What a journey! Today is my 2nd glioma birthday, exactly 2 years and one day after I had a seizure that led me to my glioma.
While a nightmare at first I still believe that this has been a blessing, I have been living a more purposeful life and have invested every minute of it into something valuable and it still feels like I should invest a lot more time particulalry into friends and family.
Life is always too short when you live well and mine just doesn's stop getting shorter, I still hope to live until I am 100 and I am loving all the scientific contests that revolve around extending life.
Today I see the world differently and many things that I took for granted make no sense to me today. As I listen to crazy nationalistic ridiculous retoric from several countries around cyber-security and privacy I wonder what haven't people learned with the past, before being citizens from any country we are humans and should act like such. To make my point I will share 10 lessons learned with glioma.
I was first supported by several nurses and a dedicated doctor from the Brazilian Northeast, a region from which many migrate to São Paulo in search of a better life. At the crowded public hospital, HGG - Hospital Geral de Guarulhos - where I was taken after my seizure, I learned the value of free health care, one that while not perfect and severely under-funded/mismanaged, is still full of commited professionals who dedicate their lives to taking care of people and that put life ahead of money, lesson #1 learned.
From there I was sent to a private hospital as HGG did not have an MRI machine, it had only tomography equipment, accurate enough to find a mass in my brain. There I learned the value of the dedicated nurses and sensitive people. As I received the news of my brain tumor and fell into a slight depression I was constantly supported by the dedicated professionals who watched me cry for several days. They showed me how privileged I was to be supported by their dedication, and by total coincidence I was taken care of by the same nurse that took care of me at the public hospital. If one hospital job is not enough how about two? Lesson #2, purpose is the most important quality in life and provides the strength to do anything.
Following my time at the hospital I arrived at my in-laws where me and my family were supposed to stay until our move arrived. Our plans changed drastically, we were supposed to move to a friend's rented apartment and had to replan as I had no idea of what to expect from my glioma. Lesson #3, plans are important but don't count on them, they are only plans. When reality hits you have to live it and do the best you can under your circumstances.
For a few days I would cry every time I looked at my daughters until one day I woke-up and thanked God for another day. Lesson #4, don't under-estimate God's power.
As I started living one day at a time I realized the true value of life. Life happens now and as a portrait at my grand-mother's house used to say, "Yesterday is the past, Tomorrow if the Future and Today is a Gift, that is why it is called the Present". Lesson #5, live every minute as if it were your last one.
As I picked myself up from the ground I started researching how to treat my glioma and how long I could live with it. Several strangers helped me more than any doctor could have helped me. The experiences from people like Liz, Scott Vickroy and Mark Green gave me more strength than any statistic or doctor. Lesson #6, the most rewarding help is the one from complete strangers.
As I prepared for surgery and got increasingly scared with the prospect of messing with my brain I was supported by many friends and my wife, who gave me an incredible book of memories and good wishes, not to mention my wrist-band "Força Patrick" that is still hanging in my wrist. Once it falls I will know I am cured and I hope this happens shortly. My College year-end turned farewell party felt like attending my own funeral and I was very proud of the love my friends nurtured for me. As my friend told me, "we sow what we reap". Lesson #7, family and friends are the only treasures that matter in life, cultivate love and friendship and you will get it back when you need it most.
Once in France for surgery I was welcomed by a country and people to whom honestly I had nothing better than prejudice for. I always thought of France as arrogant and unwelcoming from my time working at a French bank and my back-packing trip to France. I would never dream that the country I once despised would be my honor birth-place, where I was saved and treated like a king by the people of the Montpelier University Hospital. Lesson #8, there is nothing to gain with prejudice, rid yourself of generalizations based in one observation and treat every individual like a unique person, most people are good, bad people are exceptions no matter where you are - don't let a bad apple poison the bunch.
Once back to Brazil I rested for 30 days to get my brain back in shape sleeping and reading as much as i could. It was hard to stay home for that long so I used my time to reconnect with as many friends from the past as possible through Facebook. It was great to talk to so many people to whom I had not spoken in a very long time and the uplift I got from it was surely helpful in my recovery. Lesson #9, old friends keep you young and energized to live long, nurture your friendships and even if you haven't talked to your friends get in touch, good friendships last forever.
Now I invest a good amount of time reading, learning and sharing my thoughts in this blog, I hope I live for many additional years (at least 60 so I can break 100!) and that you find these tips helpful, if you are a glioma patient or caregiver you can see there is hope, if you are a friend or a family member just know that I felt every prayer and wishful thought sent my way, I dedicate this blog and the next years of my life to you, if it weren't for you I would not find the strength to be here. Lesson #10, love thyneighbor as thyself.
May this world find the peace I have found through my glioma, being close to death made me more alive than ever, I hope and pray every night for humanity to become one entity, this is truly what God is and if we all try to build Paradise on Earth we can easily get there, it all starts right here right now. Obama, after Snowden's revelation of cyber-security spying I hope you and the NSA crew enjoy this post, peace!
