Base2Space

11 months post transplant, I'm really beginning to realize that Cancer isn't a curse.  It's been a total reset to me and because of it, I've had the opportunity to meet, cherish and do things I would never have or could have done before.  I'll just share a thank you letter I wrote yesterday to David Mandapat who runs the Space Needle and Mark Grantor who works for Fred Hutch.

David and Mark,

I can’t thank you two enough for today.  Wow.  I’ve had some incredible opportunities in my life and today ranks right up there. 

The first photo is Haines Alaska on a run called Frosted Flutes.  It was on April 27th, 2007.  I’m 3/4 of the way down right above the Bergstrom.    This day, this run, is single handedly the best day ever I’ve had snowboarding and I’ve been standing sideways for 32 years now.

 Anyway…

This combined with climbing all them God damn stairs produced a similar feeling of elatedness that the above shot did.

For the snowboard run to happen, I only had to put in 75 days or so on the snow that season, swim 3 times a week, and be in the gym the other 3.  Then pay a couple of grand in travel and heli fee’s.  And then for the second photo, I didn’t have to do anything, but let nature take it’s course and then find Fred Hutch, the SCCA and meet you two. And have insurance dish out close to a million to keep my ass alive.

Both challenging in their own ways, and honestly, the reward afterword is very similar. 

Funny that last year at the same time I was walking around the Space Needle, I was getting 31 staples pulled out of my stomach because they had to yank my 12 pound spleen.  And by the way, that doesn’t rank up there with “incredible opportunities.”

Very grateful, thank you.

Johan