Originally posted to Facebook
My father, Terry, was diagnosed with Leukemia back in January 2rd 2017, just a day after celebrating New Years with our family. I will never forget that day. He spent the entire year in the hospital. Sure there were a few moments when he got to leave and be with us at home for a bit, but is always ended with him back in the hospital. Overall, the experience through that time was surreal, and there were plenty of moments where it just felt like it was all a bad dream.
Now...today was the 1 year anniversary of my father's Stem Cell Transplant. And just days before, we got the best news we could have ever asked for. Terry went in for his bone marrow biopsy and check up. The biopsy results showed 100% donor cells and absolutely NO Cancer cells anywhere!
He has been home for quite a while now without a long term stay in the hospital. But, for the first time, I feel as though he is finally home for good. No more having to worry about hearing that he is being checked back in. I am so proud of his strength to fight through this and come out on top. I know there were rough times for him, and I cannot imagine the pain he must have been in during them. But, now I get the pleasure of seeing him daily, sitting in his chair when I wake up in the morning and leave for work. And as I leave, I get to hear that voice behind me say, "Have a good day at work". To which I can now confidently respond to with, "Will do. See you later."
To the strongest man I have in my life, in which I would not be the person I am without, I love you dad. And I am soo glad you are home.
To anyone still reading this post, I want to say something. No matter how much we may have lost touch over the years: maybe we don't talk to or see each other anymore, maybe something happened with our friendship, maybe we just never really became great friends in the first place. I want you to know that you have been there through a piece of my life at some point. And whether that piece was for a long time or only for a short while, I still appreciate it and you. Thank you.