Help us by donating on our PayPal account
I am thinking for the last 6 years whether I should spend some time writing about what happened to me since November 2009. Most of my colleagues of misfortune tend to keep it for them and avoid the “C” word but I usually openly discuss about it and even am sarcastic but deep inside… So… you can read these chapters…
I have reached the decision that it might help some others who are going through the same journey and could at different stages of this illness and also it will be good for me to reflect on my experience! I see so many people being hit by this directly or indirectly as I talk about it…
Hopefully you’ll understand that this no recipe for success or maximising opportunity to go through Acute Myeloid Leukaemia but may provide some insight… It will all be memory based as I did not have the reflex to take notes (sure you understand why!).
I also would like to thank in this humble blog my family and the hospital staff for their support! They all have been on my side day after day and still are on daily basis to support me. I realise the family has been through a rough patch and this impacted them a lot… They will never realise how thankful I am!!!
The intent is to develop chapters detailing chronologically what happened and to avoid too much jargon as I indeed learned a lot, to read the chapters, please select the posts with the AML category. I’ll do my best to keep the chapters short and dynamic… I have almost three years to describe but in no way I want to make this a drama or a summer story! Let me know if you have questions or opportunity for improvements… All constructive criticisms are welcome. I will keep updating and amending published chapters as I may collect new information as I was not conscious during the whole time.
Serge De Bock
Serge,
We have never met, somehow became connected via the web a long time ago. I just noticed your blog for the first time (caught your latest post in Facebook). First of all best wishes to you and your family. Your situation is a struggle to say the least.
Our daughter Kate was diagnosed with Hodgkins Lymphoma a number of years ago. It was a hellish two years for Kate and my wife Lynn. Kate was in her early 20s when she was diagnosed. Fortunately for us it was caught early and she experienced a full recovery. We wondered if she would be able to have children and two years after her last treatment she was able to conceive. So now we also have a wonderful Baby Sadie to go visit.
Try to maintain a positive spirit….as the alternative of simply falling apart or giving up …. if you will pardon the expression sucks and certainly does nothing to resolve the situation….but alas it will happen from time to time, as I’m sure you know. If anything a more positive spirit seems to have positive consequences which is cool. Nothing about your situation is pleasant, other than possibly the warm support of friends that will often surprise you.
Our best wishes to you and your family,
Michael Bremer
Thank you very much Michael. Your comment touches me and confirms I have to keep it up and see the positive out of this experience. I am glad all turned positively for your daughter and please accept my regards to you and your family! Let’s keep in touch 🙂
Serge
After the discussion the other night I thought I’d have a quick read to see how much your blog needs editing, but it turns out your blogging is quite impeccable; perhaps, like me, you missed your calling as a sub-editor 😉
I read through a few chapters and they made for a highly interesting read (and yes, yes, I know I shouldn’t have time for reading with all the work queueing up at the moment). Although it’s been a while since I heard the medial jargon, it reminded me greatly of the AML process my late mother-in-law went through. Having already suffered melanoma and then breast cancer, she not only had her body attacked by AML, by a variety of spin-off conditions, and by the myriad of intensive therapies and treatments she undertook, but she also had her spirit decimated, which left her deflated, endlessly sad and something of a shell.
I’m not sure what your magic ingredient is, but it amaze me how much life you exude in the flesh. It literally seems to pour out of your pores. You’re more alive that a dormitory full of college girls, and your continuous stream of energy is reminiscent of a perpetual motion machine. While we all have strange journeys through this life, I know that, in the end, we’re all climbing the same mountain, and you have my utter respect for the ardor with which you’re climbing the mountain.
Peace out ’til next week.
Hi Serge,
Keep up your good spirit. Your expressed appreciation of those who support you physically and emotionally will indeed be blessed knowing the value of their contribution to your overall wellbeing. .
We met the last time you were in KL You know of my 15 years of support for my wife, a Breast C survivor that I now miss. It had been a challenge but knowing I cared meant a lot and so it also lighten my burden.God somehow will give us the stengtht to go that extra mile for all in the family.
My wishes that you have a good year ahead filled wih love and contentment and God’s blessings as always. Amen . .
Thank you very much my friend and hopefully we’ll meet again soon… Next time I go to KL I let you know (you saw me last time I came), please shout when in Europe :-)…