A lot can happen in a year...

Today was the one-year anniversary of Achmed's nuclear blast and fittingly, it was the day that I received the report from General Batten that Achmed is indeed DEAD and shrinking, just as I had suspected! I have always been a bit of an over-achiever and it seems that this is no exception, I have healed 24 months in only 12... although I do have high-school teachers who would never believe that!

A year ago today I woke up in a Winnipeg hotel room, on a cold rainy day, still dark... and the first thing that came to my mind was that in theory, this could be the last time I ever get up out of bed, or for that matter, the last time that I ever even wake up at all. Although my odds were pretty good going into the blast zone, the doctors made no secret of the fact that anything could go wrong with a tumor as big as mine and so close to the spinal column. To say that my sleep on October 27, 2009 was restful and relaxing would be a gross overstatement.

Today I woke up in a St. John's bedroom, on a cold rainy day, still dark... and the first thing that came to my mind was this could be the last day that I ever wake up to life as I have come to know it. Although I was feeling pretty confidant about my MRI results, seeing how my April report was so positive, the doctors have never hidden the fact that when it comes to brain tumors, anything could happen. To say that my sleep on October 27, 2010 was restful and relaxing would also be a gross overstatement.

As it turns out, the two shitty-night sleeps on the consecutive October 27's were wasted stress. Though technically a good fact, actually an excellent fact, it doesn't change the fact that right now I am sitting at my desk completely exhausted and wanting nothing more than to take a nap... that will come soon enough.

Over the past 365 days, well truthfully it has been an 18-month journey, I have grown in leaps and bounds. I don't stress out easily, I am not a work-a-holic anymore (for the most part), I have learned to appreciate all that life has to offer and I am living a much healthier lifestyle than I was a couple of years ago. And for the first time in my life, I understand that sitting back and relaxing is not a waste of time. Achmed has been the catalyst for a fundamental change in my belief system and my lifestyle... who said that you can't teach an old dog a new trick:)

I had every intention of finishing the stories that got started along my way to the nuclear blast-zone, and I had every intention in starting the fund to assist with travel costs for people who need medical treatment that is not available where they live. Both of these things will eventually happen, although it seems that I may have put unrealistic time-constraints on my ability to perform these two tasks... you may find this hard to believe, but I am a project/program manager for my paycheque.

Over the course of this blog, I received dozens of e-mails from all over the world, mostly from people who also had brain tumors... some of whom are no longer with us; some of whom appreciated my insight and point of view; some had kind words of encouragement; and some (well at least one) thought I was a pompous ass who was making this all up. For the record, Achmed is very real, and according to the General, is now on the deceased list!

So much has happened to me in the last 12 months. I changed jobs and went to work in government (something I said I would never do); I am in a relationship with a teacher (something I said I would never do again... the relationship part AND the teacher part actually); I am in a new band (although we are not very good); and I have learned the real meaning of "Live Life", which is how I have signed off every blog entry.

I would like to finish the stories, and add a few that haven't been told, but I think that this blog has run its course and served its purpose. I will leave it public and I will still respond to all of the e-mails if and when I get anymore.

Thank-you everyone for all of your positive energy and good wishes, it has helped me through a difficult time which ultimately gave me the opportunity to learn so much about myself and about people in general. A few people have asked, and some even encouraged, me to put the whole thing in a book and to be honest, it is something that I have considered, especially in recent months... if for no other reason than to finish my stories and and possibly raise money for that medical-travel fund that I will eventually start.

I said in the beginning that if you follow this journey, sometimes you will laugh, sometimes you will cry and sometimes you will just wish that I would shut-up... based on the e-mails I received, I think I was right on all counts!

From Achmed and Me... Live Life!