Rise Above

So we are back from Paris, and what an incredible trip it was in so many ways. From the point of view of our anniversary trip, it was romantic and just as special as a 25th anniversary should be! From a health perspective, there were NO issues for me on this trip. No pain, no digestion problems (even though we ate just about everything there was to eat in Paris), no blood related issues… As a matter of fact, for the first time since my early remission in January, I felt as though there was no disease at all in my body. Perhaps we should have stayed there! Anyhow, if you want to see any of the pictures from our trip, check out our April in Paris web site here.

cloudsAs we were flying home, however, all I could think about was returning, not to work or routine, but back to cancer and chemo. The contrast from feeling so good, and knowing that in just two days they’d have me back on therapy, was so hard to wrap my head around.

Then a thought came to mind as were flying. The pilot on our flight talked about a wintery mix of weather on the ground, but we were flying above the clouds where the sun shone bright. As I thought about it, for the last 10 days in Paris I had no anguish over the disease at all. The busyness of the trip…. good food… good company… sights to see… They all helped me to rise above my condition… just like the plane was rising above the terrible weather to where all was sunny and bright.

As we flew above the clouds I thought, “How can I keep rising above all this so life can continue to be enjoyed?” Because as most cancer patients would agree, I hate chemo and the terrible things it does to your body while it tries to fight the cancer cells.

As much as I would love to just quit treatments, I do know that without it, I’d be on a short path to where planes can’t fly. And with it, I was able to enjoy Paris, travel to North Conway this past January, be with my wife and children, and look forward to meeting up with Josh and Nicole when they finish the Appalachian Trail in the Fall. These things I CAN do, and knowing that helps make the treatment understandable, even if it is not so easy to bear.

I also owe many thanks for all the prayers that have been offered up. They have made a difference!

One bit of good news from my doctor visit today… Paris food and all the walking we did seems to have been a huge boost to my platelet counts. I hit 98 on the blood test today! Though still lower than normal, that’s the highest my count has been since last winter when the cancer was virtually undetectable, and it’s nearly twice where it was just before departing to Europe just two weeks ago. Even more important, crossing the 100 mark would open the door to a much wider selection of treatment plans through clinical trials. Two weeks of vacation and I’m so much closer!

So all I know is this… if they start having problems with my platelet counts again, we’re heading back to Paris!

2 Comments

  • mandy

    05/03/2016

    AWESOME NEWS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Love you and love that you and Christy had such a fantastic trip. I can see by your news it was good for the mind body and soul!!!!

    Reply
  • Bernie Plimpton

    05/03/2016

    Hello again! It looks like God is working in your life my friend! of that we are very grateful! May God continue to bless you and Christy. BP

    Reply

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