There are many things that can happen to a body after a bone marrow transplant. Graft vs Host disease, infection, viruses, autoimmune conditions, not to mention the lingering side effects of treatment and medication. And if you’re lucky enough to survive 35 years, as I am, there’s old age and achy joints to slow you down. Think ’57 Chevy with a rebuilt engine and a whole lot of tinkering!
One constant for me these past three and a half decades has been the extraordinary care and compassion of the people who work at Princess Margaret Cancer Centre. From blood and lab technicians, to nurses and doctors—oncologists, radiologists, hematologists psychologists, and all the ‘ologists in between. From volunteers to administrators, security and cleaning staff. People show up with a smile on their face that spreads all the way up to their eyes, visible above a mask. In some of the toughest moments a person can endure, being part of that community somehow makes the burden easier to bear.
That sense of care and compassion is obvious from the start through diagnosis and initial treatment, maybe maintenance, then years of follow-up dealing with new symptoms, scares, even a pandemic. I am indebted to every person I’ve met along my journey at The Princess Margaret and literally would not be here without them. It’s no surprise I’ll be back on my bike this year to ride and raise funds for Princess Margaret Cancer Centre. Because there are not enough ways to say thank-you!
You can learn more about why I ride and support me by visiting my personal Ride fundraising page.
Thanks in advance for any support you can offer to celebrate survivors, remember friends and family who are living with cancer, and to honour the memory of those who have lost their battle.
Sincerely,
Margaret
