My daughter gave me this shirt for Father’s Day. This moto is a reminder to find ways to live wide every day. Live life to the fullest, if you will. Make a positive difference every day in others lives. Be the best patient I can be no matter what. I don’t always succeed, but I usually try!

Just over three years ago, the fly that saved my life bit me on this spot. I cursed that fly for six months. But when they found my tumor in January 2023, I was pretty thankful that it bit me. I am now 2 1/2 years into treatment. Without that fly bite, I probably wouldn’t be in treatment at all right now. But the cancer would’ve kept growing. One more bone marrow, biopsy result of zero and I’ll get that little bastard tattooed on my thigh. Ha ha!

My office for this afternoon. I actually can chew through a lot of emails sitting in this chair. While it is tough to get much project work done, email is perfect. The only place I can chew through more email in less time is on an airplane. I would recommend doing the airplane route as opposed to getting cancer, but that is just me.

My moto for the last 18 months has been: “Don’t Let the Hard Days Win”. My other moto is: “1st Out Ride Cancer”. I am completely convinced that I can, through not only medicine, but also diet, meditation, and being in the best physical condition I can. Being in remission, is it tough to remember that I am NOT normal. So, when I lose focus on these things, this saying brings me back. And now I have a shirt where the bike is kind of blended in, but is completely obvious when I focus. Exactly what I need.

My Dad bought me this shirt a few months ago. The bottles say: PARTY PANTS. The joke here is that I don’t drink. I never have. And I have maybe been to three parties in my entire life. He knows that and got me the shirt anyway. Ha!

I got the results of my latest bone marrow biopsy and I am at MRD O. This means that out of 1,000,000 cells counted they could find 0 cancer cells. So with today’s science and technology this is considered complete remission. Yeah!

Back in Michigan. Back in the Chair. Back in a new shirt!
I start the restaging process this week. PET scan tomorrow, bone marrow biopsy on Wednesday. The goal is 0. My last score was 12. Hopefully the drop in body fat along with the drugs will get me there. (I was mostly good! Ha!)

As I write this post at 9:15 am on Monday, it’s already been a week! Travel, healthy eating (pizza, of course!), hydration, low ACN, and travel again! Time for a nap—NOT!

I have received 4 or 5 shirts from various people, but this was the first one that included anything about Option B. Super cool to get this shirt, be able to wear it at treatment, and still feel like I am honoring that thesis. Thank you Michael (banker) and Sheryl Sandberg (author).

Hello Monday! Clearly I am in Super Fast mode today because I did not proof the picture before I left treatment. What is with all the wrinkles? I know I am getting older, but I did not know I was this bad! And I wanted to show off my Route 66 shirt , but I cut off the Route 66 logo. Oh well! Treatment went well!

Year 1 was a fire drill and getting everything organized and in perspective. Year 2 has been about getting our life back. Both have been successful. Year 3 is all about getting rid of baggage. And along the way, I fully expect to get rid of this last 12 cells per million and be in complete remission.

First treatment of the new year. It only took 4 stabs to get the IV going. Ha! Easy day for me. Tough start to the day for my nurse.

In the past I have worn bright shirts to treatment in the hope of cheering someone else up. Today I realized I needed the shirt for me.

Part “I Ride For:”, part treatment post, this story is about Dan and my cousin Chris. Both working hard in the fight against multiple myeloma.

Started Round #8 of maintenance and the excitement today was my new shirt! I got this from my friend and fellow cancer warrior, Mary, the first person I talked to about my cancer. I do treatment every other Monday for the next 29 years. If you send me a shirt, I’ll wear it!

Another treatment day, another LOUD shirt!

Jeri got me this one for Father’s Day as kind of a joke. She for sure never thought I would wear it to work. Wrong!

I messaged Jack’s parents I told them that I wear colorful or meaningful shirts to every treatment session. If they sent me a shirt, I could do both - colorful AND meaningful. Here it is, my brand new “I Know Jack” shirt!

Treatment on Monday was tough. I’d recently reconnected with Roger who used to be a co-worker. He had a different kind of blood cancer, but seemed to be on the same treatment schedule as me. I found out that Roger died 8 days after our last treatment together.

As Jeri and I were about to get off the ship in Willemstad, Curacao to explore, I got a message from Cindy at the Ottawa County Health Department. She wondered if I had finished the last dose of my treatment for latent tuberculosis. I forgot to message her, but she did not forget me. THANK YOU, CINDY!

As the ship we are on pulled out of Fort Lauderdale, I was filled with emotion that I was not expecting. Not enough to actually elicit a tear, but enough to kind of take my breath away. Even 5 days later, the contrast between March of 2023 and March of 2024 causes my breath to catch just a little.