Leukemia Summer Surprise Tour 2022

In June 2022, I went for a routine annual wellness check with my Primary Care Physician. They drew blood. Three hours later, a nurse called, cited unexpected results, and sent me to an ER to repeat the test. That afternoon I was transported to Via Christi St. Francis Hospital in Wichita and found myself deposited on 7-North in the Cancer Center.

Tests followed; multiple doctor visits. There was a prompt diagnosis of Acute Myeloid Leukemia, and without immediate and aggressive chemotherapy, perhaps fatal within 2 weeks.

The chemo went fine (I didn’t die), but because of the compromised immune system, I fell prey to other complications. The hospital is a great place to visit if you want to get sick, especially if your immune system is suppressed when you go in.

There was atrial fibrillation, a particularly nasty fungus, a ruptured spleen, kidney failure and lower bowel difficulty not for the faint of heart.

Through this, I posted a Caring Bridge social media update daily. After 83 days in captivity, I was released for continuing outpatient chemotherapy, and an immune system still compromised enough that I could not feasibly engage in work outside the home.

So I stayed in my basement office and wrote a book: Alligator Wrestling in the Cancer Ward: How a Christian Tough-Guy Survived Leukemia with Gallows Humor, One-Liners and a Praying Posse. It is self-published, initially on Amazon and now at other outlets. Paperback, eBook and audio versions are available.

The book is laugh-out-loud funny, a little cynical, heart-wrenching in places and thoroughly Biblical. It seeks to offer a path to stay on top of the unconquerable challenges of life, rather than being rolled underneath their weight.

And, bonus, there is a war story in every chapter.

I have now stumbled into a role as poster boy for leukemia survival. Meetings, power lunches, media interviews, book signings, legal talk, volunteer positions and speaking gigs. Much of my time and energy is invested in distributing complimentary copies of Alligator Wrestling to survivors and caregivers — who, after a fashion, are themselves survivors — the real heroes.

The journey rolls on. No one knows what tomorrow holds.

We do not always get to choose the trials we face, only how we face them.

Curt