2022 was a bit of a whirlwind for me, filled with lots of excitement, surprises, frustration, and changes. The year started in Lake Tahoe, California, with one rig, and ended in the same place, but with a different rig.
Setting the stage
In April of this year, I found out I had Hodgkin’s Lymphoma—a highly treatable form of cancer but still scary, nonetheless. Being in California with out-of-state insurance, my partner, Nicole, and I needed to return home to Upstate New York so I could receive treatment. Fortunately, we had planned on returning to visit anyway, so it wasn’t too big of a deal. On the long, 2,700-mile drive back to our home state, our little A-frame camper suffered a severe tire blowout in Nebraska. Luckily, we were able to get it home, but the damage was done. We had a gaping hole in the floor, an intensely bent axle, and the realization that our full-time rig was now toast. Insurance totaled it once we got home.
The summer
With 5 months of chemotherapy ahead of us, and no camper to call home, we were forced to put our travels on hold. After spending some time living with our more-than-welcoming families, we got a short-term lease on an apartment and hunkered down for the summer while I completed treatment. Almost immediately, we started scouring Facebook Marketplace and Craigslist for new rigs. Throughout the course of the summer, we purchased our truck and truck camper, and completed all the necessary interior renovations and solar installations we would need to hit the road once treatment was over.
I’m pretty sure Nicole and I talked about moving into our rig and hitting the road again every single day. It kept us positive through the chemo sessions, recovery weeks, and the mundanity that came with it all. Finally, in November, I had my post-treatment PET scan and was informed that I was 100% clear. We stuck around for Thanksgiving, snowboarded a bit up in Vermont, and in the first week of December headed back out West with our new home.
My best moment of 2022
It’s tough to pinpoint the “best” moment of 2022, but I think the night we merged back onto I-90 West takes the cake. It symbolized one chapter ending, and a new one beginning. With that, none of it would have been possible without the wonders of modern medicine, an awesome team of doctors and nurses, a supportive family and, most importantly, Nicole’s unwavering support, patience, and presence throughout the entire process.
Here’s to 2023.
Read more from Jeff here.
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Congrats!! On being on the road again and clear of cancer, much to be grateful for, right?!
Keep truckin’ Jeff, keep truckin’, literally. Glad you had a positive outcome with your cancer and your RV.
Love this story! All the best to you as you continue to live your best life!
Congrats on your win. My wife is a 20 year survivor. I believe a positive attitude and strong support make a difference. They had told her six months. She said no. Too much to do and too much to experience. I love that song that says, (live like you’re dying). Enjoy every day because we don’t know what tomorrow brings. Happy New Year everyone.
Glad to hear you are doing so well. I was treated for Hodgkins in 2006 and told it was in remission. Doctors wouldn’t say cured, just in remission. Sure enough, it returned in 2014 and I ended up having a stem cell transplant, followed by a blood infection. Anyway, my point is, I never fully appreciated the blessings of family, friends, and life until I dragged them all through that. Every day suddenly becomes precious. Make the best of it.
So happy for you that everything went well! Happy New Year!🎈🍾