Dear All,
This is a note to update you all on what has been
going on in my life and to ask of you, a favor.
The short version is that I have been fighting Stage IV Metastatic Colon Cancer for the last two-and-a-half years...almost three.
In August 2010, just days after coming home on leave fromHonduras where
I was working as UN Country Security Advisor, I suffered a ruptured colon. I
almost died. It turned out the rupture was caused by colon cancer. They thought
they had it all after an emergency resection. They discovered they were wrong
in December 2010 when I went in for a reversal on my colostomy. The cancer had
spread and developed throughout my abdomen. I did 3 months of chemotherapy
Spring 2011 followed by major nine-hour surgery/internal chemo called the
Sugarbaker Procedure in June 2011 followed shortly after by three more months
of chemo and then another reversal surgery.
In that Sugarbaker they stripped the internal lining from the abdominal walls and off most of my internal organs, they removed the whole of my large intestine, part of the small intestine, my gall bladder and the nerves and blood supply to my left testicle (yeah, I thought I needed some of those things as well...). Amazingly, I have been fully functional since...
In January 2012, after another surgery to reverse the ileostomy that resulted from the Sugarbaker - and according to all the tests available - I was declared cancer free, or more aptly: tumour free. I returned to work in February 2012 as the UN Country Security Advisor for theDominican Republic .
Unfortunately, it was not to be and my first blood test came back with high colon cancer marker levels.A CT
scan detected a tumour. A PET scan revealed activity in the tumour shown by the
CT, another tumour in the abdomen and at least one "nodule of
concern" in the lungs. September 2012, I began three more months of chemo.
February 2013 I had another bowel resection removing the two tumours as well as
another piece of small intestine (no ostomy this time - small miracles). This
was followed in March with a resection of part of the upper left lobe of the
lung. They believe another nodule on the right side to be benign...we shall
see.
So, once again, as of just a couple weeks ago they have - based upon available tests - declared me cancer free (or perhaps, free of tumours)... at least for now. I remain at high risk for recurrence and have myfirst CT scan in August...
That brings me to today.
Just living life after cancer is not enough. I have had a very vocal attitude through all of this and continue to do so.
So, I have decided to do something serious. On 4 August, 2013 I will take part in The Big Swim. I will swim from theprovince
of New Brunswick to Prince Edward Island . An open water swim of
at least 14km (about nine miles) to raise money for Brigadoon, a camp for
chronically ill children.
This kind of thing is beyond the scope of most fit people and I know this. I am doing it after recovering from massive, major surgeries and harsh medical treatments and without some of my internal organs...Those of you who know me well, know that I will get it done.
I am training now and have the coaching, training and nutrition advice of some of the best trainers and experts available.
What I ask of you is this: Support me in this swim by donating to Brigadoon. Here is the link:
http://www.canadahelps.org/GivingPages/GivingPage.aspx?gpID=24308
Pass my information as far and wide as possible so that Brigadoon can get as much money as we can raise. I always think to myself how fortunate I am that this happened to me and not to one of my kids. I can only imagine how hard that would have been. The least I can do is help kids who have to fight the fight I had as an adult.
The picture above is a comic a friend of mine just drew about me and the swim. I am using it as part of my fundraising push:
I hope you are all well and thriving wherever you are and whatever you are doing.
Take care,
Kirk
The short version is that I have been fighting Stage IV Metastatic Colon Cancer for the last two-and-a-half years...almost three.
In August 2010, just days after coming home on leave from
In that Sugarbaker they stripped the internal lining from the abdominal walls and off most of my internal organs, they removed the whole of my large intestine, part of the small intestine, my gall bladder and the nerves and blood supply to my left testicle (yeah, I thought I needed some of those things as well...). Amazingly, I have been fully functional since...
In January 2012, after another surgery to reverse the ileostomy that resulted from the Sugarbaker - and according to all the tests available - I was declared cancer free, or more aptly: tumour free. I returned to work in February 2012 as the UN Country Security Advisor for the
Unfortunately, it was not to be and my first blood test came back with high colon cancer marker levels.
So, once again, as of just a couple weeks ago they have - based upon available tests - declared me cancer free (or perhaps, free of tumours)... at least for now. I remain at high risk for recurrence and have my
That brings me to today.
Just living life after cancer is not enough. I have had a very vocal attitude through all of this and continue to do so.
So, I have decided to do something serious. On 4 August, 2013 I will take part in The Big Swim. I will swim from the
This kind of thing is beyond the scope of most fit people and I know this. I am doing it after recovering from massive, major surgeries and harsh medical treatments and without some of my internal organs...Those of you who know me well, know that I will get it done.
I am training now and have the coaching, training and nutrition advice of some of the best trainers and experts available.
What I ask of you is this: Support me in this swim by donating to Brigadoon. Here is the link:
http://www.canadahelps.org/GivingPages/GivingPage.aspx?gpID=24308
Pass my information as far and wide as possible so that Brigadoon can get as much money as we can raise. I always think to myself how fortunate I am that this happened to me and not to one of my kids. I can only imagine how hard that would have been. The least I can do is help kids who have to fight the fight I had as an adult.
The picture above is a comic a friend of mine just drew about me and the swim. I am using it as part of my fundraising push:
I hope you are all well and thriving wherever you are and whatever you are doing.
Take care,
Kirk
