A Decade

Ten years ago, on this day, we got the call that changed our lives forever. "Mr Andre, we do not make these calls unless we see something concerning in your blood biopsy. You have Acute Myeloid Leukemia (AML) and you need to get to the hospital tomorrow to start treatment." We didn't know at that time (and glad we didn't) that I would spend 100 nights in the hospital that year and another 60 in the years to come. Never did we imagine that I would battle this disease for nearly a decade, a re-lapse requiring a bone marrow transplant a year later in 2011. Then Leukemia returning a third time in 2015 in the form of a tennis ball-sized tumor in the brain and that I would be given nearly zero chance to survive more than a year.

I am grateful for having a decade that was never promised and looked very dark for many years. Only a few people close to us know this part of the story, and it is a great tribute to the company  that I work for (TiER1 Performance). About a week into my hospital stay a large box was delivered to my room from TiER1. Inside the box were several packages of lemon drops (to help diminish the "after chemo taste"), a Kentucky Wildcats fleece blanket (March Madness was coming up and UK was positioned as one of the top 4 seeds), a portable Sony DVD player, and 25 DVDs with a note from each TiER1er on why it was their favorite movie and why they wanted to send my way. Our children were 20, 17, and 3 at the time. They thought it was Christmas all over again as I watched them open that box. And I was wondering what they were thinking with those smiles...wow, this is pretty cool that Dad is in the hospital, we get to watch all these movies (smile). I would soon discover that those movies (and notes) were a source of refuge for me in the many lonely nights ahead. Our children are now 30, 27, and 13. Two of them are now married (not the 13-year old--smile) with three grandchildren.

There were many times we wondered if I would ever be here 10 years later to see all this. To walk my only daughter down the aisle to be married, watch my oldest son graduate from the AF Academy and shake the Vice President's hand, see my youngest son grow up to be an amazing young man, and play with some of the cutest grandkids you will ever meet (smile). I'm beyond grateful for all that we have and all the lessons I learned this past Decade—lessons that could only be learned in very difficult places. And the DVD player is still going...and so am I.


This morning, Debbie and I were reflecting on those first few weeks and months of my treatment. We remember during my stay in the hospital that Darwin and Cindy Speicher visited me. Darwin was our Music Pastor in Sacramento during our high school years. At the end of our beautiful conversation, they prayed for me, ending with these words…”this is not Terence’s time to go.” Those words stuck with me and as I was later reading through the Old Testament, I came across 2 Kings 20 about Hezekiah. Hezekiah became ill and was near death. Isaiah
was with Hezekiah and heard from God to go and tell Hezekiah this:

This is what the Lord, the God of your father David, says: I have heard your prayer and seen your tears; I will heal you. On the third day from now you will go up to the temple of the Lord. I will add fifteen years to your life. (2 Kings 20: 5-6a)

With that scripture and what Darwin and Cindy prayed, I remember praying these words one evening…Lord, give me ten more years. Let me see my daughter get married, to watch Brian graduate from the AF Academy, and to watch
Zachary grow up into a young man. We didn’t
know what the next 10 years would look like. I wasn’t healed instantly, but I have been given those 10 years and more. I am grateful for God’s enduring mercy, faithfulness, and amazing love for me.

For the Lord is good; his steadfast love endures forever, and his faithfulness to all generations (Psalm 100:5)

Amazed by His Love,

Terence