Life after Cancer, JMT style
3 Jun
First, let me thank Jason for offering me the opportunity to be a guest blogger here at the Muir project website. My plan is to hike the John Muir Trail from August 13th to September 9th of this year, but in reality my journey began on March 31, 2010, when I was diagnosed with chronic lymphocytic leukemia. CLL, as it is known, is the most common type of leukemia in adults, and usually is slow-developing and highly treatable. Unluckily for me, my CLL had a genetic mutation that indicated more aggressive disease – and mine was especially aggressive, as indicated by my white cell count rising rapidly despite all our prayers to the contrary. My tandem of doctors – Michael Keating at MD Anderson in Houston and Alan Kritz, here in Raleigh – put me on a chemotherapy regimen from January through July 2011, comprised of 6 monthly cycles, with each cycle consisting of 4 consecutive days of chemotherapy. While this regimen wiped out the cancer cells in my bloodstream, about half the cancer remained in my bone marrow; called a “partial response”, it fell far short of our hopes for a full remission. My wife, Renee (full angel status with wings to prove it), and I met with Dr. Keating that August, and in discussing our options for the next round of treatment, he floated the “T” word – transplant. In my case, a bone marrow, or stem cell transplant was a possible treatment option that carried high risk (10% mortality in the first year), but also the possibility of eradicating the disease. While a final decision was yet to be made, we went home while Dr. Keating wrestled with what to do next.
Just a month later, in September 2011, I went on a fly fishing trip to Colorado and came home with a nasty chest cold. An x-ray revealed pneumonia, which necessitated hospitalization and treatment with high dose antibiotics. While in the hospital, a CT scan of my lungs revealed a mass in my lung that was ultimately determined to be an aggressive B-cell lymphoma tumor. My CLL had mutated into a nightmarish condition called Richter’s transformation, which few survive. Again, Drs. Keating and Kritz conferred and decided the only real chance I had was a high-dose chemotherapy protocol to try to force both cancers into remission, followed immediately by a stem cell transplant from my perfectly-matched older sister, Laure.
As a person of faith coming from a family of faith, this was a spiritual journey as well as a medical one. I trusted my fate to the good doctors and the good Lord, whatever was to come. And my family, friends, and colleagues prayed. The two chemotherapy treatments in October and November, of course, wiped me out, but they did their job and subdued the leukemia and lymphoma to a sufficient extent for Dr. Keating to order the transplant to proceed on December 21, 2011. After my entire immune system and all my blood-making cells were destroyed by what is ironically called a ‘conditioning regimen’ of chemo, my sister’s donated stem cells were infused to begin the complete rebuilding of these life-giving processes that work in our bone marrow. As I passed post-transplant milestones it became clear that the procedure was successful and I heard those most precious words – ‘cancer-free’ – in April of 2012. And we all praised God and the doctors, through whom He worked.
So what does this have to do with the John Muir Trail? Right around the first anniversary of my transplant, I began to think about doing something ‘epic’ to raise money and awareness for leukemia and lymphoma research. As a survivor of both diseases and being blessed with remarkably good health, I have been positioned to perhaps stretch the limits of what is possible after surviving a bone marrow transplant. I also happen to be High Sierra junkie of the first order! Hiking the JMT, to me, is an extravagance that I would probably never have undertaken; but surviving 2 kinds of cancer impels me to show fellow cancer patients that they can FIGHT, SURVIVE, and do AMAZING THINGS as they overcome their disease. This is what gives me the drive to take on this monumental challenge.
In addition to this aspect of my undertaking, I am raising money for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society (www.lls.org), and again, blessed with many contacts from my extended family and business career, I have raised over $63,000 to date for the cause of curing blood cancers (http://pages.teamintraining.org/nc/frndstnt13/dkrooker).
My hiking partner is Mike Nix, a practicing Buddhist and ex-marine whom I have known for many years – we took our sons camping and hiking together many times. We will be guided by Southern Yosemite Mountain Guides (symg.com).
I’ve really enjoyed exploring the Muir Project website; I’m grateful for the inspiration, encouragement, and donations from the Mile…Mile and a Half team, and just really excited to see the movie as soon as I possibly can. Let me end with a quote from JM himself:
Through a meadow opening in the pinewoods I see snowy peaks about the headwaters of the Merced above Yosemite. How near they seem and how clear their outlines on the blue air, or rather in the blue air; for they seem to be saturated with it. How consuming strong the invitation they extend! Shall I be allowed to go to them? Night and day I’ll pray that I may, but it seems too good to be true. Someone worthy will go, able for the Godful work, yet as far as I can I must drift about these lovemonument mountains, glad to be a servant of servants in so holy a wilderness!