Cancer's #%$ Has Been Kicked

I've had fun blogging over the past year and a half, and I hope you've all had fun reading it. I try to focus the entries on exciting experiences or joyous moments we've had in our lives. While the stories often make us all smile, they do tend to seem a bit trivial at times. I've decided to take a break from the light-hearted fun, and focus on a more meaningful event.

I'd like to dedicate this blog to our good friend, Mark Thurbush.

His wife, Claire, is one of my best friends and was a bridesmaid in our wedding. Mark and Kyle have become BFF's (and Fantasy Football Junkies) over the past several years. This past March, Mark was diagnosed with Follicular Lymphoma. His father had just been diagnosed with cancer about 6 months earlier, and he and Claire were just settling into their new roles as parents to adorable little Reid. The news was like a swift kick to the gut ... we simply couldn't believe it.

The past 6 months, Mark and Claire have spent countless hours at hospitals and doctors appointments, enduring chemo, radiation and a myriad of other tests. During the long, exhausing, life-changing experience, they blogged about Mark's progress to keep family and friends informed. Kyle and I (and hundreds of others) have been glued to that website day in and day out ... not only for status updates, but for inspiration

For those of you who don't know Mark, he has always been the type of guy that makes friends wherever he goes. Always a smile on his face, a glow in his eye, and a laugh never far away. The "C Word" didn't change any of that for Mark. He kept flashing that smile, always joking around with his hardworking doctors and chose theme songs like "I'm a Survivor," "Don't Stop Believin," and "We're Not Gonna Take It" as the new soundtrack to his life.

Mark's attitude not only helped to get him through this tough time, but he helped the rest of us get through this tough time as well. With the shock of the diagnosis and for many, being so far away from the Thurbush family, it was easy to feel down. But, Mark wouldn't let us. He kept on smiling, joking around and so relentlessly fighting the disease that the rest of us couldn't help but feel inspired. "Why am I complaining? What's so difficult about my life? Look at Mark ... smiling and making jokes while he battles cancer." While we supported Mark during his battle with cancer, he unknowingly supported all of us through our life challenges.

Last week, Mark got his test results back after 6 rounds of chemo ... IN REMISSION!!!

What a wonderful gift! It's like Christmas in August! I join everyone when I say thank you to all the doctors, to God, to Mark's family and friends, to Claire ... but I'd also like to say thank you to Mark. For inspiring the rest of us. Showing us what a positive attitude can do. Showing us how to keep living your life even when you've been dealt a poor hand. We're so excited to share more great memories with the Thurbush family when we move back north.

I'm not telling this story to bring anyone down ... I want everyone to use this story as a reason to stop and smell the roses. Slow down a bit and enjoy the little things. Find the silver lining and stay positive. Life is too delicate to be taken for granted. So, I guess my blogging isn't trivial at all ... I'll continue celebrating life's little moments and hope you join me!

**For those whose lives have been affected by cancer and want to support the fight, feel free to donate to our good friend, Mark Thurbush - a true friend and inspiration. He'll be participating in the Lymphoma Walk in Minneapolis this September and has a goal of raising $5000 for cancer research.

http://pages.lightthenight.org/mn/TwinCiti10/ImaSurvivor