Reflection: Fighters and Survivors

Hello everyone.

My apologies for not updating my blog as I should. I find myself twittering a lot over on my Twitter page. Feel free to look at it when you can. I hope that everyone is well.

I decided to write this post on a reflection on what my long beach weekend was.

This past weekend, I was invited by my mom and her close friends to attend the John Hopkins Medicine Cancer's Plunge for Patients. This event was held in Wildwood, NJ., which is near the southern most tip of the great state of New Jersey. Much of the weekend was rest and relaxation, and the Jersey Shore is known for that. What it is not most known for is the good volunteering can be for you.

Fighters and Survivors ... it is two of the most powerful words in the English language. The grand old USA was built on these words, as it is still here today. But for those who go through traumatic experiences in their lives (personal, medical, spiritual or otherwise), it is a completely different story.

This weekend was filled with these types of people. Cancer fighters and survivors who go through chemo and recovery each and every day.

The day was filled with a karaoke event (don't worry, I didn't sing) and swim and run events. Unfortunately, the sporting events were canceled later in the day due to heavy and rough surf, also heavy storms that have been around for much of the day. But as I volunteered, reading the stories/bios of these survivors brought me back.

What brought me back was one survivors story in general. His name is Brett and is 30 years old. At the age of 21, (the same age I got GBS), he had a rare form of cancer that struck him almost all at once. He had to be in a virvus proof bubble for the better part of a month or two. And he made it. Like me, Brett is a fighter. Brett knows (as with me) what it is like to have your world collaspe on you all at once and to have to fight with everything inside of you to get back where you were.

I spoke with Brett later on that evening and I told him that he is a fighter and that he should be proud of what he accomplished. And he is proud. He appreciated the talk I had with him. And I hope I can keep in contact with him.

Sometimes in life, all you need is to take a step back. You need to realize that there is someone in life who might be going through something like you, or perhaps much much worse. Sometimes it is rough, and most of the times it is.

Are you a fighter? Are you a survivor? If not, next year, go down to Wildwood for Plunge for Patients. Your viewpoints on who you are will change. They did for me, and it can for you too.

-- matt