3285 for the Better

9 years ago on this date, we got a call that changed our lives for the worse…and for the better. “Mr. Andre, we don’t make these calls unless we see something serious in your bone marrow biopsy. You have Acute Myeloid Leukemia and will need to check into the hospital tomorrow. Plan on being there for about a month.” Our world dropped in front of our eyes. In an instant, all of our future plans were called off.

What is 3285? That is 9 years x 365 days. None of those days were promised. And it would get worse, and better, and worse, and better. A relapse a year later requiring a bone marrow transplant. Another relapse 4 years after transplant—Leukemia returning in the form of a solid tumor in the brain. A “shoot the moon” treatment plan. ICU. 160 total nights in the hospital over that period. 45 blood transfusions. 55 platelet transfusions. 

Everything looked dim. But it didn’t stay dim. I was never promised 3285 days, but that is what I have. Every one of those days is a bonus, never promised. It was the worst. There were times I hated it. And times when I wanted to give up. It was extremely hard on my family to watch me suffer. What is the better? I walked my daughter (Jennifer) down the aisle to see her get married. I watched my oldest son (Brian) walk across the stage at the Air Force Academy and shake the Vice President’s hand, and also get married. My youngest son (Zachary, 3 at the time) is now 12. And I now get to see three new humans who Debbie and I call our grandchildren (smile). This recent picture of our family—it was never promised I would see that. It looked dim. But it is here. 

Can there be “better” that comes out of pain? 2 Corinthians 1: 8-10 tells us there can be. I love how The Message Version puts it:

We don’t want you in the dark, friends, about how hard it was when all this came down on us in Asia province. It was so bad we didn’t think we were going to make it. We felt like we’d been sent to death row, that it was all over for us. As it turned out, it was the best thing that could have happened. Instead of trusting in our own strength or wits to get out of it, we were forced to trust God totally—not a bad idea since he’s the God who raises the dead! And he did it, rescued us from certain doom. And he’ll do it again, rescuing us as many times as we need rescuing.

God has rescued me from certain death. In the valley of the shadow of death, I received the gift of Jesus. It has been for the worse, and it has been for the better. 

The gift of better: When you focus on what you have vs. what you don’t have, you are blessed with a generous spirit of gratitude. I’m grateful to be alive. To have had 3285 days that were never promised. I’m alive—I’m not disabled. I work at an amazing company (TiER1 Performance Solutions) who has supported me every step of the journey. Every day has been a BONUS…for the better.