You Guys And Gals Are The Best!!

I just wanted to take a moment to check in and thank everyone who has contributed so far to Creating a Light and let you know how my dad's doing! This project has become so much bigger than I ever thought it would be. I don't mean in scope, but in meaning. It's had the intended effect on my dad that I hoped it would and then SO MUCH MORE!!! His outlook on life has changed quite drastically for the better and he's fighting harder than I think he even thought he could. It's not so much that he feels that he has people to answer to so much as he's learning that there is so much good in the world...and if complete strangers can care and take the time to wish him well and create something for him, put down kind words on a card, share a piece of themselves with him, let him know that he is in their thoughts, then there is so so so much worth fighting for. You're all painting a beautiful picture of a world that he very much wants to remain in.

I took him today for treatment and things didn't go as planned. Mondays are long days for treatment. On Mondays, it's labs, meeting with his oncologist, chemo, then radiation. When I went to pick him up this morning, I dropped off a few things that arrived for the Creating a Light project and let's just say it was a great start to the day :) Today's mail was extra special with a postcard, a homemade framed motivational picture, two packs of candy bars and a hand knitted chemo mascot!!! Which he says he shall cuddle with every night :p So his spirits were up today. He got his labs drawn and we met with his oncologist who said that his white blood cell count was too low for him to get chemo today. Normally this would be crushing news to my dad. Last time he was told this, it spun him into a pretty negative spiral. But today he was ok with that news. He knows now that it's nothing he's doing wrong and it's just the way this goes. Chemo wreaks havoc on your white blood cell count and it cut his in half from last week so it can't afford to go any lower.

What his oncologist DID tell him though was that despite his WBC count being low, he thought he looked healthier and in better spirits than he had seen him in awhile!! And he said that medically, he's doing pretty well right now!! My dad responded by telling his oncologist that "my son has people from all over the world cheering for me" :p And added a big smile. His doctor smiled too and said that he loved to hear stuff like that and that supports are one of the most important things when fighting cancer.

I want to make sure that all of you know that you are quite literally saving someone's life with these amazing acts of kindness. Both my dad and myself have been so overwhelmed by the kindness of everyone with this project and it's had such a surprisingly profound effect on him. Thank you all so much for that!!!!

During last weeks chemo session...2nd this round, number 4 overall!

I want to keep it going! I need to keep it going. Today would've been the halfway mark of this round of chemo if he could've gotten it. So there is still a LOT of fighting to go and the effects of chemo are cumulative unfortunately, meaning it gets harder and harder with each round. If you have the time, please help spread the word about this. Each postcard or greeting card or candy bar or bookmark or crossword puzzle book or pair of socks or unique creation that my dad gets is another reminder that there is something to fight for. He's keeping all of his cards in a box and he told me today that he's probably read each card that he's gotten twenty times already. He loves to go back and remind himself what people have shared. He gets overwhelmed with the kindness of strangers, these strangers become friends to him, though he may never meet them, he wants to fight not just for himself, but to keep being in a world where he can share life with everyone who's shared such kindness with him.

Thank you all again so so much. If you would like to share this project with others, here's a link to the original post! Have a great week everyone!! And happy Mardi Gras to my fellow New Orleanians :)