I'm sorry for any inconvenience caused but I was getting many emails and Facebook postings saying that people were unable to publish a comment on this site so in an effort to make it easier for people to make comments (which are invaluable to me) and to access the site in general, I've decided to have people simply enter www.thenexttwentyyears.com in their website browser. This way you can easily save the URL in your favourites if you would like to easily read more from time to time and you should also be able to make comments easily as I have tested the comment feature.
If you do have any trouble with www.thenexttwentyyears.com - please do email me or make a posting to my Facebook page and let me know - I'll look into it as soon as I can and let you know.
I hope at the very least you find the blog interesting and that in some small way, it is of some benefit.
Best,
Mohan
Sunday 24 March 2013
Friday 22 March 2013
My second post - back home now.
Ok - so I'm back at home now and its the night after my nurse came and gave me an IV (Zometa). I've slept for about 24 hours and there are lots of thoughts running around in my head.
Anyway - a little history. I will use first names only to protect their privacy a little bit but really everyone I mention has helped to save my life in some way. They have not only saved it but continue to fuel the energy to help me thrive. I grew up in a bit of a dysfunctional family - though my mother and father loved me, they had issues of their own and were not very healthy. Their health probably helped shape my view on life a bit. Anyway, because I was an only child and could not rely on them as much as I would have liked, I had to turn to my friends - they were extraordinarily important to me and some of them that I know during my teenage years are still my closest friends today and have done more for me in the last few years than I can ever thank them for.
I have tried to live my life through one simple philosophy "Try and leave everyone you encounter in a day a little better off for having interacted with you". My kids have probably heard it more than they would like to as its really the only thing I preach. Its a simple statement and really very easy to do - in the simplest encounters - even buying a coffee somewhere - leave the person behind the counter with a smile. Just say something pleasant with a smile and they'll be happy to have served you. Or the reverse - if I'm serving somebody - leave the other person a little happier for having met you. Its easy to do and if you try it consciously for a month - it'll become a habit and you won't have to try anymore. You'll feel pretty good about yourself too - that's the reward. You'll know that you are creating positive energy in the world and you won't even be trying. It also gets addictive, you'll find the better people feel when they are with you, the more happy you want them to be - Joni and I love it when people feel good around us. I've been told by many that the love and support I receive now is because of the good will we've created over the years - if that's true, then I'm receiving many times more the love and energy than I can be responsible for giving.
Joni in particular - I met her through a friend some 32 years ago. 30 years ago this August we were married. She is now the pillar I rely on every day - she is remarkable - owning a business (SupperWorks), feeling responsible for her employees, franchisees, customers and supporting the kids and me - she embodies the word "Grace". I could not be a more fortunate man. I wish that I had not brought the cancer upon her but it is what it is. The remarkable thing is that 6 months before I was diagnosed with cancer, she was - a tumour on her eye (who had ever heard of that). I was to be the one supporting her - she had to have two surgeries on her eye - to arrest the growth of the tumour, they had to sew a radioactive patch over her eye and then remove it a week later. The procedures went flawlessly thanks to the doctors, nurses and caregivers at Princess Margaret Hospital. Her cancer stopped growing and in fact has started to shrink - we have been told she will be fine but they are going to check her every 6 months. In some strange way, we both think what happened to her was to prepare us for my ordeal (which is every bit her ordeal too). Its late now - more later. Cheers !
Anyway - a little history. I will use first names only to protect their privacy a little bit but really everyone I mention has helped to save my life in some way. They have not only saved it but continue to fuel the energy to help me thrive. I grew up in a bit of a dysfunctional family - though my mother and father loved me, they had issues of their own and were not very healthy. Their health probably helped shape my view on life a bit. Anyway, because I was an only child and could not rely on them as much as I would have liked, I had to turn to my friends - they were extraordinarily important to me and some of them that I know during my teenage years are still my closest friends today and have done more for me in the last few years than I can ever thank them for.
I have tried to live my life through one simple philosophy "Try and leave everyone you encounter in a day a little better off for having interacted with you". My kids have probably heard it more than they would like to as its really the only thing I preach. Its a simple statement and really very easy to do - in the simplest encounters - even buying a coffee somewhere - leave the person behind the counter with a smile. Just say something pleasant with a smile and they'll be happy to have served you. Or the reverse - if I'm serving somebody - leave the other person a little happier for having met you. Its easy to do and if you try it consciously for a month - it'll become a habit and you won't have to try anymore. You'll feel pretty good about yourself too - that's the reward. You'll know that you are creating positive energy in the world and you won't even be trying. It also gets addictive, you'll find the better people feel when they are with you, the more happy you want them to be - Joni and I love it when people feel good around us. I've been told by many that the love and support I receive now is because of the good will we've created over the years - if that's true, then I'm receiving many times more the love and energy than I can be responsible for giving.
Joni in particular - I met her through a friend some 32 years ago. 30 years ago this August we were married. She is now the pillar I rely on every day - she is remarkable - owning a business (SupperWorks), feeling responsible for her employees, franchisees, customers and supporting the kids and me - she embodies the word "Grace". I could not be a more fortunate man. I wish that I had not brought the cancer upon her but it is what it is. The remarkable thing is that 6 months before I was diagnosed with cancer, she was - a tumour on her eye (who had ever heard of that). I was to be the one supporting her - she had to have two surgeries on her eye - to arrest the growth of the tumour, they had to sew a radioactive patch over her eye and then remove it a week later. The procedures went flawlessly thanks to the doctors, nurses and caregivers at Princess Margaret Hospital. Her cancer stopped growing and in fact has started to shrink - we have been told she will be fine but they are going to check her every 6 months. In some strange way, we both think what happened to her was to prepare us for my ordeal (which is every bit her ordeal too). Its late now - more later. Cheers !
Wednesday 20 March 2013
So this is my first post on my first blog. I told my wife this morning that I felt I had to start a blog - for a number of reasons. The last 2 years have been life changing. My family has had some challenges along the way in the first 51 years of my life but the last two have been something else. In fact, I feel very lucky to be here and I feel that if I could share my story, perhaps another husband somewhere might get an extra day with their wife, another son or daughter might get another day with their mom or dad, another mom or dad might get an extra day with their child, another friend might get an extra day with their friends. That would make it all worthwhile.
Of course, I'll try and be completely honest and bare my soul. My friends and family know me as an open book but it seems a bit strange to share your thoughts and feelings with the world. I've titled my post "The Next Twenty Years" because that's how long I hope to be around and to get there, the last 51 and particularly the last 2 will have been instrumental. I kind of hate to start here but it is why I am writing the blog - you see, on December 28, 2011 at about 1:30pm Eastern Time, my wife and I were told that I had potentially terminal stage 4 kidney cancer (my wife says that the doctor said terminal but I think he said potentially terminal). Anyway - I have never seen my dear wife's face so stricken and though I too was taken aback by what the doctor said, I was more taken aback by the look on my wife's face. I had never seen that before and all I could do was to go over and try and comfort her. Joni (my wife) never looked so afraid. From then till today has been an incredible journey - in fact, even how we got to that day is quite a journey. I'm nor sure where to start, so I guess that's why this is a blog - thoughts are a little jumbled - I kind of need to make sense of things as I write them too. Today - I still have Stage 4, Grade 4 Kidney (Renal Cell) cancer however through the power of my family and friends love (I know that sounds like a cliche), I'm still here and believe I could be here another twenty years - that's my goal.
This story is very personal but if you can channel your love to somebody who needs it or be willing to receive love from those around you willing to give it - you too can survive life's most challenging times. You know they say that the battle against cancer is won and lost with attitude - all the positive attitude in the world can't help unless its followed up with love. As I tell my families story through the pages of this blog, I hope I can help myself channel all the love in my life and also help others channel theirs so that they too not only survive, but thrive. Its not enough to survive cancer, you have to thrive in spite of it. More later - its time for bed. Have to catch a flight home tomorrow.
Of course, I'll try and be completely honest and bare my soul. My friends and family know me as an open book but it seems a bit strange to share your thoughts and feelings with the world. I've titled my post "The Next Twenty Years" because that's how long I hope to be around and to get there, the last 51 and particularly the last 2 will have been instrumental. I kind of hate to start here but it is why I am writing the blog - you see, on December 28, 2011 at about 1:30pm Eastern Time, my wife and I were told that I had potentially terminal stage 4 kidney cancer (my wife says that the doctor said terminal but I think he said potentially terminal). Anyway - I have never seen my dear wife's face so stricken and though I too was taken aback by what the doctor said, I was more taken aback by the look on my wife's face. I had never seen that before and all I could do was to go over and try and comfort her. Joni (my wife) never looked so afraid. From then till today has been an incredible journey - in fact, even how we got to that day is quite a journey. I'm nor sure where to start, so I guess that's why this is a blog - thoughts are a little jumbled - I kind of need to make sense of things as I write them too. Today - I still have Stage 4, Grade 4 Kidney (Renal Cell) cancer however through the power of my family and friends love (I know that sounds like a cliche), I'm still here and believe I could be here another twenty years - that's my goal.
This story is very personal but if you can channel your love to somebody who needs it or be willing to receive love from those around you willing to give it - you too can survive life's most challenging times. You know they say that the battle against cancer is won and lost with attitude - all the positive attitude in the world can't help unless its followed up with love. As I tell my families story through the pages of this blog, I hope I can help myself channel all the love in my life and also help others channel theirs so that they too not only survive, but thrive. Its not enough to survive cancer, you have to thrive in spite of it. More later - its time for bed. Have to catch a flight home tomorrow.
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