There were the day to day items I thought about: (just to name a few - I will list more on a later post)
- What about Kristy?
- How will she take this news?
- Did we have enough in life insurance?
- Is my health insurance enough to cover what comes next?
- How will it affect my job?
- Will I need to quit my job?
- Will Kristy need to quit her part-time job?
Then there were the future things I thought about: (just to name a few - I will list more on a later post)
- Will I see Caroline grow up?
- Will I see Caroline play a sport?
- Will I get to take to places I have never been?
- Will I be able to see her graduate high school and college?
- What about her wedding day?
There were so many things I thought of and did not know what life had in store for me. So many unknowns, but now I get to see some of them answered.
Kristy was a ROCK. She helped me get through the worst time of my life. She will never really know how much that means to me. A lot of people treated me differently after being diagnosed, but Kristy treated me the way I wanted. Like nothing happened! The worry was always there in the back of our minds, but we stayed focus on beating it.
Neither of us had to quit our jobs. Other than my time off for surgery and a week of healing (doctors orders) I never missed a days work throughout my radiation treatments. Yes I got sick towards the middle and worse towards the end - you try getting radiation treatment aimed at your stomach for 4.5 weeks :-) I thought I would not be fazed. Obviously I was wrong and I got through it!
I was lucky that my health insurance covered it all. I did not have the life insurance which was equal to winning the lottery, but it was a few hundred thousand so I was lucky to have at least that. Since my diagnosis we had a little miracle, Annabelle, which has given Kristy, Caroline and I a lot of joy since February. I have been able to watch both Caroline and Annabelle grow fast. This FALL I was able to get to see Caroline on a soccer team. I even got to see her score her first goal. I have to admit - I was one proud dad.
Now we are off to Disney World in a week. As a kid growing up, my mom, sister and I never went there. We did not have much money so we did things in the TRI-STATE area. It was always a dream of mine to one day go to Disney World and now the dream comes true. The best part about it is that I get to do it with Kristy, Caroline and Annabelle. Something tells me next week I will be a kid again and have the time of my life. Not to mention how Caroline will be living her own dream of being with the Cinderella and the rest of characters.
Just another thing checked off my "to do" list. It is my way of showing cancer I KICKED IT'S ASS!
