I wrote my last update last year (sounds long time ago but it was on 31 Dec. 2008).
Can you guess the motivation of this blog’s title?
I wrote it on 20 Jan. 2009:
Today was a great day. Like many around the world I was glued to the TV with excitement and amazement watching the inauguration of the new president - Obama.
I am not naive: it is not going to be easy, fast and pain-free. There is always politics and hard realities that spoil our best hopes.
Yet, it is with envy that I watched the way in which this great democracy works. I am not just talking about the smooth transition, which is a novel idea in many countries. Once the elections were over, Americans have a new president and so many give him a grace period and wish him and them luck and success. The level of optimism, renewal and hope is not just because of the contrast vis-à-vis Bush, but also because of the new president himself. His ability to talk so well, picking a very good team and being what he is – transmits hope. Future will tell. The issues are daunting and challenging. For today, the sense of unity and hope is something that I wish everyone should hope for, not just in America.
Hope is what people need, myself included. Without a hope, what’s the point?
On this historic day, together with many around the world, I asserted to myself my hope and conviction that I am going to succeed in my personal battle. I just got into the mood and felt very good about it.
While the Obama festival took place in Washington DC, I started my cycle-4 treatment at Dana Farber in Boston (my second home for twice a week). The first day of every cycle is long and tough with multiple chemotherapies for 5-6 hours.
In a sharp contrast: as the “bad-stuff” was flowing into my veins, I felt good, excited and hopeful. I watched TV together with some 30 patients and the medical staff. Everyone was so quiet, smiling, serious and with tears of joy. The nurses were a bit “dangerous” today. They walked among the patients looking at the many TVs and almost tipping over at times. After the inauguration everyone talked. I looked at the room and saw a cross section of society: men, women, young, old, white, black, Latino, oriental – a real life cocktail. There were a few hard core republicans who gracefully praised the new president and wished him and all of us success. The sense of unity may be short lived (I hope not) but at least it was there.
This brings me to another aspect of hope. During every beginning of a treatment cycle I am tested for progress. In the past two cycles I reported a positive progress. Yet this is not guaranteed to continue. Waiting for the test results is the hard part even for me.
This part was written 2 days later on 22 Jan. 2009:
Usually I call 24 hours after the test and get the results over the phone. This time it took 2 days because of some new regulations.
To cut the story short, I am very happy to report significant progress – twice than ever before! When the nurse told me the number over the phone, my jaw dropped. It was that much of an unthinkable good number. So it gives me even a greater hope to continue my battle. Even though more than a year of chemo is getting tougher on my body, I am hopeful and convinced more than ever before that the direction and outcome will be positive. Now I have to continue what I am told to do, suffer quietly and hope that the end game is closer than I thought.
Last but not least. Inbal just flew to Uganda for a few weeks as part of her job. Her mission is to bring hope to the needy people in Africa though education and other projects.
I hope you now understand why I picked the topic of this update. Hope is all around us.
Please adopt a hopeful attitude in life whenever possible!
Yours optimistic
Guy
PS – some pictures as usual to paint the update with a few colors and images:
Can you guess the motivation of this blog’s title?
I wrote it on 20 Jan. 2009:
Today was a great day. Like many around the world I was glued to the TV with excitement and amazement watching the inauguration of the new president - Obama.
I am not naive: it is not going to be easy, fast and pain-free. There is always politics and hard realities that spoil our best hopes.
Yet, it is with envy that I watched the way in which this great democracy works. I am not just talking about the smooth transition, which is a novel idea in many countries. Once the elections were over, Americans have a new president and so many give him a grace period and wish him and them luck and success. The level of optimism, renewal and hope is not just because of the contrast vis-à-vis Bush, but also because of the new president himself. His ability to talk so well, picking a very good team and being what he is – transmits hope. Future will tell. The issues are daunting and challenging. For today, the sense of unity and hope is something that I wish everyone should hope for, not just in America.
Hope is what people need, myself included. Without a hope, what’s the point?
On this historic day, together with many around the world, I asserted to myself my hope and conviction that I am going to succeed in my personal battle. I just got into the mood and felt very good about it.
While the Obama festival took place in Washington DC, I started my cycle-4 treatment at Dana Farber in Boston (my second home for twice a week). The first day of every cycle is long and tough with multiple chemotherapies for 5-6 hours.
In a sharp contrast: as the “bad-stuff” was flowing into my veins, I felt good, excited and hopeful. I watched TV together with some 30 patients and the medical staff. Everyone was so quiet, smiling, serious and with tears of joy. The nurses were a bit “dangerous” today. They walked among the patients looking at the many TVs and almost tipping over at times. After the inauguration everyone talked. I looked at the room and saw a cross section of society: men, women, young, old, white, black, Latino, oriental – a real life cocktail. There were a few hard core republicans who gracefully praised the new president and wished him and all of us success. The sense of unity may be short lived (I hope not) but at least it was there.
This brings me to another aspect of hope. During every beginning of a treatment cycle I am tested for progress. In the past two cycles I reported a positive progress. Yet this is not guaranteed to continue. Waiting for the test results is the hard part even for me.
This part was written 2 days later on 22 Jan. 2009:
Usually I call 24 hours after the test and get the results over the phone. This time it took 2 days because of some new regulations.
To cut the story short, I am very happy to report significant progress – twice than ever before! When the nurse told me the number over the phone, my jaw dropped. It was that much of an unthinkable good number. So it gives me even a greater hope to continue my battle. Even though more than a year of chemo is getting tougher on my body, I am hopeful and convinced more than ever before that the direction and outcome will be positive. Now I have to continue what I am told to do, suffer quietly and hope that the end game is closer than I thought.
Last but not least. Inbal just flew to Uganda for a few weeks as part of her job. Her mission is to bring hope to the needy people in Africa though education and other projects.
I hope you now understand why I picked the topic of this update. Hope is all around us.
Please adopt a hopeful attitude in life whenever possible!
Yours optimistic
Guy
PS – some pictures as usual to paint the update with a few colors and images:
Updated family picture, braving -20c (it was even colder later on), ice sculpture in Needham Center.
