It has been a year and two months since my surgery. In that time I have been doing a lot of thinking about who I am and why I am here. I know this sounds cliche but it is true. In 2009 I was diagnosed with Gastric Adenocarcinoma, when I researched this everything I read was not promising. Outlooks and cures were not spectacular. I was only 37 years old and my doctors all said that this was extremely rare in men my age. Unfortunately in the two years that have passed this has changed greatly and it is becoming one of the most common forms of cancer in men my age range. In April of last year I underwent a complete Gastric Resection at Penn State Hershey Medical center. I count my blessings every day. They have given me a second chance at life.
Each day I am challenged to do something with this gift. I originally started this blog with the intention of capturing my thoughts and experiences while going through my Chemo and Radiation treatments. As I typed up my posts I began to realize that I did not want the cancer to define me. Yes it was a turning point in my life but cancer is not life. So I shelved the idea of the blog. Now I realize, I need to finish what I started... however this will be the last post that I devote to my cancer.
In the coming weeks this blog will be devoted to the question that we all face... Finding my way. "Life is a journey, not a destination" (Steven Tyler). That is what I want this blog to be a reflection of my journey.
