Funny how paths cros

“There I was yesterday minding my own business at a company retreat eating breakfast when a gentleman asked if he could join me at the table. Of course I said "yes". We haphazardly got into a conversation about backpacking and conversation eventually meanered into talking about my mountaineering adventures in North & South America. He then asked for a good place to go on a 2-nighter this weekend and I drew him a map to the TH and what trails to take. We departed ways and the next time I saw him was later that morning on stage(he was the guest speaker) at our retreat talking about his 3 attempts and finally success in climbing Everest. I was floored. Later that day I went on a 4 hour hike with him. The kicker was he wasn't the least bit interested in talking about himself and his life accomplishments. A very humble individual. What a day!”

“Now that is cool even pimp!

8)”

“The interesting thing is he was diagnosed with Leukemia soon after he made it to the top of Everest. He was told he would be dead within a year. That was a couple of years ago and he's fully recovered and is back in top physical condition. He's small in stature but he's built like a brick #&%!$house!”

“Now thats pimp!

8)”

“what are you trying to say crazymike?”

“Great story, Cairn. Some days things are so cool that you feel that good karma is coming back at you.”

“That's a cool story. More and more people survive leukemia because of new drugs and higher success rates of bone marrow transplants. In the 1950's, almost everyone who got it died of their disease. The cure rate is pretty high and fairly good for even the most aggressive forms. Older people don't do as well since they can't have a transplant. There is a new drug out now for CML leukemia that seems to work well so far in some trials. Leukemia is on the rise and some doctors point to the increase in auto fumes in the air. Benzene in auto fuel in a known cause of leukemia. It's that sweet smell that gasoline has but it's nasty stuff.”

“This guy had 3 chemo treatments and a stem cell transplant(courtesy of his brother).”

“What is a company retreat? Who do you work for?”

“The guy was lucky his brother was a match to donate marrow for him. Unrelated transplants have a lot more risk involved. The high dose chemo before hand destroys the diseased marrow so there's room for the stem cells to grow.”