This is the reality I am coping with after being told immediately after my biopsy yesterday. It doesn’t seem real at all, like some kind of nightmare from which I still may yet wake up.

Part of the reason it doesn’t feel real is because we don’t have a lot of answers yet. We assume it’s some type of lymphoma – but we don’t know at what stage it is, how advanced, widespread, etc. Hopefully by next week we’ll have all the answers we need and a good treatment plan to beat this.

I am creating this blog for a few reasons:

• I want to keep my family, friends and colleagues updated on how things are going. I’m blessed to be back in Louisville where I have a great support network, and find myself in a supportive work environment as I face this challenge. On this blog, we can celebrate the good times and cry through the bad times together.  Hopefully there are many more good times than bad!

• I think it will be therapeutic to get my thoughts out as I go through this difficult journey. After I beat lymphoma, it’ll be good to look back at the highs and lows. Maybe someday I can show my kids that their dad is a fighter and they can always know that this family beats cancer.

• I hope that this blog serves as a good support resource for others going through similar ordeals. Upon my diagnosis, I found blogs such as this to be great learning tools – to see the real humans and what they go through as they battle cancer, including their feelings and photos, ups and downs. Hopefully this blog can bring some comfort and understanding to others.

I plan to be pretty open about this experience. Check back for updates as often as you would like! I’ll try my best to post the updates to my Facebook as well when anything major happens.

I’m so lucky to have such a loving husband to stand by me through this. He’s already making this difficult situation easier to handle. I just wouldn’t be able to hold it together without Luis by my side. I love you!

– Merv