A Story Of Determination, Love And Gratitude
My name is Lou, and in 2021, I received a diagnosis no one wants to hear – non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, a type of cancer that begins in your lymphatic system. My story is one of determination, my family’s love and support, and above all, a story of gratitude.
The Diagnosis
Early in 2021, I noticed something on my shoulder. Something that seemed to be getting worse instead of better. When I told my family doctor about it, she ordered several tests to determine what was happening. A lot of my testing took place at the St. Catharines Site. I just have to say, the staff that I had, everybody involved in my care – whether it was the MRIs or CT scans – every person I dealt with was so nice, so understanding, and so willing to answer any questions I had. They made me feel like they actually care about me and that it’s not just a job. It was a good feeling.
Once all the testing was done, I returned to my family doctor. It was April 19th, 2021. I will never forget that day. My doctor looked at the test results and said: “You have been diagnosed with non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma.”
I remember every detail of that day. It’s not a diagnosis you want to hear. I remember dreading having to tell my wonderful wife, Heather. She sat in her chair, not knowing I was about to break the news that would change our lives. As soon as I told her, she turned grey. Through all of this, she suffered way more than I suffered. Believe me.
The Treatment
The next step was to meet Dr. Maida, my oncologist. I saw her with my son Phil by my side. At an incredibly scary time in my life, Dr. Maida’s personality and attitude made all of the difference for me. She was upbeat, respectful, and honest. She gave me all of the information up-front, and while we were discussing something terrifying for myself and my family, she made me feel comfortable. Other doctors may tell you what you want to hear – Dr. Maida told me what I had to hear. She explained that the chances of eradicating the cancer would look good if we started treatment immediately. “What if we don’t,” I asked her. She looked at me and said, “3 – 6 months.” I replied, “well, that settles that, doesn’t it?!” So we started treatment, full steam ahead.
I underwent chemotherapy from May until mid-September 2021, and my body thankfully reacted very well to the treatment. I look back on the experience with gratitude instead of anger or sadness. The team at Niagara Health made me feel like they wanted me to get well. Every one of them. Halfway through my treatment, I received good news from Dr. Maida: testing showed that everything was on track, and the chemo was working. She was very pleased, and I was, too!
The Recovery
My last day of chemo was September 15th, 2021 – another day I will never forget. I thanked my healthcare team religiously. They have such a positive attitude towards their job. I can’t imagine how they maintain it day in and day out.
I still have check-ups every six months. I take nothing for granted anymore. I’m one of the fortunate ones. I came through it. It was a terrifying experience for me, and for my wife. She is my precious rock, and I am happy to see she is herself again. She is happier; she’s smiling and sleeps again. It wasn’t just me who went down. She went down with me, and we rose together. As I got better, she got better.
My Gratitude
I said to myself: when I get over this, I will make a donation. I am grateful, and I want Dr. Maida, her colleague Dr. Salib and the rest of the staff to know this. Their team made me feel so important. From the moment I met these two doctors, I felt like I was going to beat this. They made me feel like I could count on them. The money I am donating to the Niagara Health Foundation is for a very worthy cause. I know it because I’ve been a part of it. I am giving what I can, and I don’t regret one cent of it. I feel like I’m doing what I can do to say “Thank You,” so I’m going to continue to do it for as long as I can do it.
Looking into the future, my wife Heather and I don’t look too far ahead. There are no guarantees in life, and I found that out the hard way. We take it one day at a time, and are grateful for every day.
A Story Of Determination, Love And Gratitude
My name is Lou, and in 2021, I received a diagnosis no one wants to hear – non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, a type of cancer that begins in your lymphatic system. My story is one of determination, my family’s love and support, and above all, a story of gratitude.
The Diagnosis
Early in 2021, I noticed something on my shoulder. Something that seemed to be getting worse instead of better. When I told my family doctor about it, she ordered several tests to determine what was happening. A lot of my testing took place at the St. Catharines Site. I just have to say, the staff that I had, everybody involved in my care – whether it was the MRIs or CT scans – every person I dealt with was so nice, so understanding, and so willing to answer any questions I had. They made me feel like they actually care about me and that it’s not just a job. It was a good feeling.
Once all the testing was done, I returned to my family doctor. It was April 19th, 2021. I will never forget that day. My doctor looked at the test results and said: “You have been diagnosed with non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma.”
I remember every detail of that day. It’s not a diagnosis you want to hear. I remember dreading having to tell my wonderful wife, Heather. She sat in her chair, not knowing I was about to break the news that would change our lives. As soon as I told her, she turned grey. Through all of this, she suffered way more than I suffered. Believe me.
The Treatment
The next step was to meet Dr. Maida, my oncologist. I saw her with my son Phil by my side. At an incredibly scary time in my life, Dr. Maida’s personality and attitude made all of the difference for me. She was upbeat, respectful, and honest. She gave me all of the information up-front, and while we were discussing something terrifying for myself and my family, she made me feel comfortable. Other doctors may tell you what you want to hear – Dr. Maida told me what I had to hear. She explained that the chances of eradicating the cancer would look good if we started treatment immediately. “What if we don’t,” I asked her. She looked at me and said, “3 – 6 months.” I replied, “well, that settles that, doesn’t it?!” So we started treatment, full steam ahead.
I underwent chemotherapy from May until mid-September 2021, and my body thankfully reacted very well to the treatment. I look back on the experience with gratitude instead of anger or sadness. The team at Niagara Health made me feel like they wanted me to get well. Every one of them. Halfway through my treatment, I received good news from Dr. Maida: testing showed that everything was on track, and the chemo was working. She was very pleased, and I was, too!
The Recovery
My last day of chemo was September 15th, 2021 – another day I will never forget. I thanked my healthcare team religiously. They have such a positive attitude towards their job. I can’t imagine how they maintain it day in and day out.
I still have check-ups every six months. I take nothing for granted anymore. I’m one of the fortunate ones. I came through it. It was a terrifying experience for me, and for my wife. She is my precious rock, and I am happy to see she is herself again. She is happier; she’s smiling and sleeps again. It wasn’t just me who went down. She went down with me, and we rose together. As I got better, she got better.
My Gratitude
I said to myself: when I get over this, I will make a donation. I am grateful, and I want Dr. Maida, her colleague Dr. Salib and the rest of the staff to know this. Their team made me feel so important. From the moment I met these two doctors, I felt like I was going to beat this. They made me feel like I could count on them. The money I am donating to the Niagara Health Foundation is for a very worthy cause. I know it because I’ve been a part of it. I am giving what I can, and I don’t regret one cent of it. I feel like I’m doing what I can do to say “Thank You,” so I’m going to continue to do it for as long as I can do it.
Looking into the future, my wife Heather and I don’t look too far ahead. There are no guarantees in life, and I found that out the hard way. We take it one day at a time, and are grateful for every day.
