The day I was diagnosed, Feb 17th, will always be with me. It will go along side the day I had my trach on the list of days that I will never forget. The other day that I'll never forget came 7 days later when the test results from the City of Hope came back all negative for lymphoma. I was so relieved I almost passed out again, but thankfully I didn't. My mom was with me this time and she shed tears of joy instead of tears of joy and relief instead of ones filled of fear and sadness. My final blood tests and chest x-rays taken yesterday, also show no signs of lymphoma.

What I'll never forget is the outpouring of love from those who I shared my news with. I really struggled to come to grips with what could have been my fate, so as I came to tell people, I found that waiting until I had a diagnosis was really they way to go. However, the friends that I did get around to telling were all extremely supportive and caring, offering me anything I could possibly need in preparation for what could be a long battle. They were all positive I could beat this and were going to follow my progress and treatment as if it were their own. And for this, I could never be more grateful.

The outpouring of love and support really helped me realize how many true friends I really have, even though we may not talk on a daily, or even a weekly basis. I have truly been blessed with a loving, supportive family, and friends I couldn't live without.

I could never ask for anything more for my 30th birthday than the gift of life, health, and the unwavering love of my friends and family.

Cheers to that!