The word sunk into my mind... CANCER... I obviously knew that younger people could get cancer, but it never felt like it actually happened. Mind racing I thought of many scary things that entire practice. I couldnt imagine how he must have felt.
Fast forward a couple years. Erik is still going strong and we have lots of fun going on random adventures. At this point he had been cleared and rediagnosed a couple times, and he didnt really get to run anymore. I always marveled at how he was able to stay so positive when he literally had something that could kill him in his life.
Since he has been diagnosed he has gone through a lot. Having to eat through a tube, learning to walk again, and lots of surgery and medicine.
With all of these things, you would never tell that he has had a rough go at it. He is definitly one of the most positive and enthusiastic guys I have ever met.
When I was getting ready to leave on my mission, we spent quite a bit of time together, and because of his cancer he wasnt able to serve. He didnt let that hold him back though! He wanted to do anything he could so as all of his friends started leaving, he sent them all off with a special copy of the Book of Mormon to give to someone that they taught on their mission with his testimony in it.
Over time he was finally able to stay clear of the cancer for a year, and started a service mission at the St George temple, Which he is doing now and loving every minute of it.
Unfortunatly he hasnt had the easiest go during his mission, in November he was diagnosed again and is currently going through chemo and serving once a week on fridays. In all this time he has been so positive and even through his latest development of losing all of his hair, he is still smiling.
It is always great to know I have such wonderful people in my life to inspire me, and I feel it appropriate to end this blog with the catch phrase he uses to end all of his
Keep running
Beautifully said
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