I guess I should have followed my gut instinct and NOT watched it at work. And if you're going to click on that link, be sure you have a box of Kleenex. I couldn't even make it through the whole thing.
For those not willing to put yourself through that, the long and short of it is that Eric is terminal. So much so that they've begun hospice care for him at his parents' house. He's in agony and I can only hope that they can do anything to make his remaining time here as comfortable as they can.
You know, as if cancer isn't bad enough-eating away at your body and virtually sucking the life out of you-the treatments are just as bad. They ruin your appetite. You're unable to eat or keep anything down. You lose way more weight than is healthy. But then, when the cancer finally wins, it can't even let you go with any kind of mercy. It's almost always painful...and not just a little, either.
So we will shed our tears and mourn for someone who will be leaving this world far sooner than he should. But we need to soldier on for the cause. We need to keep fighting, even when Eric isn't physically here to lead the charge. He will be with us in spirit-cheering us on as we cheered him on during his long and courageous fight. We will keep fighting so that maybe, some day, someone won't have to suffer the same fate. Some day we will find a cure and in the meantime we keep finding ways to prolong the lives of people who are cursed with this terrible disease so that maybe they will live long enough to find a cure.
One of the items on Eric's Bucket List is for as many people as possible to sign up for the National Bone Marrow Registry. I've already done it, but I will continue to promote the cause, not just for Eric, but for the people who wouldn't live if it weren't for people like me, who aren't afraid to put themselves out there so that someone else can benefit.
Life is way too short. Never take it for granted. Tell your loved ones how much they mean to you everyday and live each moment like it could be your last because it very well could be.
Eric, you're an inspiration to a great many people. You're a true warrior who never accepted an answer you didn't want. When the doctors told you that you only had months to live you proved them all wrong. You became an exception rather than the rule. Those of us who will stay behind will share your story and you will truly never be forgotten. And hopefully your suffering will not have been for nothing. Someday everything you went through will pay off and we will find a cure for this awful disease.
We love you.
