Team Ready

Good morning everyone.

We have never been so close. The ultimate step of the treatment starts tomorrow. But to get there, ready, it took an amazing team effort.

At the head of this team, well… No, it is not me, although I love being in charge (some even call me control freak, don’t know why…). This is my lovely wife. You should see her. She is such a champion: working mom, taking care of one teenager, two toddlers, and me, with my treatment. And she makes everything work, smoothly, and with the sweetness and the love of a deeply caring wife and mother. If I had not married her yet, I would, right now, again. She is my Angel.

With the upcoming high dose chemo and stem cells transplant, she had to, on the top of everything else she already does, handle the “logistics” prep part: load the house with extra food, all the products I will need to keep me germs free when my immune system will be weak, get the house super-extra cleaned, arrange time off from work to be available for the daily cares I will require, and so on. She really is my Angel.The very next team members are family. Although ours is spread out between the US and France, it is amazing to see how quick family can come all together and set up a strong support plan when we have to. Last year, we were fortunate that my mom could come in the US for three months and help us (out of six months of chemo). Although I could work during my entire treatment (except the three days following each chemo), her help was a tremendous piece of mind that allowed us to go through this period much better.

This time, I have to take time off. The treatment is too aggressive and the possible side effects too serious. But the good news is that family will be with us again during this tough time. For one month, our closest relatives will fly from France (my dad and my sister already arrived yesterday) or the US West coast, and will rotate so there will always be someone with us. We are so grateful for that. Beyond the logistic support, what’s most important is the psychological support that a united family brings to the fight against cancer. That is already half of the battle won.

Along with family come friends who are like family. Beeba and Uncle John have been supportive since the very beginning of this journey. Thanks to them, their love and their flexibility for taking care of our little ones during my numerous medical appointments, they have made things smoother.

And all our friends, co-workers, couponers, all of you have been bringing us so much, and at the eve of this major treatment, we count all of you as our support team. Now time to get the show going.

Like Al Pacino says in “Any Given Sunday“:

“That’s a team, […]
and either we heal now, as a team,
or we will die as individuals.”

See you for the next story.