and other days it is all consuming. Go away, cloud.
A reporter once asked me, “If I looked up your Wikipedia page, what would it say about you?” It made me realize I have more to do, much more. I’m looking at life through a different lens now. I appreciate everything more because I know how close I was to not being here to enjoy any of it, and I’m grateful for any time I have, hopefully many more years. When I was initially diagnosed, I thought of all that I had accomplished in my life up to that point, and I was proud of what I had done. But I also thought of everything I felt I had yet to do.
As a cancer thriver, I know one thing, “I’m Not Done Yet.”
