For me, and many others, this weekend will mark two separate anniversaries.
I had been through many hurricanes in my life. But Hurricane Irma on September 10, 2017 would be the first one that I would go through with a direct hit. The path of the coming storm remained uncertain until just days before it hit, making evacuation impossible with no idea where to travel to, at least by car, and airports were not an option.
The preparations were made as far as securing shutters, buying supplies. As a state of emergency had been declared, there was an ominous feeling driving through the area, pretty much a “ghost town.” The panic lines for gas and water were gone. Most businesses were all boarded up.
As I said, I had been through hurricanes before, and seen the aftermath of flooding and wind damage. Nothing compared to my experience with Irma. After surviving the eye passing right over me, that is when the learning from the experience would begin.
It was the day after, and the next several days, that I would discover good and bad in people, those willing to help one another, and those just flat out selfish, even in a time of crisis, only out for themselves. I can completely empathize with those who have just dealt with Ida in both the south and northeast. Long gas lines, perhaps waiting as long as ten hours for their turn, idling out what little they had left in their tank, only to be turned away as the station ran out. Staples such as bread, water, and ice in short supply, gone as soon as the shelves restocked. Frustrating to say the least. But having dealt with other major crisis, I have always looked ahead, that things will get better.
But other people do not share the outlook on life that I do. And it did not take long to see this behavior. With Ida, it was no different. It takes time to recover from things, but you need to follow the recommendations and orders being given. Too many were just too impatient, and it showed.
Fortunately, damage here was minimal, infrastructure was back up for the most part within a week. Clean up and repairs took much longer. Heck, grocery stores took forever to get shelves restocked, again, because as soon as inventory came in, it was gone.
Those who did evacuate, were recommended not to return for several weeks. There was nothing to return to. Sure, their homes were likely safe, but supply was at a minimum. And with our tourist season approaching, “snowbirds,” that really was the last thing we needed, more people. For those that did not listen, especially the snowbirds, I found my patience tested, hearing the complaints that the area had not been cleaned up and restored yet, just a few short weeks following the storm.
We were lucky during and after that storm. At least I recognize that.
Each year, when these special dates pop up, I can somehow discover that there is still room left to be humbled. Today begins my 32 year recognizing blood cancers, in particular, Hodgkin’s Lymphoma. Diagnosed in November of 1988, I finished my treatments on March 3, 1990, the date I consider my anniversary as a survivor.
To this day, still considered a rare form of cancer, less than 9,000 will be diagnosed with Hodgkin’s Lymphoma according to the NCI’s Division of Cancer Control and Population Sciences (DCCPS), making up .5% of all new cancer diagnosis. From 2011-2017, it carried a 5-year survival rate of 88.3%, one of the highest rates of survival for a cancer, which depending on the type of Hodgkin’s, some sub-rates can reach as high as 94%.
While these are fantastic numbers, there is a downside. Blood cancers do not get the recognition and support that big cancers such as breast cancer, lung cancer, and colon cancer receive. And this by no means is meant to rank one cancer over another, but it also does not mean that blood cancers should not have just as much focus, especially with a success rate as high as it does. And this is what that matters.
I was treated with 4000 grays of ionized radiation and a very toxic cocktail of chemotherapy. Both of these modes are no longer used in treating Hodgkin’s and this is due to research and progress in just three decades. But as anyone involved in radiation will tell you, being exposed to the amount of radiation I was, is a very bad thing. Sadly, there are survivors before my time, that were exposed to far worse levels. And out of the seven drugs I was given to fight my cancer, three are still being used today, still dangerous, but still necessary because nothing has been found to replace them. And with a high success rate, science and research does not really place that urgent a need to “finish the job.”
My health issues from my treatments are well documented throughout the years of “Paul’s Heart.” Over the last thirteen years, and twice in the last three years, I have faced lifesaving corrective surgeries to my cardiac system (double bypass, a stent, and carotid stenting).
And as big as the number 32 is, .2%, or roughly 960 annual deaths from Hodgkin’s (or its complications from treatments) is an even more important number. There have been so many that I have met in person, or through the internet who have inspired me, encouraged me, who are no longer here, placing me in the position that I was once in, hopefully providing inspiration in longevity for those Hodgkin’s patients and survivors who have come after me. My friends who have passed on are never forgotten, and many, their loss still continues to have an impact on me.
This year, as well as the last, has been a challenging one, with surviving cancer not being enough. For over a year and a half, and likely for the rest of our lives, at least mine, Covid19 will always be a part of my survival, and the need to avoid it. I do all that I can, from recommended mitigation efforts to prevention, and so far it has worked. I credit my endurance with this effort to what I went through with my battle with Hodgkin’s. I know what needs to be done because I trust my doctors, and I have excellent support behind my efforts. I can only wish it did not take a health crisis like cancer for people to understand the seriousness and the steps needed to get through this crisis.
In November, I will mark thirty three years since my diagnosis, and in March, my thirty second year of survival (having finished my treatments). My special calendar on this page has my 40th countdown set, but if I am being totally honest, my goal is to hit the 50th “club” of which I actually know quite a few. Imagine, there are people who have survived cancer over five decades. I never thought that would have been possible 32 years ago.
As always, thank you for reading, and thank you for your support.
Tomorrow, many more children will return to school, many for the first time physically in over a year and a half, due to the precautions and protections of Covid19. Several states children have already returned to school. It is at this moment, are we learning anything in the past few weeks, what works and what does not work, in regard to living in a world of Covid19 and our schools?
The first day of school has always been exciting for me, and much to the chagrin of my daughters, it always meant a photo that morning. But as my daughters begin tomorrow, that excitement has been tempered by caution and wariness.
To be clear, I want my daughters physically in school. The last year and a half, honestly has had mixed results in both grades, study habits, and social skills. When all is said and done, I believe the best thing for them all around, is to be in school. But I also want to be clear, this can only be possible if done safely.
After a year and a half, we are all “experts” now in Covid19, what works, what does not work, who is to blame, what precautions need to be done and what are foolish. Many of us have gotten our experience and degrees in Covid19 from social media. Most of us, have come to accept, this crisis was new to not only us, but to science. And while we expect science to be the “truth”, it is what it is, science we are learning, is about getting to the truth. Which means, we are learning as we go along. What we think is the problem and solution, can change. Just because something may be discovered to be a wrong thought, does not mean when the correct answer is found, that science cannot be trusted, quite the contrary. It is because science did correct itself, that we should trust it even more. Science did not stop looking, just because it thought it had all the correct answers.
Schools in Texas, Georgia, and my home state of Florida have been back for several weeks, and other states around the country have also returned. In these three states however, one thing stands out, all have governors that stood in the way of taking precautions, during what is called our “4th surge” of Covid19, and the count of children sick with Covid19, once thought of as inconsequencial because of its lower risk to children, is quickly becoming a major concern. Pediatric hospitals being inundated with children needing hospitalization, way beyond what we saw last year. And yet, the governors, and many residents of those states, still fight for any mitigation efforts to protect their children and the staff responsible for them.
For me, I am not thinking about the start of my daughter’s senior year being a milestone, getting a “last photo” of her last year of high school, or the fact that her sister is right behind her. No, instead my thoughts are two-fold. Has the school district done all that it can to assure my daughters safeties, and what about all the potential “nut jobs” willing to disrupt and cause problems with the efforts of the district?
The answer to the first question is easy. Yes, I know that my daughters school district has done everything possible, and are following not only federal recommendations of the CDC, but also of the state’s health department. Further, the district has the benefit of an extra layer of caution, having a county that has its own health department. The district is following all the levels, federal, state, and county when it comes to mitigation.
The steps that district has taken has earned it recognition by the CDC, to earn status as a subject for a retroactive study on the mitigation. Retroactive meaning, looking back, to see “why” the things worked the way that they did for the district. Engineering controls such as air handlers and sanitation efforts are critical, and yes, cost money. But this is a key step to getting the kids back in the classroom, especially when a district this size, is unable to make the classrooms comply with the social distance recommendation. So, of course, that also leads to vaccines and masks. With my daughters in high school, they are of age to have been vaccinated. But does this mean that all teen student have been? Of course not. And definitely, none of the elementary students have had any opportunity. That means there is only one other possible form of mitigation to help, not fully prevent, but help reduce the opportunity for spreading Covid19, masks. I will not spend time on this post about how many in the district feel about this. All you have to do is go back to a couple of my recent posts.
There is one more very important layer that the district employs. I mentioned that the district has access to the county health department. This allowed the district early on, to impose contact tracing and testing of its students and staff. In other words, they can catch most cases before infecting anyone else. This is important with the likelihood of selfish or ignorant parents, having been exposed to Covid19, sending their children infected to school anyway, for whatever reason, which is not acceptable.
I will say, my daughters district does appear to be more of the exception than the rule in that state, by looking at social media posts from friends elsewhere in the state. One friend’s school district may as well be compared to Florida’s attitude, so it is likely just a matter of time until that district realizes its mistake.
As I look at my daughters first day of school tomorrow, I have hopes this will be a year where they can get back to focusing on school, joining clubs, going to activities, and hanging with friends. My daughters are doing their part to go in that direction, even though vaccinated, respectful and caring of those who may still be at risk. None of us, want the return to virtual studies, but if the district ends up compelled to do so, so be it. Whatever keeps everyone safe. If all could just work together, instead of against each other, this may have been over a long time ago.
With Texas, Georgia, Florida and others, we have had a chance to see what is not working, at the expense of students and staff. As schools continue to open this week and the coming weeks, hopefully they have seen what is not working. We just have to wait and see.
American Cancer On-Line Resources
Internet support from peers, caregivers, survivors, and professionals in several hundred types of cancers and related issues
American Cancer On-Line Resources
Internet support from peers, caregivers, survivors, and professionals in several hundred types of cancers and related issues
Paul's Heart 