This is the email I sent out when we first told people. We'll start there and build.
Hey everyone! I have cancer! How are you?
OK, we've gotten that over with. Neela and I are writing to tell you that I have been diagnosed with what the doctors refer to as a likely curable B Cell Acute Lymphatic Leukemia/Lymphoma. Or something.
There're a lot of words up there but 'curable' is the one we are concentrating on. We are still in the process of getting a massive amounts of tests, so nothing is totally official or locked down (except that it's definitely cancer), but the general info seems to be that I have a very aggressive form of blood/bone cancer that--because it is aggressive--is treatable and hopefully curable. I will likely start chemo early next week, and it looks like it will be a rough few weeks of chemo and then a longer road to remission and recovery.
But I don't want anything to sound too certain as we are still getting all our info in order.
Suffice to say this comes out of the blue and kicks us in the ass, but we are handling it as well as can be expected and trying to concentrate on the road to beating the cancer. I have had to postpone or cancel a bunch of running races and multisport or endurance events and I fully intend to return to all of them as soon as possible. I hope to be head-banging and driving extreme distances again very soon.
We apologize for the mass-mail but we have a lot to concentrate on and schedule these days and I get tired more easily than usual. Nobody will be punished for not responding. As lovely as good wishes are, they are fine in the ether: answering a dozen emails will be as draining as it will be helpful.
For those who are curious, a series of crappy results in races and an oddly painful set of push-ups sent me to my doctor last Monday, and the blood tests he ran showed us we needed to get going. I had the same blood tests in January before hernia surgery and there was nothing wrong, so this is clearly a quick disease. We're trying to be quick about handling it.
In the next few weeks and months our schedule will, obviously, be at the mercy of doctors. So we apologize in advance for whatever we skip or miss. But rest assured, it is our intent to very soon be back to enjoying, mocking, or avoiding you all as soon as we can.
We'll keep you updated as much as possible. If we need anything we will let people know, but if you don't hear from us it is simply that we are spending our time and energy on my health.
Find a loved one and hug them. Thanks,
Holter and Neela
