He had lived in Seattle for a number of years. He owns a company, lives in Berlin and while at the University of Washington came down with Lymphoma. While he could have been treated at Children's he was at the University and when the big merger happened under the SCCA.
When he asked why Mary-E did not have a Port, I knew he was one of us or had someone in his life that was from Cancer World. We had a very long talk. I was most interested in how his life was now. What he had experiences over the past few years. You know I asked him a million questions.
Brad told me it took him almost 5 years to really feel good again. He counted each and every day a good one when he woke up and had energy. He has crafted a life for himself that works. He travels a lot. He spent time with friends and family and lived in a place he fell in love with, Berlin.
I don't know if I let him know how much our visit lifted my spirits. We spend so much time in Cancer World managing a the crisis d'jour that it is hard to see 5 years down the road, let alone 10.
I know Mary-E was almost 5 years out when she relapsed so we should have been pretty darn happy. But you, know, she never felt like survivor. She always hated that word and relapse was the word that cast the biggest shadow.
