The ultimate pre-trip trip report

[Matt_Anderson]

Was gonna put this in trip reports, but couldn't find the proper geographic section (Jon, there should be an "other" section) . . .

I've been swamped at work and haven't climbed in a month, haven't climbed outside in three. Nonetheless, I believe I will soon be able to reminisce about one of my greatest excursions ever:

Destination: SEA TAC AIRPORT.

I anticipate rainy weather at destination (Sea-Tac), and my companions couldn't pull 5.6 if their lives depended on it, but that shouldn't ruin the trip. Here's why. . .

Four years ago, my Dad was retiring and my parents had a trip to Tahiti planned. Three weeks before the actual retirement date, and four weeks before they were to take off, my Mom was diagnosed with very late stage cancer. We're talking not expected to live past a year. Four years, two long, painful treatments of radiation and Chemotherapy combined and several operations later, I get the privilege of dropping them off at the airport and wishing them well on what will hopefully be a relaxing, happy trip to Tahiti. The doctors have detected no cancer in my mom for about a year.

Sometimes life is great, even without having climbed in months.

Matt

[ScottP]

My parents went to Tahiti a few years back and had the time of their lives.My best wishes to your mom.

Scott

[Smoker]

Hoo-Ray for Scott and his Parents

After 3 long years we got good news in Feb. about our daughters cancer!

Its nice to get good news specially when you go multiple years with nutin' but bad.

Congratulations Scott (and Mom)

S

[pope]

Matt,

I wish your parents the best. They deserve time in an earthly paradise after a fight like that. My mother is a survivor of lymphoma (three years now) and I can probably appreciate what your family has been through.

Eric

[gapertimmy]

Thats great man, my mom is currently undergoing her second round of chemo for breast cancer, the miracle of life is way better than bagging a peak!

-tim

[Sparky]

The best report, ever.

[mr._happy]

ditto.

this thread should be a little reminder of just how precious life really is, and that we should all be living it to the fullest.

seize the day.

[jon]

Two weeks ago while in the waiting room of the ICU for news on my friend I was talking to a family who's elderly mother had just undergone a live saving bypass. The wife of the son had been diagnosed with a late stage cancer and was told that she would die within months. She went to a treatment center and amazingly survived, cancer free for two years now.

In college one of my good friends whom I was living with was diagnosed with and survived hodgkin's lymphoma. It was sad seeing him suffer as he underwent treatment. It also was very personal, it happened to be in the same area of cancer research that I've been working on the last four years.

Cancer doesn't disciminate, it doesn't care if you are white, black, green, super fit, super slob, young, old, climber or not, anyone can get it. There are hundreds of different kinds, each having different initiating factors, whether it is genetic disposition, spontaneous mutation, environmental, parasitic, or viral. Some are easy to treat, some don't have a treatment at all. Pancreatic Cancer has a 1% survivability. 1 in 8 women in my generation will get breast cancer.

Please support cancer research and treatment centers, whether it is by donations, volunteering, or participating in fundraising events. Every ounce of support helps.