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ABVD, beam, Bloodcancer, bone, Bonecancer.transplant, cancer, change, chemotherapy, daveruttan, haematology, health, hematolohy, Hodgkins, hogkins!Lymphoma, Ice, jackie, Laura, myloma, PET CT scanner, positive, remission, results, scan, survive
Morning, it’s amazing this journey we all call life. We live yet we are such fragile beings, I feel privalaged. Not to have beaten cancer but that I have a life, but this is no ordinary life that I live. 4 years ago I fought the fight of my life. I fought like hell to beat cancer and got into remission, then starting to live my life. It was a strange feeling being told I was in remission. I can’t exsplain it but I never felt that it had left my body, my hair never fell out during chemo. Although it was tough and a hard thing to achieve, and I could not contradict what the scan showed, also what the doctors were saying. I had won, I had fought hard and won.
It’s great though, not because I won, but the people I am coming into contact with. People that can relate to my journey even sharing journeys they have had. Such is the inspiration for this Blog, a person that stumbled across my blog rang true. I then learn the storey about Dave Ruttan, Laura’s brother in law. This is about his story along with mine in one place.
Dave had colon cancer, he was married to Jackie Ruttan. This is what Laura has to say about Dave and Jackie.
My brother in law was named Dave. He was a bearded, chubby biker who drove a gigantic bright orange Harley Davidson. He was big and strong, fearless and wonderful. The day Dave passed, I was home alone, it was around 10:30 at night and I was on the phone with a friend. My friend started freaking out and said “I have to go, I have to go” and hung up on me. A second later my sister called to tell me Dave had passed away. Immediately after I hung up from her, my friend called back apologizing but there was a huge crash in his backyard. This is a man that I will never forget, and should never be forgotten.
This is what Laura wrote for their wedding day.
Dave, I used to think that you were the luckiest man in the world to have found my sister. She’s warm and strong and true. But in all honesty, Dave, my sister is luckier to have found you. Thank you Dave. Thank you for reminding my sister about love. Thank you for reminding me. Thank you for reminding any and everyone who meets you, because anyone who didn’t believe in love, changed when they saw your two faces.
Left – right Laura, Dave, and Jackie
May your time together be filled with the love that I didn’t believe existed until Jackie met Dave.
Laura did not make the wedding. Due to ill health. But Dave is like my brother he also got into remission. He is an example to all cancer fighters. Although Dave had Colon cancer, he beat it wearing a colostomy bag because of it. I imagine he lived life to the full after winning his battle. Although I don’t know Dave I know how hard he had to fight just to get to hear those words.
Dave was married to Jackie for 9 days before he passed away, the cancer came back and he was to weak to fight it anymore. But he lived a full life for 20 years, isn’t it nice to hear that during those 20 years he was to find what love was, what it felt like to know the security of a loving genuine hand. Life is so unpredictable, and it does not matter how big you are, strong you are. Cancer takes whoever it likes, but I tip my hat to a man that fought and won so he could live twice.
For me I have fought and won twice now, I have fought that my friends and family can have more time with me. That I may have a life to encourage others with, to help other people see a new way of thinking. Maybe give them (you) the strength you need to fight. You can’t make a dream come true if you don’t have a dream I say. So love your life, live for today. Tomorrow is not promised to anyone.
I have a chance to live for a third time having lived twice. At 46 I have the chance to do what some like Dave didn’t get. Cancer is a mean desease, but we stand and I for 1 want to wish Jackie well as she prepares to marry again. I am sure his storey will be read by more people now, and guess what YOU can help more people be affected by his life. Let’s make today a day we share Daves Story. RIP Dave Ruttan….
Live because you can, do what you dream of because you can. You CAN remember that.
Have a great day
Mark
Special thanks to Jackie Ruttan, and Laura McGowan.
https://skinnyandsingle.wordpress.com/2014/07/21/my-amazing-sister/
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