Today is the longest day of the year and marks the beginning of summer.  It also marks the ninth anniversary of my last day of chemotherapy.  Nine years ago in April, I was diagnosed with Embroynal Carcinoma – at least the beginnings of the diagnosis had begun.  It wasn’t until after a surgery and sectioning of my tumour that the final diagnosis was made.  I remember very clearly sitting on the phone with my doctor quietly asking if it, “Was the BIG C”.  He declined to answer and asked me to come into the office.  On that first shot, the diagnosis was massively screwed up leaving me for quite a few days wondering why this tumour wasn’t being excised as it grew larger and larger. 

It was a physicians assistant, almost a week later after my left testicle had grown in size by 1/3 that got me into see a lab technician – and fast.  I remember clearly that she had blond dreads, was very gentle, and was extremely professional about how she handled a delicate subject.

Within a couple of days after that I was in to see a urologist and onto surgery.  I insisted on the earliest possible time slot declaring, “I just want this out of me.”

About six months ago, my brother tagged me in a "Virtual Cocktail Party" where the participants disclose five little known details about themselves. Mine were:

1. I worked in a wine shop
2. I fell into technology by accident
3. I met my wife online on LambdaMOO
4. I love to cook
5. I am a cancer survivor

Tomorrow is the seventh anniversary of my completing chemotherapy. In the period between late April and late June I had pretty much been through the wringer.

1. I had surgery through my abdomen
2. I had a groshong® catheter implanted in my chest with a tube down just above my heart
3. Through the catheter I took Bleomycin, Etopiside, and Platinol in a grueling regimen that had me lose my hair.

The experience was profound and life changing. You will often hear from survivors that, in retrospect, the experience was one of the most positive experiences they have ever had. I share that sentiment. I learned a great deal about myself and others around me. My relationships became deeper. My sense of self changed.

To bring this into the realm of NPT, while I sat in the chair at the oncologists office, at home at a table on my back patio, and at the dinner table I quietly coded on a laptop, called programmers, and put together WritersRegister.

So, tonight I raise a beer and toast the people who helped heal me.

Thanks. I mean it.

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