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| John Run For The Wall May 2017. Standing for the song, "God Bless the USA" |
May 2017 - December 2017
Immunotherapy is being advertised by the pharmaceutecals as "the" treatment for Cancer patients. Let me say this, it gave John an incredible year. It gave us time.
The progression of his disease seemed to stop in mid-progression as we saw in the scans after only 3 weeks of weekly treatments. We began having hope once again and made plans to ride our motorcycle trike on the 2017 Run For The Wall, as well as other outings.
The anticipation of the Run became all-consuming for both of us, but more so for John. How do you pack 10 days work of special liquid food, medications, etc. on a motorcycle? You don't. We decided to take our truck and share riding the bike and driving the truck. This was not a decision John was happy with. I think we both knew that this trip was going to be his/our last together on the bike and he wanted to make the journey riding the wind and not sitting in the truck. To say it was tense in our home would be an understatement.
My brother, Mario and two of his close friends joined the Run riding down from Washington State. We hooked up with them in Odessa, TX, and when I saw my brother, I bawled! He had been trying to make the Run for 7 years and to actually see him, give him a hug and cry with him is a memory I hold dear.
Paul, Mario and Jim
The Run was horrible. The weather gods did not cooperate and it poured buckets on us most of the time. The constant rain made it miserable for all of us; especially John. Afraid of catching pneumonia, he was forced to ride in the truck except for a few short legs where the sun shone and the temperature rose. Needless to say, he was not a happy camper and neither was I. After three days, we talked and I told him to get on the bike and ride; and so he did.
The RFTW team had made sure that John could ride in the Missing Man formation in Mississippi riding into Jacksonville Harley Davidson. My brother, Mario, would be his companion in formation.
Seeing John ride into Jacksonville HD in a light drizzle along side my brother, was an unbelievably emotional experience. When he got off the bike, the sun came out, the temperature soared and as he got out of his rain gear, he took me aside and said, (reading his lips), I rode for me, I won't be here next year. Holding each other and crying, we both knew the truth of his words.
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| Mario, John and Paul |
John, Me and The General
After visiting the Washington Memorial Park with my John, my brother and his two friends, it was time to say goodbye to DC. Mario and his friends left, our friend, Chuck, flew in to ride our trike back, I said see you soon to John and boarded the plane for home. I left John and the truck in the parking lot of the hotel to take his time driving home. I knew he had to be back by a specific date for his next treatment.
John took his time driving back as he went through Georgia to see both of his brothers and their families. He arrive home safe and sound.
At the end of June, John drove the truck to Vermont to see his daughter and her family who came in from Maui where they live to see relatives and visit friends. He fished in Vermont lakes, caught the wily creatures, and more importantly connected with family. Leaving Vermont, he swung down through Illinois to see his sisters and their families and after three weeks on the road and in time for another treatment, he arrived home.
Grandaughter's Tegan, and Makenna, John and daughter Dani
October rolled around and another adventure called to both of us. I flew to Las Vegas to meet with Tyler and the grandkids and attend a nephew's wedding. John drove the truck. Although we had a wonderful time with family, I could tell that he was more tired than usual and opted out of attending the wedding. When it came time for him to drive home, he was anxious to be on the road and made sure I knew his route and schedule. After he left, family told me that he had talked to each of them and said he loved them and that he most likely would not see them again. He told them he had had an incredible life and that they all had played a part in his story and that he was grateful for them. They said he told them not to cry, but to be happy and to live their lives in happiness.
Grandson, Eli, Papa John, Son-Tyler, Grandaughter, Lizzy
Ewanda-married to Jae, Uncle John, Son Jae and Me
John, Son-Tyler and daughter, Erin
My family told me this and also tole me that he was a remarkable influence in their lives and it was an honor to have known him. I don't know about you, but I was overwhelmed with emotion. It was the last adventure John took.
The immunotherapy quit working sometime in November, 2017. And John wanted to make one last try with chemo. We left for MD Anderson where we were told that he could have three more months of Chemo, but that was it. We knew it wasn't going to cure him - just prolong his life. He said he wanted to try the chemo.
Christmas is a blur - wasn't very jolly. Most of our friends said to have hope, but John and i share the same personality trait...we are realists.
