Ten years ago today was a very special day for our
family. I use the word family, though at
the time Sasha and I were just a couple.
On Thursday, September 18, 2003 Sasha took a trip to the University of
Minnesota hospital. This was something
she had done every week for the past 4 months.
On the odd numbered weeks she would stay overnight and endure 24 hours
of chemotherapy. On the even number
weeks she had it easier with only two and a half hours of
chemo. September 18th was, mercifully, an
even numbered week. It was also her last
treatment.
The spring and summer of 2003 was a time that was very dark
for Sasha and me. She went through a
torturous treatment fighting a very deadly and aggressive cancer that quickly
weakened her body. She was a young woman
in her 20’s, but she could not even walk a few blocks. Sasha has always had a high pain
tolerance. That summer I watched her go
through terrible pain. She hated it, but
she took it.
Mercifully, I worked the early morning shift at my job most
of the summer. I started work at 5 am
most days. The half hour drive to work
alone in the dark gave me plenty of time to vent my emotions in solitude. (Big 24 year old men don’t cry unless they
can’t be seen.)
Week after week we waited for the labs to come back. Perhaps we were nearing the end of her
treatment. Perhaps this week we would
see the light at the end of the tunnel.
Week after week we were disappointed as the tests showed the cancer
remained in her body. Finally her
numbers got to where they needed to be, which meant she had 6 weeks of
treatment to go.
Thursday, September 18th was a day I remember
with much joy. We left the hospital after
that final treatment believing that the cancer had been defeated. Subsequent tests revealed that her cancer had
indeed been cured. She was free, and now
the healing could begin, first physically, than emotionally.
Sasha has shown her resilience over the years. It was great to watch her recover over the following months. I remember the crisp fall
day when we were first able to walk the entire path in the woods near our
house. It had been a long time since we
took that walk together. She not only
recovered from that terrible summer, but she has gone on to do so many great
things in life since.
She lived in Poland for 4 years and learned her 4th
language (5th if you count Koine Greek). She gave birth to three very beautiful and very
smart children, and she has been a wonderful mother to them. She started and ran her own successful business. And those are just a
few of her accomplishments.
Every year we celebrate September 18th as “Survivors
Day.” This is the 10th
Survivors Day. I can’t imagine life
without you my beautiful darling wife.
Sasha: 10 – Cancer: 0
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