How my brain haemorrhage and my wife's breast cancer improved our lives.
I often say that suffering a brain haemorrhage was the best thing ever to have happened to me. I doubt that too many people can say that. The changes that have occurred as a direct result of it have completely altered my outlook on life, making me happier and more appreciative of everything around me.
I wasn’t allowed to completely steal the resultant limelight and attention, as while I was writing the book on my experiences, my wife (Sarah) was diagnosed with breast cancer. Before her course of chemotherapy, I told her that whether we could afford it or not, once it was all over we’d drive Route 66 from Chicago to Los Angeles.
We did just that in the summer of last year. It was the best holiday ever, and we have now set the bar very high for any future adventures. Sarah has only one heartthrob (apart from me, of course) – Pierce Brosnan. We chanced upon him on Hollywood Boulevard, signing autographs as he was arriving for the premier of his film November Man. This occurred on the last full day of our holiday – a fitting finale. I told her I planned it, but she doesn’t believe me!
Sarah has now beaten cancer. We are both very lucky people. Others look upon us with sympathetic eyes, but why should they when we are living fuller and happier lives than we’d ever had before? It’s enabled me to write my book I’m Never Ill. It has inspired my website which includes a humorous chemotherapy blog and Route 66 blog (with a close up photo of Pierce Brosnan). I’m particularly keen to share the chemotherapy blog as I believe that it can help many people who are going through the same. It has so far been viewed by people all around the world.
In October we started jiving lessons. We are now beginning to build up confidence and have started going to dances regularly. There is a video of us jiving in our chemotherapy blog on the website. Okay, we’re not exactly hurling each other across the dance floor yet, but it’s a start. It’s a wonderful, fun pastime.
We have made many changes to our lifestyle since our illnesses, including fitness and diet, and we are planning to live to 100. That’s our challenge. I’m just over half way there; Sarah is just under. We want to spend as much time as we can sharing our story and hopefully inspiring people to inject some positivity into their lives.
Check out my website for a fun read – www.markdpritchard.com, and please share our chemotherapy blog with anyone you feel may benefit from it.
Mark D Pritchard