This year, Thanksgiving will find me more grateful than ever. I am here. I get to watch my kids grow up and participate in their lives. The hurt and anger of relationships gone wrong is subsiding. My heart is healing. The side effects from my stem cell transplant are evolving away. My taste buds, after about a year's hiatus, are returning. My skin is clearing. My hair is thinning less frequently. I am hoping the issue with my eyes also goes away...soon. I am surrounded by family and friends who matter and love me. I get to speak to fellow patients and survivors and encourage them along their journey. I am growing in my faith and understanding of God - without whom I could never have achieved any of this. I count among my friends some of the nurses and staff who helped me in my journey to beat cancer, including Beth Chapin (who looked me in the eye and cried w me during my first biopsy), Mary Peterson (who was a bad ass mama bear/patient advocate, fighting for and educating me along the way), and Stacey Hayduke (the best people ice packer, shoulder to cry on and generally keeping you healthy so the toxic cocktail can do its job). And I am grateful to have the continued opportunity to get to know my donor, Katrin, whose cell donation saved my life.
I pray you have much to be grateful for, too. Happy Thanksgiving everyone!
