Do you guys remember my buddy Joe from my posting "Heros part deux"? Well I asked him if he would write an entry for us and bring us up to date with his health and life in general. For those of you that didn't read the entry last time, Joe battled through testicular cancer, and if you ever get to know Joe like I have been fortunate enough to know Joe, you know that he would never give up on fighting cancer.

You guys have seen me say it before, let me be a little more clear, when it comes to fighting for your life and that includes everything that you have to live for, YOU NEVER EVER GIVE UP. period.

Below is Joe's update:

Anniversary takes on a whole new meaning…….

Yep when married folks think about anniversary typically it is a date that they hope they never forget or their spouse may give cause to no longer celebrate the union but the pending divorce. I am joking of course as it is a life long joke that most men forget their anniversary dates at one point or another. However, anniversary takes on a whole new meaning when the “C” word comes into play.

Not only did I battle with cancer, my mother in law as well as my dad. So each of us have a new anniversary date that always will be in our mind…. The day of diagnosis. Yep when the doctor says “you have cancer.” Those words ring in your ears pretty loudly ( mine especially since I was on morphine at the time) like an alarm clock going off at 2am when you do not have to get up until 6am.

My anniversary date December 2nd is fast approaching and with it my intensity to ensure that I am taking care of myself and also my loved ones. You see an anniversary is a celebration of life yes even the anniversary of my Dad’s passing is a celebration of life and with that you should always look to renew your efforts and review your progress. Remember, giving up is not an option. So as my anniversary approaches I ask myself, have I been taking better care of myself, my family, spending time doing the things I need to do. And if I do not like the answer plain and simple I can change the course of action to get myself back on track.

I am a wide body Cancer survivor and I plan to stay that way. My wife and I just celebrated our 13th anniversary and my reflection has caused me to see things that I need to change to nurture and grow that relationship. I now know that the anniversary date is something more than a day to celebrate but a day to take inventory and make changes that are a positive on me and my family and my life.

So GAME ON to all of you wide bodies out there…Take the time to do your own assessment prior to an anniversary date, if you need to make changes then do so and if you stumble then get up and try again cause no body said it was going to be easy or you have to be perfect. They merely said you need to try and keep on trying. Remember change takes courage as does anything in life. A friend once gave me a post card that summed it up nicely “Champions are those that get up even when they think they can’t.” Get up and get your GAME ON and Happy Anniversary!

Joe

Do you all see why I like this guy. You can not tell me that you are not fired up by his note.

Joe, we love ya. Please continue to keep us up to date with what is going on with you and your the family. I've already decided we'll need to see some additional entries from you, maybe a subjest that's a little lighter, like exercise (how does a guy who is 6'8" play tennis?) or peace in the middle-east.