The Beginning of a Journey

Undefeated.

2011-09-30T19:36:00.001-07:00

It is FINALLY here! Tim Harriman's book "Undefeated" is ready for YOU to read! Tim worked a long time on this book, as did his amazing friend and editor Steve Dierkens. You don't want to miss out. Tell EVERYONE you know! Finally, Tim's inspirational life story is ready for the world to read!

You can order the book online at http://www.blurb.com/ and search "Undefeated, Tim Harriman" or click the link below.

http://www.blurb.com/bookstore/detail/2508157?utm_source=TellAFriend&utm_medium=email&utm_content=2508157

A portion of the proceeds will be donated to the Alberta Childrens Hospital Oncology Department.

Don't miss out!

Tim Harriman Legacy Loop

2011-05-30T12:39:00.000-07:00

Hello Everyone! Here are the details for the upcoming dedication event. Don't miss it!

"Tim Harriman Path Dedication and Ride" - June 15, 2011

What: All members of the community welcome, dedication of the 1 km loop on the East Lake pathway will be renamed after Tim Harriman and a plaque will be placed in his memory.

When: ∙ Barbeque begins at 6:00pm ∙ Speakers and path dedication at 6:30pm (Mayor Peter Brown, Vince Danielson, Jerry Harriman, Christa Harriman) ∙ Dedication at 7:00pm, followed by short bike ride around East Lake.

Where: ∙East Lake Park behind Bert Church High School at the T-Intersection of the pathway.

Tim Harriman Legacy Loop

2011-02-23T12:48:00.000-08:00

City proposes renaming East Lake pathway in Tim Harriman's honour
Tim Harriman Legacy Loop proposal goes before city council Tuesday evening
By Marie Pollock/Echo Reporter
Posted 1 day ago
The pathway around East Lake may soon be going by a new name.
On Tuesday evening, city council will vote on whether East Lake Pathway should be renamed the "Tim Harriman Legacy Loop," after the Airdrie resident who biked across Canada in 2007 in support of children's cancer research. Harriman died from cancer in September at the age of 22.
Christa Harriman, Tim Harriman's wife, said it would be an honour to have the pathway named after her husband.
"I'm proud of Tim and I'm so impressed that he made such an impact," she said. "I'm honoured, I'm flattered, and I know Tim would be very flattered and proud as well."
Michael McAllister, community developer with the City of Airdrie, said Christa Harriman originally approached city staff in November with the idea to display Tim Harriman's cycling gear – including his bike, jersey, bike gloves and shoes – at city hall or Genesis Place. However, the two facilities are not designed to display memorial items, and it was decided that Nose Creek Valley Museum would be a more suitable location, McAllister said.
City staff decided to offer Christa Harriman the chance to make a presentation about the possibility of renaming East Lake Pathway after her husband.
Christa Harriman has already made a presentation to the Community Services Advisory Board about Tim Harriman's influence on Airdrie, and McAllister said the board was unanimous in their support of the dedication.
"He spread a message of hope to people who were facing adversity in their lives," McAllister said. "It was very clear that he had a positive impact … I think that's something that the entire community can be really proud of."
Mayor Peter Brown said he thinks it's "phenomenal" that the request to rename the pathway is coming to council.
"Tim was an awesome individual who brought recognition to a horrific disease. He did such an amazing job during what were obviously very trying times for him," Brown said. "He's an inspiration to so many people."
If approved by council, the city would pay $5,000 for a dedication plaque for the pathway, and would also hold a naming ceremony. The date of the ceremony has been tentatively booked for June 15 – Tim Harriman's birthday. The date also coincides with bike month in Airdrie.
marie@airdrieecho.com
---------------------------------
GREAT NEWS! The proposal has been approved! The loop WILL be named the "Tim Harriman Legacy Loop" :) Council approved the proposal last evening!
You can read this same article here: http://www.airdrieecho.com/ArticleDisplay.aspx?e=2987816
And another one here:
http://www.airdriecityview.com/article/20110223/ACV0801/302239989/-1/acv/council-votes-to-rename-pathway-after-local-hero
-Christa Harriman

Most Influential Person of 2010

2010-12-29T15:20:00.001-08:00

Hey Everybody,

Here is a link to Airdrie's local paper, the echo, with a story on the incredible Tim Harriman.

http://www.airdrieecho.com/ArticleDisplay.aspx?e=2909183

Timothy Harriman

2010-09-30T15:26:00.000-07:00

Timothy Harriman, a beautiful soul, a compassionate man and a world changer. At the end of life on earth not many will leave a legacy as big or as great as Tim’s. Tim left earth and entered the gates of Heaven on the beautiful morning of September 28^that the age of twenty two. The leaves were spinning, the sky was clear and blue, the air was warm and peace filled the hearts and lives of those blessed enough to call him their own. He will be always cherished as an amazing son, brother, cousin, nephew, friend and husband. You may remember Tim as the Spokeman who biked across Canada in two thousand and seven for Childhood Cancer, raising incredible amounts of support. His heart was so big. Not only will his family ache for him, but so will those inspired by his ride, in Airdrie and all over the world. Tim fought a valiant fight against cancer once as a young teenager, and three more times in his early twenties. In spite of the circumstances surrounding him, he choose to live life to the full, enjoy each moment, marry the girl of his dreams, travel, cook, write a book, spend time with friends and mentor youth. He dreamed of building his dream home, owning a motorcycle, having children and continuing to impact everyone he met. Now, he is face to face with his Maker, family members and friends, happier now than ever before. Tim enjoyed family barbeques, camping at Mount Kidd, hiking, photography, creating, building, singing loud in the shower, late night talks, funny movies, riding his bike, rollerblading and going for walks with his wife. Tim always had a witty comeback for everything, a daredevil comment, and confidence standing up for what was right and just. Tim attended George Mac High School and graduated from Bert Church High School. His teachers, principals and the staff at both schools were so touched and impacted by his presence, his determination and will to do school work and graduate during such an intense time in his life. He never quit. Never ever. Instead he inspired everyone. He dug his heels in and stood firm. There are no words that could possibly sum up such an incredible person, you are one of a kind, there will never be another like you Tim. I’m so happy you are home with our Maker, your best friend Jesus. I can’t wait to run and jump into your arms my love! In the mean time, run with the lions, soar with the eagles, sing, dance, sprint, and I will see you soon. I love you.

"In honor of Tim Harriman, a fund has been set up care of Deborah Boccabella in trust for Christa Harriman at any TD Canada Trust location."

Celebration of Life, George Mac High School, Monday Oct 4th at 1:30pm, Airdrie.

Sept 13, 2010

2010-09-13T11:11:00.000-07:00

Hey crew!

Here is a video from the Tim's Amazing Adventure Race that Innovative Fitness put on. For those of you who havent seen it or was at the event Saturday night and saw the tech problems we were having its now up for you to peak at. Pass it along.

We will be in touch shortly to blog about some updates, our trip to Victoria, BC and what is the latest scoop in our lives!

Cheers!

Untitled from Christa Harriman on Vimeo.

Tim's Amazing Adventure Race

2010-09-08T11:27:00.000-07:00

Tim's Amazing Adventure Race:

On September 11 team's of two will take part in a fundraising event that is sure be the most exciting and unexpected urban race Calgary has yet to see.

A $50 registration fee will be donated directly to Tim Harriman and is in support of his ongoing battle with cancer.

Race start 12:00pm (111-1111, 11Ave SW)

Teams of two will begin their adventure at Innovative Health Group with only a clue sheet in tow! Teams must then navigate and travel by foot to a minimum of 12 locations throughout the downtown and beltline communities. At each station teams will be put to the test as they attempt to complete an array of tasks from yoga to face painting.

Race end 4:00pm (111-1111,11Ave SW)

Teams must cross the finish line at Innovative Health Group by 4:00pm, complete with their race bib and 12 station markers. Snacks and drinks will be served with an award ceremony to follow!

Saltlik Celebration 7:30pm (101 8 Ave SW)

Join us for the after party at Saltlike! A celebration of achievement, community and contribution will commence with a slide show of the day's event and a presentation of Tim Harriman's remarkable journey.

Evening Close 11:00pm

And so the journey continues

2010-08-23T15:32:00.000-07:00

Friends and family,

I hope that this summer has brought you some good memories filled with travels, enjoyable weather, and time to soak in all that life has to offer. Since our last update our time has been filled with the continue inconvienience of travelling to hospital weekly for check-ups and doing the same old same old. However, we have had time to relax and spend it with friends and family over good eats and laughter.

For a major part of the summer Christa spent her time planning our wedding which we were finally able to have - this time Christa in her dress, me in my suit and special friends and family present. We could not have asked for better weather and a better day. It feels great to finally feel official (even though we were before), but this time to have the memory of a real wedding.

Our journey together has brought it's fair share of ups and downs as wehave travelled this road and battled this disease - but every moment has been an incredible brush stroke to an incredible painting. As some of you may or may not have heard our battle has once again taken a turn no one ever thought would happen. One week I was at hospital and all was going well and things were on the mend, the very next week (last week) things showed a completely different story.

Results from blood came back showing that once again the cancer has returned bringing me to diagnosis number four. Over the past several days as we have digested this news we have realized doctors have done all they can do. I have received some of the strongest chemo and medications known, plus two transplants...one which was a bone marrow transplant. Though doctors are unsure of a timeline all they can do at this point is provide medications dealing with the symptoms.

With the crappy news behind I do believe there is hope. Just because we have received such news does not mean we have given up. We know that we believe in something stronger and more powerful than any man or medicine can offer. We are deciding to continue walking this journey out seeking out other options as they come along considering anything which may help with my recovery.

Though I struggled for a few days if I should share the news publicly or not - I decided why not? You have been with us this far why not keep on going. Especially since we believe so much in fighting this disease with an army, not just the two of us.

We will continue to update as often as we can but know that we thank you all for your support, love, encouragement and prayers.

Tim

Never Going Back

2010-07-14T20:47:00.000-07:00

The other day..I was having a moment with God and He ever so quietly whispered in my ear "You and Tim, are NEVER going back."

Realizing how powerful that little message was really made me thank God for what He has pulled us through. We are never going back...just pressing forward...with victory!

What can we tell you other than WE LOVE SUMMER! Tim would love to be camping right now, enjoying the tent, campfire and warm weather, but he isn't allowed to camp until next year. SO..we've been enjoying lots of time outside with our new friend Bruno, taking in hikes, planning our little wedding reception and I've been very busy with photography. Summer is always a blast. Tim has been faithfully working on his book. I am SO proud to see him write. This book has been on his "t0-do" list for a long time, we know thousands will be impacted by his story. He has a great team helping him along and the finished product will blow your socks off.

Guess what? Tim had a bone marrow aspirate done about two weeks ago and here are the results:

100% of the cells being produced (red blood cells, white blood cells, platelets, hemoglobin, etc) are donor cells, Andrews cells...which means the transplant was a 100% success! Tim is a brand new man! Currently his counts are recovering...and Andrew's blood type which is B negative is taking over the house! When they did the aspirate and pulled out the piece of bone, it was as long as a bobby pin...which is jaw dropping...! The doctor was even blown away! I thought about it later and realized that Tim's marrow in the past had been tiny, barely there..and now it was huge and healthy looking...so the marrow must be strong and healthy. We were so glad to get the results that the marrow WAS strong and healthy, all thanks to Andrew!

Tim visits the clinic every two weeks, with blood taken every week. He can get it checked in Airdrie which is a huge blessing for him. He is feeling good, and you can tell his body is recovering well.

Today we went up to unit 57 to say hello, and it was so bitter sweet to be there. His doctors were SO excited to see him and see how well he is doing. That was cool.

Enjoy the photos! We will update soon!

Summer!!!

2010-06-08T09:01:00.000-07:00

Phew...what a beautiful summer we are having so far! Of course, we've experienced the nice long days of rain...and a little bit of snow, but for the most part, the sun has been shining, as it is right now. It is bursting into our office window, and as I write I am reminded of the wonderful things the sunshine does for Tim and I. It is a glorious thing to be outside on days like this, on warm summer days, soaking up the moments we've missed and knowing we will enjoy these summer days for years and years and YEARS to come!

What is new since our last post? LOTS!

Tim is currently being seen once a week, which will soon be moved to once every two weeks. His blood work is fantastic, and his counts are in normal range. It's cool to see that on paper, because they have been so low for so long. Again, we've said it before, the doctors and nurses are SO impressed with his progress, attitude, appetite, and how well he is taking care of himself.

Going to the hospital isn't as intense as it has been. The clinic is such a positive and relaxing environment, and the nurses flirt with Tim like CRAZY! I love it!

Tim and I celebrated our one year anniversary on May 25th, we've taken day trips to Canmore and Drumheller, went to the Relay for Life and are currently planning our little "wedding" celebration in August. I'll finally get to wear my wedding dress! Life is incredible. Always has been.

Christa

Day 14

2010-05-19T18:26:00.000-07:00

I just pulled up our blog and realized that the last post was from Day 6-Post Transplant and today we are Day 14!

Tim continues to do fantastic...

A few days ago, while getting a blood transfusion, he spiked a little bit of a fever and had to be admitted and put on precautionary antibiotics. Turns out, the fever was a response to Andrews cells making their home in Tim's marrow. How cool huh? After a couple days in over night, he was able to get out on passes..and is currently being seen daily. His amazing Dr. Ping is SO impressed with his response to the transplant. Tim had some mouth sores and a pretty sore throat, in order to eat he needed some morphine, but even still, the nurses were saying "What do you do for your mouth? In the midst of the pain..it still looks better than I've ever seen!" His doc also says that she can't even compare Tim to the other patients...wow God!

Now we're enjoying this weather...and have started to unpack our suitcases. Tim will be moved to the outpatient clinic in a few days. A few months ago we thought this journey would never end, and now we are finishing...Tim is finishing with health and strength! His counts are increasing...yahhh!

We'll update you soon!

Day 6

2010-05-11T10:17:00.000-07:00

Today is Day 6! I know! We can't believe it either!

Tim continues to do FANTASTIC! We know this is ALL because of our powerful God, Tim's incredible attitude and prayer. It is so cool to see him feeling great. He is happy, laughing lots, eating like a horse, gaining weight, and has had NO mouth pain or sores. We are living in a miracle!

The staff are in awe! We have been able to be home each day and night, attending morning checkups every day. Tim consistently walks out of them with flying colors.

I really think Andrew's cells are perfect for Tim's body. We can tell they are working in there...Tim's skin has changed to a mild tan, doc's say this is a good sign!

If you are a prayer..please agree with us for the following things;

-Continued miracles and incredible progress for Tim
-No mouth sores or pain
-No infection or fevers
-That each day he would continue to be let out on passes
-That Tim's incredible story would be a witness to MANY on this unit of our God's power in lives!

May 7th--Day 2

2010-05-07T19:49:00.000-07:00

Hey Guys!

So, I don't have time to give you a huge long blog..but a quick update should do for now! Leading up to transplant was an exciting time..we had been waiting for this special day for a long time. Knowing it was just around the corner was amazing! Tim had been waiting for it too. This journey has been a long one, and for him, May 5th was not only a gift from his brother, but a new chance to FINALLY live life cancer free!

The day arrived! May 5th! Andrew (Tim's brother and donor) was at the hospital at 7:15am. Accompanied by his wife, they began a day of blood work, line insertion and finally the stem cell collection. He started at 10:00am and was done by 4:00pm! I went down to check up on them a couple times, and although Andrew was a little stiff, he had a big smile on his face the entire time. His wife Michelle sat beside him the entire day, totally supportive and proud. I could see it on her face!

The collection was prepared and brought up to Tim at 6:00pm. It was so neat to see them bring that bag into the room. Tim and I just looked at eachother in awe. What Andrew had given Tim! SO cool!

The infusion began...

Although Tim had a slight reaction to the unmatched red blood cells from Andrew, it was soon over as they slowed the infusion. The nurse mentioned that the patients that get sick during the stem cell infusion end up doing really well overall. The sickness didn't last and shortly after the transplant, Tim was eating a big piece of cake. :)

Then, just like that, the day we'd been waiting for was over! Andrew had just given Tim LIFE.

So tonight, Tim and I are at home relaxing..

"Wait" you say... "Did I hear that right?"

Yes, you did in fact. Tim was able to go home the next day. Since, we've gone in each day for checkups and the doctor mentioned to us the other day "I don't really understand how you are doing so well...?" We know why, and we know that from this point forward, life is going to be good, all the time!

So! I'm going to go and hang out with my amazing hubby who inspires me every single day.

What We've Been Waiting For...

2010-04-24T17:41:00.001-07:00

Hey everybody, we know it has been awhile since we last wrote, blogging hasn't really been on our mind as we have been enjoying our time together at home. What an awesome and refreshing break! We've done everything from bike rides and picnics to quality time together as a couple and with friends too. On top of that, we've just been overwhelmed with the way God has been preparing us for the end of our journey, the end of Cancer and the end of this season. We are so excited and confident. God is a faithful and incredible God, who will see us through this, there will be a party through the next few weeks and after them too!

So what is next? Well, Tim will receive a few days of "bone marrow killer" chemo (as we like to call it...) next week. Side effects for most patients are none, but Tim isn't most patients... ;) The pharmacist told him that if he hasn't had any side effects with the other chemos, he definitely won't with these ones either! So cool!! The chemo they give will essentially get rid of all of Tim's own bone marrow to make room for the new guys coming in--Andrew's cells!

Tim will have two days off, and then be admitted on May 5th for the transplant, what we've been waiting for! Andrew will arrive in the morning and have his cells collected from a big vein in his neck. As soon as they are ready--the staff bring the cells, or bone marrow, upstairs to Tim, and infuses them! THEN...its recovery time for his body! Most patients stay in for about two weeks, some less, and the doctors watch Tim's blood really closely. Those new cells will find their home inside of Tim's marrow and begin producing exactly what his body needs--and fighting off all the bad at the same time. It sounds pretty simple here, and it is...alot is included in the process, but it is an incredible and amazing gift from God that this life saving treatment is here for patients like Tim!

Tim is doing fantastic! He has gained lots of weight, he is strong, healthy and totally prepared for this transplant! This time off has been SO great! We're SUPER excited for what is yet to come!!

Keep following!!!

Home to sleep...!

2010-04-09T16:55:00.000-07:00

Tim-a lil puffy from those steroids during chemo week! Hot stuff!

Tim and I are h-o-m-e! Chemo went great. Tim had six doses of chemo, some of the same ones he had when he was a teen. He hasn't been sick once, and he is past the point of being sick...he is gaining weight, and getting stronger each day. The only "side effect" he had was feeling a little bit weak.

After three days of chemo, we were so looking forward to getting out of the hospital and spending time at home. Out of nowhere, Tim experienced another high fever. At first the doc assumed it was an effect from the meds, but the fever returned two more times. Antibiotics began, and blood cultures discovered a bacteria in Tims blood. They called it "persistent bacteria" as it just wouldn't go away. The lab came each day, over the weekend, etc and the cultures always came back positive. Tim was eventually told he had a form of pneumonia, but it was not in his lungs, only his central lines. He had no signs or symptoms of pneumonia! So cool! That is when they decided to remove Tims central line. The lab returned again that evening, and I recall the tech saying "It takes a really long time to get rid of bacteria in the blood...." and that is when Tim and I started praying, and got all of our friends and church family on board.

Two days later, Tim was feeling so much better, the weakness disappeared and a miracle occurred...the cultures came back 100% negative! We know without a doubt, that getting a huge team of people to pray assisted in that amazing result. NOW, unexpectedly, we are home, the doctors switched Tim to a 24hour antibiotic, and it is so nice to chill on our couch, eat our own food and be in L-O-V-E!

"What else can I tell them Tim? ...."

"Whatever you want...!"

"Okay then! Peace out!"

Hurdles

2010-04-01T12:53:00.000-07:00

Tim and I are sitting together watching "19 Kids and Counting," at the hospital. Tim has been here since Tuesday morning. They started the remainder of round 2 chemo, and he is doing great. He's had two types of chemo, and has his last dose this evening around midnight. After that, he is a free man until the end of April when they begin chemo again and he has his transplant.

So on the show, they've just had their 19th child, and moved the entire family closer to the hospital where their baby is getting well. They have to be in the hospital for three months. They can't hold their baby yet, and have had to move 18 kids to a new home. What an adjustment! Tim and I can relate, but are so thankful for the situation we are in. There are only a few more weeks left until we can return to our home for good....that in itself is a blessing. It's so easy to get bummed, but then we realize that this is so temporary compared to the years we have ahead of us. God is such a faithful God.

What is new...hmmm...

Tim has a brand new blackberry bought for him by a group of friends from Springs Church. He was having huge problems with his other phone, so our friends took it upon themselves to bring a little bit of joy to Tim. They did...he's so glad to have a reliable working phone!

My amazing mom surprised Tim and I with some new books and CD's, which have been such a blessing. It's amazing what a little bit of good music can do for the soul, and the books...we love em! It helps pass the time in the hospital.

Tims brother Andrew is getting ready for his donation day on May 5th, and going to appointments throughout April to prepare him for it. Andrew and his wife are moving to Calgary really close to the hospital! It will be so nice to have them so close. I cannot wait for the day when we get to see Andrews cells going into Tim to give him another chance at life, a long long life. How cool. What an amazing thing! What an amazing process!

Tim and I have been chatting alot about moving away! Right now its only a dream, but we, as well as the hospital staff encourage us to start fresh when this process is done. We have our ideas about what that means, and we are so excited!

(Tim is watching Elmo's World...o goodness!)

All in all, we are both doing fantastic. Tim is overcoming every hurdle infront of him and we are jumping high over the hurdles that stand infront of us as a couple. So many people see hurdles as road blocks...things they panic over and can't face, but we see them as an athlete does..something to conquer! I remember in high school jumping over hurdles, and how much fun it was so look back at the end of the course and feel that amazing accomplishment. THAT is what we've chosen to do, and nothing will get it our way...bring on the hurdles...we will blow over em! :)

Point Form Update...

2010-03-26T15:20:00.000-07:00

-Tim is doing really well...! (As usual!)
-He and I both had food poisoning. I got over it, his body couldn't handle it, so he was in the hospital from Tuesday night at 3am till this morning (Friday). He was only sick Tuesday night, they just wanted to watch him till today.
-His counts dropped with being ill, but are slowly coming up. We'll need lots of prayer to have them up by Monday.
-Chemo starts again next week. He has one day of chemo, three days of stuff to get it outta him, then home.
-April is full of tests and stuff leading up to his BMT.
-Life is good!

-Tim is in remission! His bone marrow aspirate came back clear :) No more cancer!

There is a quick update! We will write more soon!

42.8

2010-03-16T15:24:00.001-07:00

It has been a crazy week! Tim and I have been chatting about how quickly everything comes and goes. We are thankful for that, it makes the entire journey easier when the days don't drag out. Tim was feeling fantastic, and early last week woke up feeling "strange." His temperature kept jumping around, and eventually reached 39. We jumped in the car and arrived at the hospital. The blood work came back showing Tim was neutropenic, which is having almost no white blood cells and no neutrophils, the infection fighting cells. That is a common and expected result of the Chemotherapy, so they started an antibiotic right away.

I think it was that night, or the next night that he started getting really cold while under about five blankets at the hospital. After I took his temp, which was 39.2, I grabbed the nurse. She was in the room only about 2 minutes later, and it had climbed to 41.5. His skin was hot to the touch but he was shaking like I've never seen anyone shake. The nurse grabbed Tylenol and was going to get Demerol to calm the jitters. When she left, I put my hand on his head and prayed that the shakes would stop...now...and they did. His body began to calm down. It was SO neat! She came back about a minute later and said "O, he stopped shaking?" Yes he did, because our God is just so cool! :) Later on, he emerged from his high fever which reached 42.8 and was stripping off the blankets and eating ice cream. The Tylenol did the trick! Here is a picture...

From there, each day was an adventure of its own. The important thing is--all of our prayers were answered and Tim is home. His fever left, his counts are coming up and he is feeling so much better every day. In spite of everything he went through last week, the doctors are still amazed at how well he is doing!

O...and did we tell you...BOTH of Tim's brothers, Andrew and Jerry are 100% matches! There are a few more tests to find out which one they will choose, but the transplant is in the works.

--Shaving the last of the hair!

--Tim having an ECG done after a funny reaction to blood products, but don't worry, no more reactions since then!

--Tim and I at North Glenmore Park for a walk.

Team "What If"

2010-03-09T13:15:00.000-08:00

With the riders Kevin and Kenzie

Telling Tims Story

Hey Guys... :)

A friend of ours recently invited Tim and I to attend her fundraiser for The Ride to Conquer Cancer. Tim was originally supposed to be the speaker at the event, but couldn't attend. The two riders, Kenzie and Kevin are riding over 200km to raise money for those battling all types of Cancers. In Tims place, I spoke about the journey he has been on and thanked the group who came to support the riders. . like I said in the speech, people really don't realize where there efforts are going. That weekend, they raised $5,400! Anything you can do, from giving blood to donating to the cause makes a big difference.

Kenzie and Kevin began with a goal to raise $10,000 before the start of their ride, they are $3,500 away from reaching that goal--and because they are doing this for people like Tim, I told them we would bring it to your attention in case any of you wanted to help. You can contact Kenzie at 403.478.5369 if you do!

Kenzie also decided to dedicate her two day ride totally and completely to Tim, and Kevin is riding in memory of his brother. Cancer effects everybody in some way, but its people like Kenzie and Kevin who make a true difference! Thank You!

-Tim & Christa

Platelets going In!

2010-03-04T09:15:00.000-08:00

Here is a video from the Tom Baker the other day of Tim getting some much needed platelets. There is still a great need! If you want to donate platelets call 1-888-2-DONATE and tell them you are interested in helping with the platelet shortage! Thank you!

Also, I grabbed that picture off of my friends facebook page. This is her donating her platelets in order to contribute to Tims battle. We love you Kailyn!

If you have any pictures, send them to us! timandchrista@gmail.com

Low Counts Mean Transfusion!

2010-03-02T19:52:00.000-08:00

(Platelets and blood, from YOUR donations! Keep them coming!!!)

Hey Everybody!

After watching the Bachelor last night, (what an ending huh?) Tim and I headed to the comfort of our bed only to be rudely awoken at 7:00am to embark on another journey into Calgary.

Okay, it wasn't THAT bad.

Tims counts have been slowly dropping, which is expected and wanted. That means the chemotherapy is doing its job, and the healing has begun! Today his platelets were only 7, and his hemoglobin had dropped to 70, both very low. His doc ordered more platelets (keep donating! We will need LOTS, along with the other patients on the unit too!) and whole blood. He had one bag of platelets and two bags of blood. I'll admit, my stomach turned quite a bit seeing someone else's blood being pumped into Tim. It looked like a big nose bleed dripping into the IV pump. Blah. My head is spinning even thinking about it, and I am not a squeamish person whatsoever. Tim very obnoxiously said "GROSS!" when they pulled out the bag. What a goof I've got! ;)

After a full day at the hospital, Tim was released again for a few more days off. He is feeling super, no side effects or symptoms. Keep those prayers coming...we know you guys are praying because his doctors are so pleased with how he is doing. One of his doctors the other day said to us "I just love seeing how well you are doing! It does me good to see patients who respond so well!"

It only gets "gooder and gooder" from here...as Tim would say.

Home

2010-03-01T16:03:00.001-08:00

Today we are home. Enjoying every hour that passes. Home is such a place of comfort and relaxation for us. We'd rather be here than anywhere else.

Tim is currently humming some Miley Cyrus (oops, did I say that!??) and trying to fix his phone. Telus has really given him the run around...giving him a "new phone" that turned out to be a USED phone. Real good Telus...this is where our friend Jody steps in. Hahahahaha.

We went to the hospital Sunday morning for blood work, and then were sent home again. We will return tomorrow morning for more blood work and possibly some platelet and whole blood transfusions. Praying they send us home again after. As long as Tim stays fever free..he can be at home. Yahhh!

Tims new best friend has become food--he is eating like a horse and has gained quite a bit of weight in the past week. This is a good thing for him as he heads into transplant. His body will come out strong if he enters the transplant strong. Like last night, I came home from church and found that he had eaten wings, two plates of nachos and had been eating the entire night prior to ordering Boston Pizza! His belly is much bigger than a few days ago...he is starting to resemble Santa.

For those of you praying, keep it coming! Tim is doing PHENOMENAL considering what his body has been through. He is experiencing NO side effects from chemo. We celebrate this every day. Our God is bigger than that crap!

I just turned to Tim and asked if he had anything to say to you guys...he said ...

..."no."

There you have it! Profound words from Tim Harriman himself! Hope that inspired you!

-Christa

Red Popsicle

2010-02-26T14:47:00.000-08:00

(Banana Bread from Moma Karen, yum! Tim adding some much needed coolness to the situation!)

I'm sitting here listening to what would have been our reception music, and eating a red Popsicle. The goodness of it wore off just now, so its sitting there melting on a post it note. I can't throw it in the garbage here, so I'll wait till I'm done writing.

I don't really know why I am here to write--or what to write about, sometimes you just need to let it out. Tim is resting. Some of the medications he is on mess with his sleeping schedule. He still sleeps through the night (which is an answer to prayer!) but finds himself sleeping most of the afternoon. Last year, I used to get restless with him sleeping so much, but now, when I see him sleeping there, peace just warms me. The rest is what will help heal his body.

(this is the light at the end of the tunnel..what a sign!)

There is this song that I had planned to sing to Tim at our wedding. There is a line in the song I used to get butterflies over...this song used to be played all the time in my bedroom long before I dated Tim. The line says "Let me know you would fight thousands for my love." O, I used to sit there and wonder if the man I was to marry would fight for me, would fight for my love, would never let anything else get in the way. Every woman desires to be fought for...I sure did. Now that line means something totally different to me. The roles have changed. Now, Tim is fighting for his life, and we am fighting off the thousands of things that may try to get in his way. I have this picture of him and I hand in hand just blitzing this stupid cancer, and when he needs to rest, I will always continue to help him, stand beside him and let him know that I love him without measure. It's funny though, he is so selfless even when he shouldn't be. Tim puts on his armor everyday and fights. I have no doubt that he will be successful, he will never quit. This is a FIGHT. But we are fighting the GOOD fight here.

People don't realize what this is like, unless they are going through it directly. If you've had or have a close family member, mom, dad, sister, husband, brother facing Cancer, you know what its like to have a pit in your stomach most of the day. If you are fighting Cancer--you know that it takes every ounce of strength to keep going every day. You know that its impossible to make it without a higher power, without positive everything all around, without love. Caregiver or Fighter, this process is set apart from anything else in the world. Nothing could compare. In this battle, I hope you realize and discover what a great and powerful God we have. Even if you don't think He cares..and He has let you down, He hasn't. O trust me, He has not, and will not. Fighter or Caregiver, you are NOT alone.

We're home for tonight and tomorrow night, and have to return Sunday morning. Tim will probably need a blood transfusion which is totally normal as his counts start to fall. The cancer is disappearing. Then he has from Sunday till the following Friday off. He has another dose of chemo next Friday, but until then, we're praying he can stay home. He needs home. Especially since this came on so suddenly. Its funny how you take for granted that you'll fall asleep beside your husband each night, and when you don't get to...it aches. At least we have tonight and tomorrow. Its about treasuring the little things right? Treasure who you have beside you at night. Tell them you treasure them.

ENJOY your day. :)

For those of you who pray..here are some specific things to lift up to our God whose promise is YES and AMEN:

-That these blast cells would continue to disappear and STAY away.
-A clear bone marrow aspirate in a few weeks. They will recheck to make sure the marrow isn't producing more cancer cells, and WE know it won't be!
-Freedom from side effects (the bible says that even though people are affected left and right, it won't touch you!) We come against any negative side effects from these drugs and chemos!
-Peace and supernatural strength
-That Tim would be able to rest at home ALOT this journey.
-NO mucositis.
-That we together would impact the unit we are on, and the people there. Alot of the people on the unit are pretty hopeless. Even if we don't speak, we want people to see a contagious strength through Tim and I.
-That Jerry or Andrew would be a PERFECT 10 out of 10 match for Tim. That God would begin to purify their cells for the transplant...and Tims too. We're praising God for the victory ALREADY!

Thanks everybody! We will update you!

Off to War

2010-02-25T12:11:00.001-08:00

We have some incredible people serving our nation. They selflessly leave family and friends and fight for the freedom of their country. They stick on that uniform and go into warrior mode.

Tim and I are going to war...but its a war against Leukemia this time.

Sometimes we can't believe its back, sometimes we shake our heads and wonder.

This is Tims third time with Cancer, and frankly its brutal. BUT, we will never ever falter, never quit, never live in the pits, we WILL rise above yet again.

Here is the plan: Tim has begun two rounds of chemotherapy. The first week is almost done. After that he has a few days off, then another round of chemo. These first few weeks of chemo are to put him into remission. So far he has gone from 20 blast cells to 2.2 blast cells, so its working! We are under the understanding that he will then have recovery time allowing his counts to return to normal and then face more intense chemo to completely knock out his bone marrow to make room for the donor bone marrow transplant. Both of his brothers were a match in 2002, so they are retesting them. It looks like one of them will be donating their bone marrow to save Tims life.

After the transplant, it takes 7-10 days to see the counts start to come up. THEN, its all uphill from there. We are believing for the same things as last time. Minimal side effects, (Tim didn't have ANY of the side effects they said he would) and no infection. We trust that this transplant will be curative and even though its another tough road, there is a big bright light at the end of the tunnel.

We can't wait to have a life free of Cancer. It is going to be amazing. We are almost there.

Tim is doing really well guys, although having to face this again and again gets tiring. Its taken alot to get used to. Life was going so well, we were planning another wedding celebration for the summer, Tim had been promoted and was loving work, I was accepted and supposed to start nursing, we were planning our honeymoon, life without Cancer was amazing. Even in the midst of all of that..and then now, life is still amazing. We won't let disease take our joy, nothing will. War is never fun, but its worth it.

We have a big support team behind us, and need to thank alot of people;

Dr. Anthony- Thank you for breaking the news to Tim and I in such a kind and compassionate way. You are such a light, we really appreciate you. Tim is so lucky to have a doctor like you.

Unit 57- Wow. Youguys are amazing. Thank you to the nurses who take exceptional care of Tim. You are always ready and willing to do anything to make this journey better for him. We are really lucky to be on this unit...we wouldn't want to be anywhere else. To the rest of the staff--you guys add such joy to the unit. We thank you for that!

Amber- Thank you for letting me stay at your place, so close to Tim. Thanks for packing me leftovers and baking for Tim. Like I said yesterday, you offer such a peaceful environment. Its hard leaving Tim at the hospital each night, but it makes it easier knowing I am so warmly welcomed at your place.

Springs- Thank you for praying and fighting along side of us. We are blown away with the support. THANK YOU for donating your platelets and eagerly encouraging and uplifting us. Keep those warrior prayers coming.

Parents- Thanks for your support. We can't do this without you. Thanks for accommodating us so well and making sure we are well taken care of. We love youguys.

No matter what happens in your life or the lives of those around you..God is good, He is the healer and sustainer of Tims life! We will win!

-Christa Harriman

Feb. 21-2010

2010-02-21T09:27:00.000-08:00

Hey Guys,

Just wanted to update you all that as of Friday afternoon - Feb 19, we learnt that I have been diagnosed with leukemia now. We will update our blog at a later time to keep you informed of my prognosis but just like before - we will win! We will continue to fight, we will continue to press on, and we will get through this!

"Anything is possible. You can be told you have a 90% chance or a 50% chance or a 1% chance, but you have to believe, and you have to fight" - Lance Armstrong.

Cheers guys!

Tim

CLEAR!

2009-12-22T09:21:00.000-08:00

Merry Christmas from us, Tim and Christa!

We find ourselves in a state of celebration and shock all at the same time! As we mentioned in our previous post, Tim had his routine PET scan and we were waiting on the results.

Well...

He is 100% Cancer Free!!!!! There are NO active cells in his body, nothing abnormal, he is completley and totally healed. The doctors note said; "Patient has responded successfully to treatment."

100% Cancer free means 100% of the glory goes to God. We were always confident this day would arrive, we just didn't know when. To have this news is the best Christmas gift anyone could ask for.

We will keep you posted with the adventures that come along in our lives...next stop, big huge party!!

Love,

Tim and Christa

December Already?

2009-12-09T09:53:00.000-08:00

Hey Everybody!

We haven't updated you in a long time, so last night we decided we should!

Tim has been out of the hospital since the middle of July, with no returns to it! We have celebrated our six month wedding anniversary, and things are going really well. Tim continues to have his monthly check ups, which is amazing because most patients are from the summer are still visiting once a week! He has faced his fair share of colds, which was expected, and was told he had H1N1 in August...which his immune system beat without any medications as the doctors caught it while the virus was in its final stages. Wow huh? A guy with a brand new baby immune system beats the swine! God is on our side for sure. He is getting healthier and stronger each day, his weight is returning to normal and those muscles are coming back.

His PET scan results have been great thus far, with another report on the way. We will visit the hospital in a few weeks to get more good news! :) This entire process is 100% easier when we both know that healing belongs to Tim by the grace of God!

Tim is heavily involved in youth at our church, he is so excited to see so many youth coming out to events. His passion is youth ministry, so he is thriving in it!

We are getting ready for Christmas! Our tree is up, full of decorations and the outside lights are beautiful thanks to Tim. I spent an hour wrapping all of his gifts, he is like a little kid, he will go hunting if they are not safely under the tree. We are spending Christmas in Airdrie this year with friends and family, and taking a much needed break from school, work etc!

Christa has been signed to John Robert Powers, an acting academy with locations all over the world. She had one audition and was asked to join! She will embark on 5 months of practical training and professional auditions. What an opportunity!

We will continue to keep you all updated! Thank you for being so faithful to our story, and supporting us in ways we can't even properly say thank you for.

-Tim & Christa!
(this is us in Saskatchewan on the way to Winnipeg, our road trip in October this year. This is one of the places we stopped for ice cream during Tim's ride for childhood cancer across Canada in 2007, we had to relive the moment!)

Significantly Simple

2009-08-20T18:53:00.000-07:00

A very simple thought on serving people:

What an interesting time it has been to sit back and ponder the past season of our lives. Sometimes I cannot help but play the scene over and over again from Black Sheep with Chris Farley where he is at the top of the mountain trying to find cell reception and slips his foot off the rock and begins a very long, painful, dreadful, discombobulating summer salt down toward the valley...and then after gaining his senses, throwing himself upward into posture he exclaims, "What in the hell was that all about!" (If you haven't seen this movie...it's a must...it's on my to do list of life actually...it's an annual event that I have with me, myself, and I.)

But sometimes that's how I look at many situations in life and wonder what the purpose of it all was. I cannot count how many times I have tried to sit here at this stupid HP Pavilion laptop computer of mine and try to focus on writing the thoughts in my head which have been brewing for quite some time about different things, people I've talked to, things that have happened...and for some reason just not having the clarity to phrase myself. I just sit in a daze wondering what the purpose of it all was. Where is this going? What is being done? How does this effect me?

To be honest I'm not really sure what it's all about sometimes. (the cancer, how certain things have worked out in our lives, jobs, meeting people, serving, and life.)

Lately Christa and I have had the opportunity to meet and hear some very influential people. This past week we had the honor to sit in and hear Charlotter Gambil speak on the importance of building the local church - and how for some odd reason we have this mentally that the church is all about this religious building where we gather on Sunday mornings because of family tradition or religious beliefs and practices. Depending on your thoughts and viewpoint of the word religion you may disagree with the next statement - but she was saying that the role of the church is to reach out to people and meet their needs. We aren't to run around jamming the bible down peoples throats or telling them what to do and what not to do. It is important for us to invest time and ourselves in joining up with others to help meet the needs and reach out to other people, through whatever means possible, including ourselves, our experiences, and with all the junk that we haul behind.

The problem, however is that so many people want to be the top dog. Everyone wants to be on the stage, have a mic in their hand, run the company, be the president, run for mayor, be team captain, give the orders...it's their way or the highway. And this is why sometimes groups and organizations, including the church fail...because people don't want to greet people, or clean washrooms, or help with parking, or go into the hospitals and spend time with the sick, or offer a ride to someone, or care to listen to someones shotty (yes I said shotty...it's the new thing so get with it) life...because what we have to do is more important, and if I (not me...I as in plural...even though it can't be plural...I know.) am not running the show, if I am not noticed, if I am not rewarded, if I, I, I, I, I...then it just won't be worth it. And this is wrong thinking!

At first I took this as a slap in the face because I thought to myself...are you telling me that my tour across Canada was waste of my time and that I just want to make it to the top and be noticed? Are you telling me all the TV shows I've done and interviews was selfish ideas? Are you saying my goal to write a book is complete junk? Are you saying the homeless outreach that Christa and I lead for the street people of Calgary isn't impacting and reaching out to the needs of others? Are you telling me that loving that person who is just unlovable, or investing my time and energy doing something for someone else wasn't significant?

At first this was how I actually thought about this...and the whole way home Christa had to knock some sense into my wee little brain to remind that that's not what she was saying at all. What I soon learned was that all those things are great...but when we invest our time and money and energy into the lives of other people...that's what it's all about. If your on the top, great. But if your on the bottom step...you are just as...if not more powerful and useful then the guy on the top. Because the guy on the top may not have the opportunities and gifts to reach out to people like the guy on the bottom.

Even though there are days that I sit here and stare at a white, blank word document page which sometimes reflects my view on life thinking to myself, "what the... ", I have learnt that there is a huge joy in teaming up with a group of people and meeting the needs of others. Rather it be through a church, a community organization, a company, or even in a social group of people. We don't all have to be the guy on the top, because if we are all the guy on the top....it's boring!

I have discovered that if I can shovel someones walk, or feed the homeless, or help lead a youth group, or say hi to the guy in the food court who looks like he needs a picker upper, or whatever it might be. I have learnt that through my experiences, with all my junk and garbage I can serve people and meet the needs of others...just as I am. Too many times I think of people who work themselves up and go on a self pity trip and create all the drama in the world because what nice thing they did for someone, or nice thing they said to someone, or their hard work went unnoticed. Too many times people think that if they aren't noticed then it doesn't count or it's not significant. But we must remember...it's not about us. We all have the opportunity to reach out to people in any given situation -therefore, big or small, it is significant, it matters, and it just might bring hope and meet a need of someone you never thought it would have.

...Tim

Change.

2009-08-05T17:08:00.001-07:00

Two weeks ago, the fire alarm rang out in our church service, once before church and once right before Pastor Leon was to preach. Of course, even though we all thought it was nothing, we evacuated, and eventually after some debate decided to have the service outside. How perfect that the title of Leon's message was "Change." While sitting out on the grass in the perfect summer air surrounded by a few hundred amazing people who devoted time every day to pray for Tim and I...life was suddenly put into perspective for me. Embracing Change. How many of us do that?

I've been through twenty years of change. Little changes, like crawling to walking, diapers to the potty, a crib to the big girl bed...grade 1 to grade 12, brown hair, red hair, fake nails, red nails, insecurity, pain, happiness, death, life, rejection, acceptance. I've had my life all planned out and seen it change in a matter of hours. I remember the emotions and excitment of our approaching wedding day being knocked aside by the terror of a disease. If anyone has experienced drastic change, overwhelming unwanted change, it has been Tim and I.

But...

Why wallow? Why sit there and wish for the "old" days, when a new journey is infront. I could have ignored the change and ran away from it, but I would still be in the same place, the same unchanged place. Instead, no matter how painful, unwanted and stupid the change was...I embraced it, and accepted it for what it was. It turns out when things change in a big way, even though we don't want them to, they turn out to be the greatest stories, the most amazing memories. What if you never took those first steps after all? Where would you be? Unchanged and annoying! Who wants a 20 year old baby in their lives?

I don't. Nor do I want to be.

Now. As Tim and I look back on our time in the hospital, the treatment, the unit, even the day of diagnosis, we celebrate each moment and find the joy in it! Why? Because change is a GOOD thing. It brings forth the true qualities in a person and shows the world where their focus is. I want people to see my focus is on Christ. I am a strong woman, I will perservere and accept any change that comes my way, no matter what it is.

Each day now is amazing. Each day is full of change. Tim is back at part time work, and loving it! He finds new challenges in his day, adopts them and succeeds. He is such an asset to his team, and according to them has been very missed! I am back at work as well, with two of the most incredible kids. Each day they greet me with excitment and joy, they don't care where I have been or where I am going, even at 2 and 3 years old, they have accepted the fact that Tim was sick, now he is better, he has no hair, and heck, they love him like crazy! Why at two and three can they accept drastic change, embrace it and move on and we "adults" start cursing, throwing up our hands, and for some reason cannot even sit still when traffic is re routed? Trust me, if that sounds like you, here is a little warning; get your priorities straight, because if life ever throws you a curve ball...well, I don't even want to know what will happen to you.

Leon taught us how to accept and embrace change that Sunday night, Tim's battle taught us how to find joy in every situation, and Weston and Sawyer teach me every day to appreciate the little things, to laugh, to giggle, play hide and seek and enjoy CHANGE.

Christa

One Step

2009-07-22T09:11:00.000-07:00

July 23rd:

This video contains pictures and memories of our journey and what we have endured, together. As this chapter of our life closes we look to the future with eyes focused above in anticipation and excitement of what is yet to come.

Thank you to all for your prayers, support, and encourgage. We could not have done it without you guys!

Tim & Christa Harriman

Victory is ours!!!

2009-07-19T08:59:00.000-07:00

Well - here we are in what seems like the blink of an eye. On Monday the 13th I was officially discharged from hospital with a follow up appointment the next day on Tuesday. It felt great walking into clinic that day. There was a total different feeling and vibe floating on Christa and I. About a month prior we had just walked into that very same building and seeing the big blue block letters on the front which read - TOM BAKER CANCER CENTER. So many thoughts went through my head that day as we walked into that building hand in hand to learn what my exact diagnosis was. I remember meeting one couple that day who was just finishing up treatments. He had stage 4 and a stem cell transplant as well and they were doing great - however it seemed so far away, not even worth dreaming about.

But walking into that building this past week was refreshing, and now we had a chance to talk to people who were just starting this journey and to give them a glimpse of hope when everything around them seemed so hopeless.

I know I've spoken a lot about attitude; and it's true, attitude does go a long way and does play a vital role in recovery, but...it isn't everything. We still have other responsibilities in looking after ourselves and doing what the doctors, nurses, and staff say. I remember one morning that I just wasn't feeling up to anything. Just leave me alone, let me sleep, don't talk to me, just pop some gravol into my line and knock me out. I felt like I wanted to hibernate for a month and wake up when this is all done. In walks the nutritionist to see how I was holding up and if I was eating enough - which was obvious I wasn't. I was dehydrated and had lost about 10 lbs and just didn't feel like eating squat. But she came in a bagged me to drink a protein smoothie. Knowing that they weren't the best taste in the world I knew though that this was for my own good. I had to try. Pinch my nose and do anything I could to get something into my stomach - I knew that the sooner I started eating and getting my weight up, the better chance my body would have at fighting off this infection and then the sooner I would be released.

I cannot just lay in bed all day and tell myself 50 times that I am going to do well and feel better. Nope, I have work to do to. I have to get out of bed, shower up even when I feel like being a slob, go for a walk around the unit even when my body aches from the medications, order my meals even when I feel like crap, and eat my meals even when my stomach just wants to hurl...I have to fight too! And let me tell you - it ain't always easy.

It blows my mind away at how much the body can take. Even though I had my treatments almost 3 weeks ago, still my body is recovering. The first round of chemo didn't even touch me. We went for walks, ate lots of food, went camping, biking, throwing the frisbee around, I was driving everywhere...you name it. This round of chemo - not so much. I still have dry mouth from the chemo and radiation which feels like Ive been sucking on a mouthful of soda crackers all day. Everything I ate yesterday ended up in our city's sewer lines. And I feel like I have weighted bean bags hanging from my body - I move like a snail. But each and everyday will get better. I will get stronger. I will continue to stuff my face with food and keep it down. And life will return to normal.

It was a great feeling leaving that clinic on Tuesday. The doctor and nurses all said how shocked they were to see me so soon and that I just had to go and prove them all wrong. Even on Friday I had my central line removed and the nurse who was helping do the procedure said, what makes you so special to get your line our so soon? haha!

Friends - it has been a blast and a half. Thank you for your support and love. Thank you for checking in and fighting this battle with us. Thank you for the visits and phone calls, emails and messages. I feel honored to have done the things I have done. I never thought my life would include 2 battles with cancer, a ride across the country, speaking to thousands all over, and inspiring many. And who knows - maybe a jog across Alberta will be my next adventure...just to prove yet again to myself that cancer cannot get me down. Wherever my future leads me, I am excited to do it now with the most amazing person ever - Christa who has a powerful story herself. We are people, we are human - and we are being molded and crafted each and every single day...and we just want to be tools to build what we are called to build!

And remember: Victory is ours...and yours :)

Tim Harriman

Code: Red - July 12

2009-07-13T08:08:00.000-07:00

Code Red! Code Red! Code Red!

As I lay there in my almost deepest form of sleep I can hear fire bells but I think I'm dreaming. All of a sudden I hear what sounds like a very loud drum roll sound through the hallways which turns out to be every single door in the building slamming shut from the fire bells. Half drugged I open an eye trying to gain my senses. Over the intercom I hear it again: Code Red, 3rd floor and then again...and again. Am I dreaming? What's going on? I don't hear a thing. I don't hear screaming, yelling, or other people scrambling around...I must be dreaming. Just go back to sleep Tim, it's probably like 2AM - these sleeping pills are really getting the best of you. And in about 2 seconds this is what goes through my mind: Wait a minute...3rd floor! That's below me. Fire = heat. Heat = rise. Fire burns up. Floor caves in. I'm on top floor. That's a long fall. Oh dear!!!

What do I do.? No one's come for me? How do I unhook all this stuff on me? Do I stay here and turn on the news and watch myself die on TV (which could be interesting) or do I make an escape for it?! Tim - WAKE UP! The place is on fire and your in it....GET OUT! Oh, right. This is a fire. Stop, drop, and roll baby!

As I roll over and get out of bed feeling like an astronaut walking on the moon I make my way to the door. I can't open it. Did they lock me in here? Those sick, cruel, people! Alright, nice God. Good plan. So I'm not gunna die of cancer. No way! I'm going to die in a fire where I am supposed to be treated for cancer. Great.

Finally I summon the energy and grab the door handle and just reef it open, drag my IV pull into the hallway for a little observe. Everything seems normal. No smoke. I don't see any flames. But the doors! Everything is locked down. The people...where is everyone? Did they forget about me? Elevators - your not supposed to take those during a fire. Stairs! I'm on the top floor. AND I'm hooked up to this thing! Is this actually happening? Am I in the rapture and just missed the man himself - what's happening?!

Just as I was getting ready to call my people and tell them I am breaking a window and jumping out on the back side - bring a trampoline or something to catch me cause it's a long way down...I see life. A nurse walks around the corner. Are you wondering what's going on? What's going...I have a good idea of what's going on...but maybe we should think about leaving! (I felt like James Bond now - on a mission to save the girl). It's okay Tim, it's just on the third floor, you can go back in your room. We will let you know if anything changes - she responds.

Okay...phew. Building isn't on fire Tim, but you just go sit and your room and everything is gunna be alright now. In an way, as I lay there in my bed - I was thinking man, that would be awesome if this place burnt to the ground. 1. I'd be done with this crap and just go back to life and act like it never happened. 2. I think that it would be some good entertainment for some good stories...and 3....well I don't know - I survived cancer....twice...and a fire all at the same time!

Ha-ha...until next time!

Tim Harriman

July 9 - Day 39

2009-07-13T07:30:00.000-07:00

Deep thoughts:

As fast as this whole process has gone – even though some days feel like eternity – it has been a time of many ups and downs, questioning, learning, embracing, feelings joy and at times even feelings of anger.

I don’t think I will ever be able to put this experience into clear, detailed, understanding words for one to even grasp slightly what this journey means to us. As we prepare to meet with a book publisher in the near future my mind begins the planning process of writing a book. How many chapters, what is our overall theme of the book, what’s our message, what things we will share and/or keep to ourselves for our own personal memories...these questions all lead me to excitement as our future unfolds and we see where new things take us. I am pumped!

I will admit that this course of treatment has been a little harder than the last course – which doctors explained to me. I knew walking into this round that my faith would be tested and this would be a challenge against myself to practice what I preach. Waking up some mornings just gasping for air, trying to find the energy to roll out of bed and brush my teeth even though the sink was literally two feet away, ordering my meals for the day while feeling nauseous just by looking at the menu, sitting with my head buried into my heads which hold on so tightly to my IV pole repeating to myself – I CAN do this, and I WILL do this over and over.

Still, compared to what I have been through in the past – this course is still a walk in the park. I remember my treatments last time (when I fought Leukemia) and how every single day was a battle to keep pressing on. 365 days a year for nearly 3 years I fought day in and day out to just keep going. To get one more breath of air, to keep one more meal down, to keep myself from losing weight, to keep myself from throwing up, to stay strong, even through the pain, to be joyful when life was hell, and to choose to be a fighter when everything in me wanted to give up. A few weeks in a hospital is nothing compared to the years I called Children’s Hospital my home away from home and considered the doctors and nurses part of my family.

This round has had its challenging moments that at times remind me of those painful years. I have to remind myself to take time to sit and reflect and sometimes even allow myself to be mad and not bottle it in dealing with it on my own – because it’s okay to be mad and ask questions sometimes. Why again? Was the first time not good enough? What am I being taught; did I not already learn something? Is this my fault? Could I have done something to prevent this? But at the end of the day when I really focus and ponder the day’s challenges – I remember this: Life is good – Always!

And rather I like it or not, life will always deal me its share of challenges. Sometimes challenges seem to be so painful and lengthy and when I think i’ve had enough it just keeps going and never seems to end. But through all chaos my purpose never changes, like the 5 dollar bill illustration I had talked about. My value is still the same. And why do bad things happen to good people? Because they are just that...good people making a difference in the world and the devil don’t like it. A friend of ours taught us a very powerful thing and I want to add an extra bit to it: If i’ve learnt one thing about the devil in this battle and what he thinks of us, it’s that when our feet hit the floor in the morning, he says, “Oh crap, their up”.

I sometimes picture this battle not only like a walk through the park but a walk through the deep woods. I can see the peak of the mountain and where ive been and where I am I headed, but between me and the peak is unknown as the deep woods are filled with mush, debris, valleys, hills, rivers, and ponds – which I must trek through. The peak is appearing to be closer but there is still a little bit of the unknown to trek though.

i’ve had very few bad days and for that I am very thankful. And even with the bad days that i’ve had – they have been few and far in between and I am still able to say – Life is good...it could be a lot worse.

Though it sounds bizarre I am so grateful for this experience and the things that it has once again reminded me, taught me, and help me learn what challenges Christa and I might endure as a married couple.

I will continue to press on and the day will come when I will stand on top of that mountain peak and shout to the valleys below – I am victorious! I am a winner! I am strong! I WILL WIN!

Until next time,

Tim Harriman

July 8 - Day 38

2009-07-08T21:18:00.000-07:00

Hi Friends,

The past few days have been a little rougher so I am only getting to you now. Thanks for hangin in there ;)

The doctors did say before starting this round of treatments that they expected it to be slightly rougher than the first - and since I received radiation on top of the chemo it only intensifies the effects that much more.

When I was released last weekend I felt great on Friday and then Saturday morning the effects hit me. But again, I wasn't brutally ill. I felt a little more tired and weaker then usual and slightly nauseated but overall was still doing fairly well. However, at my appointment on Monday the doctor said I had lost 10 lbs and said if I didn't pick it up and wasn't feeling better by my next visit (Wednesday) then she would want me to stay over night. So, long story short Tuesday morning I was still feeling a little rough and decided that instead of trying to fight this on my own to just come into the hospital and get the fluids and meds I needed to speed up my recovery.

Doctor was in this morning and said she sees light at the end of the tunnel. I start my G-shots (which help stimulate my cell growth) tomorrow morning and should be back up at at er by next week. This is a very serious part of the whole treatment though since I've now received my transplant and don't want to screw anything up. I'm not supposed to be around anyone under 10, avoid camping and intense outdoor activities for one full year, no mowing the lawn or any outdoor yard work, no flowers and plants in the house (poop, I sure love my plants...if you know what I mean...kidding people...geez.) So basically life will return some what the normal but still have to be very cautious that I do not get any infections or viruses.

As for that, the past week or two has been interesting. Even though I've had a few rough days it still is not like anything that some patients go through. I've definitely had the good end of the stick and pray that things continue to go well :)

We thank you all for your support, cards, letters, emails and phone calls. Even though we haven't had a chance to respond to everything know that your love, support, and encouragement means the world to us! We are so grateful for friends, family, and even strangers who are rooting us on!

Cheers to you :)

Tim Harriman

12:55pm

2009-07-07T11:54:00.001-07:00

Hey guys, just a quick update. Tim is sleeping beside me, his toes are twitching, and we are back in the hospital. The doctors have put him on some fluid because he hasn't really had an appetite the past few days, he is starting to bounce back though! (I just watched him gobble a pb&j, soup, tea and some fruit!) The chemo he had last week is hard stuff on the body, but at least we know it is working like it's supposed to.

I'm sure he will write an update soon with more detail, but otherwise things are good!!

-Christa

July 2

2009-07-02T14:44:00.001-07:00

Now as Tim shared his view on camping...I want to share with you mine. What is camping to me? Well, something I’ve only done one other time up until our camping trip last week. The last time I went it was warm, we went swimming, and I didn’t have to wear my WINTER COAT all weekend. So, we’re driving down the highway and in the distance are some Chronicles of Narnia\Harry Potter rain clouds hovering over the very mountain we are supposed to camp below.

We pulled into Mount Kidd’s parking lot and headed for the office to check in. The sun was out, but the air was chilly. After checking in we drove to our beautiful site and began to set up. As we pulled out the tarps and the tent, Tim pipes up and says “I know the rain is going to hold off, I know it...”

It didn’t.

It poured, I don’t know how long it poured for, but the two of us sat in our car waiting out the rain, soaking wet from attempting to set up the tarp to protect our tent.

From that point on, I had a chill, deep into my bones that didn’t leave until hours before we left our camp site two days later. Tim was fine, strutting his stuff in shorts while I suntanned in my red and white winter jacket.

The rain eventually stopped and we finished setting up, only to have it rain once more. We then moved into our tent for a nice picnic on our mattress. Tim made us tuna sandwiches, which somehow became completely soggy, Tim liked his . . . I could only stomach one half.

That night, we were pumped to start a nice warm fire, roast marshmallows and chat..but it rained AGAIN. We decided to drive into Canmore for dinner, and after driving around forever and testing Tim’s patience with my indecisiveness, we finally chose the good old Boston Pizza.

O by the way, did I mention I wore my winter coat the entire time we ate?
I’m a baby.. I know.

The rain let up, and even though it was a little bit chilly, Tim and I decided to make the best of our time together and like I said before, start a toasty warm fire and talk! Unfortunately, the store was closed, so our fire would have to wait until another night, plan B; A walk!

As I grabbed more warm clothes from the car, I swear I don’t know how it happened, but I locked the keys in the trunk! I searched my pockets, the tent, and even under the car. HOW could I do this? I never do this! We’re in the middle of the mountains!! O! My spare key, is in. . my wallet in the CAR!

A little girl who was camping with her family across from our site overheard our dilemma and told her mom, who then told her husband a firefighter from Edmonton. As Tim dug around in the car with a marshmallow roaster attempting to get in, our own personal fire rescue team (including two little girls) came and got us back into our trunk.

Because of my silliness we met an amazing family who welcomed us with open arms, and showed us what camping is really about. We’re going to hook up with them next year and camp at Mount Kidd!

Okay, so from there it really wasn’t so bad.

Tim and I sucked up the cold nights and enjoyed the sun when it was out. We went on a beautiful hike, bike ride, drive, roasted marshmallows, cooked on our Coleman Stove, read, and discovered qualities in each other we never knew existed. It was an awesome trip. I would do it again in a minute babe, believe me!

In a way, even though it wasn’t everything we expected, I was sad to leave. I can’t wait to go back and stay longer. Maybe I’ll leave my winter coat at home next time.

Today, I’m sitting beside Tim as he reads the bible; it has been an exciting day! Last night my amazing friend Amber let me stay at her apartment which is a two minute drive from the hospital. I woke up early and arrived just in time for Tim and I to head down for his one and only dose of radiation. We’d been prepped, but the process was so interesting. They packed Tim from head to toe in Vaseline and tapioca held in plastic. That is to equalize the radiation so it hits each part of his body without one area getting more than the other. We then headed into the radiation room where they got Tim into position and we all left. The staff taught me so much about the dose, the machine, what all the numbers meant and what exactly the radiation does to the cells in Tim’s body.

Later on, the team arrived for the transplant! Today was really his “second” birthday as he received his new immune system. We decided today that Tim and I would from this point on always celebrate his June 15th birthday and the birthday of his brand spankin, always healthy NEW immune system!

You can check out pictures of the camping trip, transplant, chemo and radiation at:

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=135900&id=567125201&l=9ef205f5a5

The smell on the other hand is dreadful. If Tim even turns the wrong way I get a horrible whiff of cream corn. The preservative they use to harvest the stem cells stinks as it leaves his system through his pores. It’s honestly like really strong, hot and steamy cream corn. I just have to keep remembering my vows “for better or for worse...” in good smells and in really really bad.

What a relief all the treatments are done! Its time to relax and recover and everybody on staff expects Tim to do incredibly, so do I! God is bigger!! Dr. Stewart says Tim will be fine, and everything is going exactly how he wanted it to.

It blows my mind every single day that all the things I’ve been taught the past few years at Springs Church are really truth. I grew up thinking that God’s will was to sometimes heal, but his perfect will is healing ALL the time. Not sometimes. Not maybe. Tim and I are seeing that each and every day. The cancer is gone, the side effects are zilch, and God is growing us into people of purpose. Tim has adopted a new mind set too, so have I, our faith has stretched, and we cannot wait to help others who are facing the same thing.

The doctor just came in and Tim and I are outta here until Monday! He is doing so well they are letting him leave. We will keep you all updated! Don’t stop reading.

-Christa

July 1 - Day 31

2009-07-01T07:02:00.000-07:00

Well here are we are - heading in for battle number 2. The past few weeks off have been amazing spending time relaxing and just hanging out - and finally being able to go out instead of being locked up.

Last week Christa and I went for a little camping trip in the Kananaskis Country and who would have ever thought camping could have such a unique twist on marriage and teach you things you never knew. But it doesn't take camping to realize this one. You know you are married when...

Your clothes have gone missing from their usual spot and have now been placed elsewhere, making room for "guess who's" clothes. When your closet used to be yours but now it is taken over by purses and clothes which definitely aren't yours. When the bathroom cabinet is filled 2/3 with products that aren't yours. When the toilet paper roll for some reason always seems to be empty. When the mail box is full - but not one piece of mail is for you. Ha-ha...but it's all good...it is absolutely worth it!

I am sure Christa will share her experience of camping on her blog - but I personally thought the trip was awesome. But this is what I discovered about the word camping. When a man says or hears the word camping - he thinks of tenting, BBQing some burgers, cooking over the fire (he created), exploring the wilderness, and enjoying it no matter what the weather. This is what women think of when they hear or say the word camping. Having internal chills, miserable weather, sleeping in a spider filled tent, eating food that taste like charcoal, and using toilets that appear to lead us to the core of the earth but are actually so filled with waste that it just so happens to appear like a distant black space.

Thursday we pulled out and we weren't far down the road before the rain started. This isn't bad I thought as I played back the memory of when myself and a few buddies went camping in Kananaskis a few years ago and it poured rain on us almost all weekend but yet we cooked outside in the pouring rain, played some football, and even brought out the guitars for a little koom-by-ya.

However, setting up the tent in the rain and cold condition isn't quite what Christa would call ideal camping conditions. However we made the best of it, shared some laughs, and put the weekend in our book of never to do again (in the pouring rain that is...) and our other book of stupid memories (which I'm sure will be refreshed into our minds quite often).

Mind you, the rain and colder conditions wasn't the only thing that brought a unique twist. On Thursday evening Christa and I thought we would kick off our romantic retreat (or so I thought) with a nice hike in the wilderness before sun set. Nope. Not happening. While dressing in layers and bundling ourselves up (I will refrain from using names to protect the sacredness of our marriage), somehow our wilderness tour turned into a scavenger hunt for our car keys. Back tracking our way through the campground they were no where to be found. By the grace of God there just happened to be a little girl skipping just along our campsite and heard me asking Christa where our cell phones were - in the car of course. I knew we were in the middle of no where and a tow truck would cost 4 arms and 4 legs so I tried the old man's trick with a roasting stick and a screw driver. No luck. Next thing you know...Fire and Rescue pulls up (the little girls father who so happens to live up the road from us in Edmonton) and by my amazement happens to somehow peal the rubber back on the driver window and to push his roasting stick in far enough where he managed to loop it around the trunk lever and pop it open. Where were the keys - sitting right there in the trunk. How did they get there? I have no idea :)

The rest of our camping trip turned out to be decent as the sun came around and we built a great friendship with our lifesavers who invited us over for a fire and tea as we learnt each others stories and shared some good times.

Camping is definitely one of my getaways as it gives me time to reflect and enjoy the peace of the outdoors and it surely was a great time to spend with Christa and recharge ourselves for battle again.

This morning I received my last dose of Chemo which I must admit - was so strong that as it was going in I could taste the strong sense in my mouth and felt like my body had a 100 pound weight thrown on it. The feeling eventually subsided but showed me how powerful this drug really is - but like before, we are continuing to believe for a power and strength to keep fighting and push through this round as strong if not stronger than last time; with minimal to no side effects and hopefully be released earlier then expected.

And as for the good news your all waiting for me to share: During my check up last week at Tom Baker the nurse kept referring to me as their poster boy as she says they have never really seen anyone push through everything so easily before. She was shocked to hear that I haven't been sick, I've been maintaining my diet and weight - in fact I am actually starting to get a little chunky in the face and the belt seems to be switching holes every so often. Besides from loosing my hair I have been feeling great and actually feel better than before I was diagnosed - strange. Not only is that good news but we also learnt that my PET/CT SCAN came back showing that the cancer has been killed and the Doctor thinks I will cruise through this round again with very little symptoms - this is play stuff compared to what I've been through in the past. AND, when once thought I would have 4 -6 months of follow up treatments I could now possibly be released by end of next week with no more chemo treatments and will have my central line out in a month or two and be back to living a normal life. Wow!

So thank you for your continued prayers and support. We greatly appreciate them. This has been a softening time on my heart and has been an experience that I will never forget for I have learnt SO many things in such a short time frame. My hope is that our story will continue to inspire and encourage us all to live life to it's fullest, appreciating it for what it really is, and even continue to remind me of some very important but simple things that help bring such a greater meaning to life!

As for now, 1 chemo down, 1 radiation to go tomorrow morning, stem cell transplant in afternoon and score board says:

Tim 2
Cancer 0

Cheers friends!

Tim Harriman

2009-06-25T09:01:00.000-07:00

Hey Friends!

Just wanted to let you know that we have not forgotten about you! We are headed off to go camping for a bit before my next phase of treatments and will update you on some awesome news we received at the hospital this week when we return this weekend!

In the meantime check out http://www.airdrieecho.com/ArticleDisplay.aspx?e=1627988 an article that featured Christa and I.

Have a good week!

TH

June 20 - Day 20

2009-06-20T09:41:00.000-07:00

Value. What does it mean? Who has it? How do we get it? Do we deserve it or is it just ours?
This is a question that I pondered for quite some time when I had my first battle with cancer in 2002 - 2005. What did I ever do to deserve cancer? Was it a curse on my life? Did I do something that cancer was the tool in order to teach me a lesson and put me back on track? Did I still matter to people and society? Would I ever be an asset? Could I be used? Would my opinions and thoughts matter? Will I be successful?

I brutalized myself when the answer was so clear and it was directly in front of me. I worked day and night to keep up with my school work, I had a summer jobs, I did two grades in one year in order to graduate with my friends, I played on a youth band as well as the high school band which was one of the best in Alberta and even had the opportunity to go down to California and play at Disneyland and record with Warner Bro's (for fun) to Pirate's of the Caribbean (though I didn't go because of treatments), I was counselor at a summer camp for several summers, and I accepted speaking engagements whenever they came my way...I did all of this while going through chemo and radiation.

Did I do because I was searching for an answer - was I insecure that life might be swept from underneath me if I didn't cling to it? Was I trying to cover up my illness and focus on other things? I don't think so. I remember always going, going, going. My illness never kept me down and held me back from life and doing the things I loved to do. I discovered a passion and a desire to live life and live it to it's fullest. I had a passion and desire to serve and be a tool to any event, function, project, or mission...I discovered that even though challenges come my way and I have my ups and downs in life (like we all do), I discovered that those things do not interfere with my purpose and my destination as long as I do not let them because I know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. Therefore I am valuable and so are you.

I often use this illustration when I speak to a group about being the change and knowing that you have whatever it takes to do whatever your heart desires and dreams of. Here it is:

If you were walking the streets of your city and you found a 5 dollar bill on the ground, would you pick it up? Yes. Why? Because it's 5 bucks. It has a value. You can buy things with it. If you were walking down the same street and you came across that same 5 dollar bill on the ground but this time it was stomped on and a little dirty, would you pick it up? Yes, because it still has value and after a little brushing off of the dirt and making it look decent it is still 5 bucks and it still has value and can still be used. That same street, your walking down and you find that same 5 dollar bill. This time it is stepped on, dirty, wrinkled and ripped; would you still pick it up? Yes! Because you put it in your pocket, take it home, brush off the dirt, flatten the bill, tape it back together where it's been ripped and it can still be used. It still has value to it and it can still be used.

The same is true for our lives. Life isn't always fair. We are dealt with disease, poverty, being fired from a job, a loved one turning on us, wars, and race turning against race. If you step back and take a look at our world - you can sometimes just shake your head at the things people are going through and you can ask why is this happening...OR...you can choose to rise up against it and be the change, knowing that you have VALUE. You've been stepped on, spit on, your full of dirt, and you've been ripped in so many places. But the truth is suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. Therefore, over time if you allow yourself, you will be brushed off, cleaned up, flattened, and mended back together. Nothing can interfere with your purpose and your destination if you don't allow it. I have value, you have value, we have value and we can achieve great things and be the change!

Yesterday afternoon Christa and I had an interview with a newspaper and the reporter asked how do I go from a state of being mad, hearing the prognosis that my cancer had come back, thinking I am going to die, to a state of mind with a positive energy, a passion to fight with all that I have, knowing that I am going to be okay, and not allowing this to get the best of myself.

My answer was very simple and the reporter seemed in awe that this is actually possible. The first time I went through cancer I was only 14 - so you can imagine the shock and the fear that I was experiencing at that time in my life. Not having a clue about cancer, the treatments, the pain, or anything I was about to undergo I immediately thought I was going to die. I had a death sentence and I felt like it didn't matter what I did it wouldn't change my outcome.

You never really have time to accept that type of news...things just happen so fast and all of a sudden your thrown into the ride of your life of a roller coaster and you have no clue what to expect. You haven't had the chance to stand on the ground and observer this thing. You don't know where the loops and twists and turns are, you don't know if the bolts are securely fastened - you don't know anything. It's just buckle up and here we go! But over time as I became comfortable and understanding of my situation there were times when my attitude was running on high and I was full of fighting power. During those times...my treatments were successful. Side effects were minimal, my counts started to come back up, my appetite came around, my energy increased, and my overall emotional and mental strength rose higher. But during the times that I was discouraged and focused on my situation and allowed my mind to be filled with feelings and fear and anxiety - those were the times the treatments weren't doing what they were supposed to do, the times I was hospitalized with infections and my counts dropping to a severely low level and my mind had no drive to fight. I was done.

This time around - because I have been through cancer before I knew what to expect but I also knew that my attitude would be a large percentage of my battle. And say it's just coincidence or just how things happen - but this time around I have seen those patients who have a terrible attitude and are allowing their illness to get the best of them and they are struggling. They are having a hell of a ride and they are filled with fear, anxiety, worry, and depression. And I have seen the patients who have a strong attitude and a desire to beat this thing out of their world. Like the lady who walks around the unit all day every day choosing not to lie in bed all day and soak in her disease. Or the guy who walks on the treadmill with his IV hooked up to him, or the other guy who is bald and has chemo pumping through his system but still works out and maintains a fit body and chooses to bring his meals to the common area and eats in front of the TV rather then staying in his room all by himself and being lonely. Those are the ones who are having a walk in the park with this and have chosen to take an obstacle in their life and say - BRING IT ON! It is evident that our attitude plays a vital role in the challenges that we face in life - not just cancer or disease, but in any obstacle or challenge that comes our way.

Before I wrap up today's journal I must acknowledge the continued support and encouraging energies that are being sent our way. We are so blessed and grateful for those who have stood up behind us and are cheering us on running with us to the finish line. We have continued to receive countless emails from people across this country and have even learnt that people are dedicating their Canadian Cancer Relay For Life event in honor of Christa and I and one person is also doing the Bike Ride to Conquer Cancer in support of us as well!

We are so grateful for the support and look forward to participating in some of those events in the following years!

Take care friends!

Tim Harriman

Laundry

2009-06-17T18:52:00.000-07:00

When it’s exciting to sit down as a couple and sort laundry together, you know you’ve been deprived. Actually, deprived isn’t the right word, because Tim and I have shared some pretty special moments in the past month of being married, but it’s amazing the things married couples take for granted, like waking up beside each other, cooking breakfast together, creating two sets of toothpaste spit in the sink, changing the toilet paper...again, having the sheets stolen, and doing yet another load of laundry.

At the end of the day, when my back hurts from lugging around that vacuum cleaner, and sweeping up the crumbs, I look over at my husband and grin. This is it. This is married life. We are here, and we are enjoying it. There is an awesome speaker I listen to named Joyce Myer, and many times throughout the day I can hear her in my head. “Maybe you don’t need to wash the floor today, maybe you need to put the wife duties away for a minute and spend time with the one you love, or just go relax for a few!” All of us need to relax, enjoy the toothpaste spit and soak up each moment we have with our families.

As Tim said in his blog, his stem cell collection was in every way a miracle. Sitting beside him as his blood pumped into the machine was the most incredible thing I’ve seen. The blood in those tubes allows him to breath, fight infection, laugh, run, smile, cry, and live. All I saw was purity, newness and a fresh beginning. As they freeze those stem cells, I know without a doubt that when they are infused back into him, his body will once again start fresh, and all because of the prayers of hundreds of people and a God power flowing through Tim.

It’s funny how negativity can try its best to creep in. It tries, but it always fails. Tim is always telling the nurses, “nope, that won’t be me that experiences that side effect...” and he doesn’t.

Tim, you have taught me how to apply that principle to every area of life. Example; I’ve just begun upgrading for nursing in the new year, and I am not a strong math person. Just looking at the cover of the text book is daunting. What if I fail math? What if I can’t go on to nursing? And then I remember a moment at the hospital as the nurse looked at Tim as she was infusing his last bag of chemo... “When you stand up you may feel dizzy, and some people have an allergic reaction, if you notice hives, shortness of breath or anything different, call me right away.” Tim fires back.. “That won’t be me!” The nurse laughed and said “Good!” and his treatment continued that day with no complications. This is the weapon he fights and wins with every day.

Don’t get me wrong, you can’t walk around life expecting everything to be perfect, you cannot expect that when you slice your hand along a fresh piece of printer paper that you won’t get a paper cut, because you will, and if you don’t you need to lay off the yard work, but instead of living life focused on the “what if’s” and “maybe’s” fix your eyes on the one who is greater than all of this earthly business. He is our answer each day, and Tim and I know that each step of this battle has been made perfect by HIM! We can’t do this on our own, nor do we want to, this is a three person team.

Tim’s amazing perseverance pushes me past my own limitations. Tim will conquer cancer again, and his attitude and strength within will carry him through. If the patients at the Tom Baker can fight with everything they have, and Tim can call this battle done, anybody can accomplish anything they fight for. Tim has dreams, and so do I. We will do whatever we must to get there!

The next two weeks together will be amazing, and the weeks following them will be even better.

Why?

Because it is a choice, an attitude, and a faith that cannot be broken. We will win!

More pictures!!!

2009-06-17T11:35:00.000-07:00

There it is! My Stem Cells. My life in a bag...haha! That's random
Christa surprised me and brought cake to the hospital and also threw a big bash for me once we got home!

Hanging out during my collection.

More shots of my stem cell...

The machine to the right is what seperates my stem cells and returns my blood back to my body...a very interesting process.

June 16 - Day 16

2009-06-16T21:40:00.000-07:00

Wow! It amazes me how fast time really does travel. Here we are on June 16th...only 1 more month away from the finish line. It is in view. I can see it. I am picturing it. I am running for it. I will not give up! It's amazing! I see incredible things. Though it is slightly blurry and I can't make out everything...I know it will be so overwhelming and tears of joy will fill the eyes of those present.

In my last few blogs I have talked about this strength that we must search deep within ourselves, grab it and pull it out. How we must find that passion and desire within us and allow it to rise up against obstacles and challenges that come our way. Finding peace in the midst of storms. Building perseverance when all hell breaks loose. And CHOOSING to fight with all that we have.

As challenging as a few days were (mentally), it has paid off. Yesterday was like passing the biggest test I've ever had to complete in my whole life. When that stem cell machine beeped marking the end of the collection process this massive wave of peace and a big breath of fresh air filled my lungs. It's almost as if this whole time I've been fighting, fighting, fighting and just kept fighting with all that I have and just when I felt like taking a break and just pausing for a second the horn went. The battle was over! We conquered it. We beat it! Yesterday was filled with so many emotions. Excitement, tears of joy, feelings of strength and courage, a peace.

So here is a recap of how everything has gone this past week:

Why was I even admitted to hospital anyway this week? I felt great! I was eating lots, doing a relatively good job at maintaining my body weight. Haven't been sick...so why the heck am I hear. I get these day passes and then have to come back at 9PM to sleep in some bed that I feel 10feet high in and then wake up and come home. I'm not hooked up to anything except for 30mins at 11PM, 5PM and noon. Knowing not to go against my doctor's knowledge (unlike Mr know-it-all who thought I had shingles...pff) I thought I better dare not question her doings. But finally, I had enough. This was becoming challenging on Christa and I since it's our second week of marriage and I feel great. I want to be home with her. I don't even know why I am in hospital, and I'm starting to get pretty bored...Oprah and Dr. Phil can only do the trick for so long...and even then I feel like they are my best friends at this point for I know them now oh so well thank God for television, friendships are enhanced to even greater levels. Updating my facebook status and checking updates only becomes exciting once and then die's off pretty quickly...and those scuff marks I was talking about on the hallway floors...they will always be there.

So getting back to my story, I said to the doctor - Listen, I don't want to mess anything up and I know I am here for a reason, but can you explain to me what's going on. I want to go home. Turns out I'm neutropenic (no immune system) so I had to stay there on antibiotics just as a precaution so that I didn't get any infections or viruses, after all I've come so far and was on schedule with everything with NO side effects or any symptoms...so why screw anything up.

However, even though I haven't had any side effects from the treatments you have no clue how much opposition has come our way pressed on every single side that the enemy is using to try and get me off track. He knows I've been through this before, cycled across Canada, spoken to thousands if not million's through media and speaking engagements and am now battling cancer again. The enemy knows that I am out to make an impact and will do whatever it takes to get in my way and interfere with my 'I Must'. But I tell you, nothing will shake my grounds! I am built on a strong foundation. I am not built on sinking sands. My feet do not waver. My eyes are focused. My autopilot is set. Fear does not consume me. Worry does not come upon me. When doctor's and/or nurses told me that I would not be ready for collection and that I probably wouldn't have enough cells and would have to do the test over two days. When I was told I would be in the hospital for at least 3 weeks. When I was told I would have 6 - 8 months left to live...I sat there in that doctors room, hospital bed or where ever I was and CHOSE to accept the facts but rose up and said NO! NOT ME! I am different. There is something different in me! Watch me. Get out your history books docs, because I am in there. Statistics...pff...who are they?

Sunday night Christa took me back to the hospital and we both walked into that hospital prepared and ready for battle because we knew that the next day would require some armor and lots of battling gear. The nurse came in and said - so doesn't look like we are going through with the collection tomorrow...your counts just aren't coming up fast enough. This is when I felt like saying Lady...I'm not normal. We know that. Doctor's always tell me they can't figure me out. I'm crazy. I just baffle their minds. I am not normal. But instead I choose to just lie there in my bed and put everything up to the big guy who is in charge.

At the last minute the doctor decides to up my G shots and see if they can help my body a bit. What do ya know? 8AM Monday morning...my doctor walks in and says Tim - Your ready! The team is waiting for you...let's go.

People I am telling you no word of a lie...yes I had a little help with some medications but these doctors do stem cells transplants every week. Tom Baker performs over 70 stem cell transplant a year. They are experts. When they say your not a go and things aren't coming along fast enough (there coming along...just not quick enough...this is still good news...it's not bad) they are usually if not always right at predicting and saying your not ready, the test isn't happening yet. There are people who are still on the ward and have been waiting for 45 days for their stem cell to happen and their body is still waiting!

I went down for collection - they hooked me up to the machine which was supposed to take 8 hours and possibly 2 days. The nurse who did my collection said she has been doing this for a long time - and she said the color of my cells looked amazing. They looked strong and healthy. They needed 365 million cells and within 2 hours they had over and beyond what they needed! I was unhooked and on my way home.

Not only was it my birthday yesterday but it was the day to mark the beginning of a new life. Stem Cells is what feeds our body. Life flows in our cells. Seeing my life flow out of my body and into a machine which then flow into a bag and is frozen for weeks and matured before given back to me - is so powerful. To express how I felt seeing my life flow through lines and through all these pumps and machines and dials and to know that they are clean. They are being restored. No cancer flows in those cells. It will come back to me free of cancer, free of disease, free of any defects or illnesses and come back into my body and give me life once again - would be like trying to explain outer space and our solar system. It's so complicated but yet such a connecting emotional experience.

I am home now well and alive! I had an amazing birthday dinner cooked by my one and only Christa Harriman followed by friends and family for cake and time together with laughter and joy!

The next few weeks will be spent camping it up and enjoying the outdoors, living life and soaking it up, and will probably include the first writings of our first book together which we hope to see on shelves in the near future!

We received an email the other day from City of Airdrie who was hoping to stop by and visit us and deliver a bulk order of magazines to us but the lady told us that since they published the story, the emails and phone calls have not stopped about our story.

It is our hope that our story brings a message of hope. That it can counsel those who are going through some horrific or to someone who is yet to experience something tragic in their life. We all have things that come our way. Life doesn't always deal the cards we were hoping or expecting but we must choose to play wisely because how we play this hand can really determine the next hand and how we will play that one.

Stay strong, press on, and keep on keepin on!

Tim Harriman

A few pictures...

2009-06-14T08:21:00.000-07:00

Here are some pictures for you to enjoy...

Supper last night. The plate was a little slippery. Ooops.

Get er' done! Buzzin' it off...yes, i'm going for a new look these days.

Enjoying some outdoor weather on a day off.

Me controllin the wheel for a change.

Welcome to my office. This is where it all happens.

June 13 - Day 13

2009-06-12T09:24:00.001-07:00

OOOOOOOOoooooohhhh....Do your ears hang low do they wobble to the floor, can you tie them in a knot can you tie them in a bow....

....Sorry bout that ;) I don't even know what I'm singing. Going a little crazy here in this place. Just Kidding ;)

Alright, another long story to tell but this one is funny. Who da man?

The very first day when I had my central line put in I told the surgeon I was allergic to a certain dressing (the bandage that goes over IV sites)and said that I would break out. For at least 24hrs I had to wear the kind of dressing that I would react to but after I could change it to the one that works for me. I said to Christa, "Watch, literally within a day I will break out with spots all over my chest, you watch."

My gosh boy ol' golly (add a little southern farmer tone in there) what happens? Within a day, I look like a leopard. Next thing I know infectious disease is in my room, doctors and nurses are standing around my bed dressed from head to toe in gowns, masks, and gloves up to their arm pits wondering what's wrong with me!

(These are my thoughts. I would not be as stupid to express them verbally at the time.) Excusing me...can you not see I'm watching TV...your interrupting a very important moment in my life. And then one dude, who looks like he's part of house cleaning who is not wearing any identification that I can see of tells me I have shingles! Shingles! Are you crazy! Do you even know what the definition of shingles is? Shingles...pff...cry me a river and I'll build ya boat.

So anyways, enough with all the craziness. After they all they leave, one of my nurses comes in the room and I ask her - who was that dude? She kind of gives me the look with the impression like 'I know what you mean'. Apparently he was the Nurse in Charge for that day. I thought to myself - Nurse in charge...okay...listen here Eddy Stelmach or whoever is in charge up there in the big E city. I know were desperate for nurses and very short but I mean where are we getting them from. For all I know this guy walked in the back door down at the kitchen, clocked junior in the head, threw him in the dumpster, put on his uniform but of course forgot the dudes ID card and walks around from unit to unit calling all these crazy shots.

Oh and that's not the end of it. The TV girl comes to renew our TV for the day all while Mr. Know-it-all and his 'peeps' are hanging outside of my room 'brainstorming' what to do with me. The lady says how long would you like to renew your TV for? Ah..1 day should be good. All of a sudden buddy interrupts Christa and says oh, you'll need it for more than a day. He's not getting out of here until end of next week for sure. He's neutropenic (which means I have no Immune System...and that's true)...but then he goes off to say I am infection disease, I'm not going to be ready for collection on Monday and just runs down the list of all these crazy things. Alright Captain, thanks for coming out but we'll let the doctor be the judge of this one.

A little while later: Low and behold, who walks in? Doctor. Hi Tim! How are you doing? Great! Want to go home for the day? Oh sure! I would love that!

Ha! Take that Captain! Guess ya failed that one. And, oh. where have the spots gone? Gee I don't know. Maybe there disappearing because I said I am allergic which means my skin doesn't like that type of dressing. Shingles. Pff. *Shaking my head*

So. Like I said, the doctor did give me a day pass yesterday with hopes that my counts will start to climb (which they have control over because they can just increase my dose in the G shots). Yesterday my doctor said they will review my chart again and if my counts are starting to climb then they don't see why I won't be allowed to go home again for a little while. And this morning when the nurse came in with my blood test results it showed that my White Blood Cells are starting to rise! That's what we want! Now we just need to get em a little higher so that my body will be ready for Stem Cell Collection on Monday. Then I have a few weeks off (might take up some camping with my beautiful wife)and we return for the first week of July to do the transplant and then guess what. I'm finito! And will be out of here by July 16!

To be honest with you, this whole process has not been what I expected at all. I haven't even felt the effects of chemo, I'm actually considering getting a hair cut cause it's getting a little out of control, and I've actually felt a lot healthier then I felt before. Most nights I have a great sleep and wake up feeling refreshed and charged for the day...

Just waiting for the doctor to make his rounds which will let me know if I can have another day pass or not. And from what I know, if my counts came up today (which they did) they might consider discharging me :)

Have a great weekend! It's been a blast as always!

The one and only Timmy H

PS. We will get some photo's up soon:)

June 11 - Day 11

2009-06-11T09:16:00.000-07:00

Well G'day folks :)

Yesterday was the first day that I started my G-CSF shots which will boost my stem cells and prepare me for mobilization - the stage before transplant. While here at the hospital (which was only supposed to be a quick little visit) turned into me being admitted because my White Blood Cells are too low (0.2) which literally means I have no first line of defence in fighting any viruses and infections that come my way. So even though I feel good I have to lay low in bed at the hospital for a few days until my counts come back up. With the G-CSF shots it shouldn't take long for my counts to come up since that is the purpose of the shots.

I was once asked if I was being a little over optimistic and if I really am feeling well or am I just saying that I feel well. Honestly, I feel really really good. I've had maybe one or two days that I've felt a little under the weather but it was actually because I was taking a medication every 6 hrs and I was only supposed to be taking it as needed, not every friggen day every 6 hours. So the docs changed my meds, reduced some stuff and within the next day or so I was back to eating and being my normal self. Even here in the hospital this time around the nurses sometimes pop in just to say a quick hello because we often joke around and just talk about non-sense. I'm not being proud, but I will definitely say that leading up to my initial admission to the hospital, Christa and I were bracing ourselves. But it's been great. Since we can't act like a normal couple and go out for dates nights and movies and just hang out and do the married thing we've actually had to re-discover our friendship and have quite enjoyed just hanging out all day and talking about anything and everything. Christa and I have had some of the most meaningful, thoughtful, and deepest conversations during this time. We have laughed together so hard that we've been kicking our legs crazy till the point we are crying. We have been very amused by the TV show Trailer Park Boys which is down right stupid stuff but to us, apparently it's hilarious! We've walked around this unit so many times that every day I've seen scuff marks come and go. We've watched movies together, played games, and at times even just hung out and not said a word to each other. Christa and I know that this experience is already building into our relationship and we are learning a great deal of things we may never have learnt if it weren't for this experience. When I am all through, our marriage will come out the other side stronger and deeper because of what we have walked through and faced together in our first few weeks of marriage.

Got a very cool story to share with you:

A couple of nights ago Christa and I prayed before we went to sleep that we would
just have a good sleep and that we would have dreams that we would receive a message or a very clear meaning. I'm not one to have dreams and if I do, I NEVER remember them.

Not only was it great to sleep pretty much the whole night (because the last few nights I've been up several times) but I had an incredible dream that is crazy.

Before I share the dream I must give you a little preview. Back in October of 2008 Christa and I were in Winnipeg for a conference and a guy by the name of Rick Godwin was speaking. And he was telling us that when catching the plane to come up to the conference the lady beside him made a few comments about what if the plane goes down. Rick said, Lady, if this plane is going down your in the best seat of this aircraft, right beside me, because everything is going to be fine because of the power that is in me. I have not finished living my life. My "I Must" and purpose is not yet completed...we're not going anywhere!

So, that brings me to my story:

In the middle of my sleep I had a dream that was the most clear, real, and descriptive dream I've ever had. I had a dream that Christa and I were travelling by plane. From the time we checked in to the time we got to the gate we were interrupted with distractions, people budging us in line, and then once we got to the gate we discovered we didn't even have our tickets...we had somebody else. Once we got that sorted out we barely made it to the gate only to find out that the plane had been over booked. A few people offered to stay behind and catch the next plane and Christa and I boarded and got our seats. It was a very small charter plane with about 30 passengers. (I'm telling you - I don't dream. This may seem silly but I felt like this was all actually happening.) As we begin to taxi towards the runway all of a sudden the pilot throws the plane into gear and we take off. As soon as the plane leaves the ground the plane does a fish tale and the pilot struggles back and forth to bring the plane under control. The whole time I have such a peace and am totally confident that even if this plane goes down...we're all gunna be fine. Eventually the pilot looses all control of the plane and we head for the ground. I instantly grabbed Christa's head and brought both our heads to our knees and cover our faces because I knew the thing was gunna blow up. The back of the plane and tail blew up in flames and all of a sudden we are barreling down a major freeway destroying anything in sight. Eventually the plane leaves the freeway into a residential area and takes out 5 houses before it comes to a complete stop. No one was injured. Everyone walked away injury free.

After I woke up and I told Christa the dream...she was just like, oh...that's crazy. But it wasn't until we were halfway down the deerfoot highway on our way to the hospital that I jump and tell Christa - I forgot the most important part...the point of the dream and the message behind it.

It doesn't matter what plane we are on or what our destination is (because all of our purposes are slightly different from each other. Even though planes might all look the same, there are different people on those planes with different stories and a different "I Must") and even though our plane might crash, nothing can get in the way of our purpose and "I Must" because of the power that is in us.

Even though my plane crashed (my cancer), my purpose and "I Must" isn't done. I have not finished living. I am not done here yet. I will get better. I am a cancer survivor! I am not a patient. My body is not consumed with cancer. It does not belong in me. It has no right in my body. I will go on to inspire many and do crazy, wild adventures...because my purpose isn't completed!

Last night Christa had a friend come visit her who is a nurse on the floor below me. She works on the palliative care ward where basically patients are coming in to die. They have no more medical options for them, doctor's can't do anything so they put them on these wards and the nurses give them medication to make them feel as comfortable as possible until their last breath. But the fascinating thing is: Christa's friend was saying they come in with such a good attitude and positive spirit proclaiming that they will get better and better each day and will walk out of this hospital with no disease and feeling well and alive. What's fascinating is that they often do walk out of this hospital and live well and alive for years to come! That right there is evidence of what a good attitude and the power in you can do.

Friends, whatever your going through...you decide your outcome. When I was on tour I spoke at a teens camp in PEI (the triumph video) and told them that we must be fighters. Through everything we must fight with all that we have. Losers are not an option. It is our choice how we will walk out the other side. Our attitudes are crucial. How we handle situations and trials and the attitude we have plays a big part in our outcome. We are the deciders of our progress. I have heard story after story of people who have been given up to die, and how people would come in and encourage them with words and tell them other stories of people who've had it worse and something inside of them rose up and they all of a sudden developed a keenness to fight and within sometimes days to weeks their body has slowly turned around and they've walked away completed well.

A famous speaker by the name of Willie George said it best when I was listening to him at that conference in Winnipeg. "Our minds start playing out with thoughts and if we don't discard the negative thoughts immediately eventually our thoughts go down a little elevator and stop on the floor called mouth. And what we let out of our mouth eventually keeps going down into our heart. Whats in our heart becomes who we are. How we talk, how we treat people, the things we do and the things that we believe. We must take control of those negative thoughts and get rid of them immediately. Not even giving them a second chance to become part of our DNA.

Put it this way. I am on the top floor at the hospital. I know below me are several floors and right below me is the palliative care ward. (Disregard the previous example about the palliative care ward because that was used to illustrate something else) If I take the elevator down to the main floor, walk out of this hospital, get in the car and go home, then I never know what was really on those other floors. I may know which wards are on that floor and I probably have a good idea of what happens there because of what I've heard...but if I've never seen it or never stepped foot on that floor, I don't have any mental pictures and thoughts or smells about that floor. However, if I choose to stop on the palliative care ward and walk around there, now I have those thoughts and pictures and smells in my mind and the only thing I can remember is dead people - completely negative. So I must choose to not even go there. I don't even allow myself to think about stopping on that floor.

It's the same thing with out thinking and out attitude. We choose where we will allow our minds to go and not to go. We choose what gets into our heart. WE MAKE THE CHOICE.

Friends, I don't try to sound all professional and act like I'm a psychologist or anything like that. I write the way that I write, I speak whats on my heart, and often when I speak I sometimes find myself speaking right to myself while speaking to others as well. But I ask you this: What are you doing about your situation? Are you becoming consumed and stressed with the simplest things in life? Are you surrounding yourself with negativity and negative people? Do you have people in your life who have similar goals and a similar purpose and can join each other as you pursue that? We are the DECIDERS! We have more power in us than we think we have. We just need to learn how to use it.

Until next time!

Tim Harriman
PS. While your at it, Christa and I were surprised when we discovered that we are on the front of AirdrieLife Magazine with an amazing story on page 61. Check out www.airdrielife.com to order your copy now!

Tell your friends about our blog, spread the news, and lets join together because together we are headed towards a great purpose!

The things that don't matter.

2009-06-09T19:12:00.000-07:00

So, the past few days have been a huge eye opener to me, not only me but to Tim as well. When someone you love has an illness, its amazing how quickly and drastically life changes. It can either be the worst time in a persons life, or the most incredible. For Tim and I, this journey is incredible. Here is why...

Some things just don't matter anymore. Life isn't this rat race like we once thought, its not about being perfect or looking perfect, its not about living for other people, its not about aimless priorities... its about enjoying and soaking up each amazing moment...blessing other people, taking walks in the cool evening air, watching the wind blow through the trees and sitting out side munching on watermelon after dinner. Tim and I have discovered the beauty of life, our marriage, and each other.

We talked about it today, when this journey comes to a close at the end of July, we will no longer live as busy, stressed out people. Instead, we will limit our once long list of "priorities" and start to soak up this amazing beautiful world we have been given. We have each other, and we have a long life ahead to experience the amazing and the wonderful!

Guys, seriously, Tim has been doing SO well! Its AMAZING how God has just totally come through for Tim in huge ways. He is not experiencing all the "side effects" the doctors said he would, and he is feeling super great...even better than before his treatments began. I hear people talk about how awful this is for Tim and how they can't believe he has to face it again...and honestly, its true, Cancer sucks, but our eyes have been opened to how far the technology of treatment has advanced. Its not about locking a patient up and "hoping" they come through anymore, its about getting them in, getting them well and letting them go on and live their lives. We could not ask for a better experience, and through it all we're gonna come out totally victorious!!

Anyway, Tim is sitting here waiting for me to hurry up and finish so HE can have the computer...so demanding. ;) Just kidding babe. I love you!!

Bye guys,

--Christa

June 8 - Day 8

2009-06-08T10:27:00.000-07:00

G'day folks :)
Sorry for not having frequent updates lately. Being at home has been nice for a change. A time to relax, go for walks, watch movies, and enjoy life. The support that we have received is amazing. Emails, phone calls, and mail has poured in from all over the country from family and friends who are cheering us on - we are so grateful for your support and cheers.

On Friday after I was released from the hospital we swung by Innovative Fitness (my training sponsor when I was on tour) and picked up a few very unexpected gifts that mean so much to Christa and I. Innovative Fitness has kindly donated two 1 hour massages for Christa and I. One is a more cancer therapeutic treatment for myself and the other is a more relaxing and cleansing massage for Christa. On top of that, Rogers Mobility has kindly sponsored us an air card for my laptop so that we can receive Internet where ever we go, any time, for the remainder of my treatments - wow!

Before news even broke out about my diagnosis Innovative was on the move and putting together support for Christa and I. One of my past trainers Stan Peake (who cycled with me from Banff to Calgary) is doing an epic adventure and will be cycling from Edmonton to Calgary in one single day in hopes to raise support for Christa and I.

Ill leave him share the news:

The Battle of Alberta - July 25, 2009

Friends,

I am writing you today to tell you a story in hopes that it touches you.

What & Why:
Tim Harriman has a story that has touched me and motivated me to do something to give back (as he has done, read www.spokemantour.com). Tim is a cancer survivor. In September 2002, at the age of 14, he was diagnosed with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia (ALL), a form of cancer in the blood common in children. At that time Tim was told he would need to undergo 2 ½ years of treatment. After nearly 3 years, he beat cancer. A cancer survivor himself, Innovative Health Group President Vince Danielsen was inspired by Tim's story and sponsored him, having the team at Innovative train Tim for 2 years free of charge. His destination upon completion of those 2 years? He rode his bike from Victoria BC to St. Johns NL in the summer of 2007 and in the process raised over $170,000 for the Childhood Cancer Foundation of Canada. His tour was a great success and Tim continues to share his story and inspire those with cancer, cancer survivors, and their families (as well as all who meet him) to embrace a more positive attitude and make the most out of their life.

Tim's New Battle
Tuesday, April 28th Tim found out that his cancer may have returned in the form of lumps on his neck. May 21st the diagnosis of aggressive lymphoma was confirmed. Tim's spirits are very high and his attitude is nothing less than that of a champion as you can assess yourself in his blog http://www.timandchrista.blogspot.com/. Tim and Christa were actually scheduled to be married in front of their friends and family July 4th and they have had to change those plans as a result of this news.

How to Support Tim
The reason I am writing is like I try to do in my own life, Tim is all about paying it forward. This is a young man who found not only peace but purpose in his battle with cancer and used it to help others. The way I see it I have the ability now to help Tim through my network of great people like you, and through a little pain and suffering myself that won't even come close to what he is going through.

That being said, on Saturday July 25th, I will be riding my road bike from the Stollery Children's Hospital in Edmonton to Innovative Health Group in Calgary. This one day ride will cover 300km and go from 6am to about 9pm. My purpose for this ride is threefold; 1) to raise awareness and I hope support for both Tim personally (neither him nor his wife Christa are working through this process), 2) to benefit the Childhood Cancer Foundation if people would rather donate money to a formal charity than to Tim himself, and 3) to benefit others while challenging myself while I am in a privileged position to do so. The target amount for this ride would be to raise $12,000 so that Tim and Christa can dedicate 100% of their efforts to beating this cancer and surviving once again.

This is a personal quest for a friend, and as such I am not asking or demanding anything. I want to share his story and allow him to continue to do so for many years to come. In order for him to do this, I would love to be able to help support him even slightly so that he can focus on survival and continuing his legacy.

How:
Well this is up to you, if you should feel a personal connection to his story and a reason to give. If you don't- no problem because there are certainly many great causes out there and you don't have to be affected or motivated by what motivates or affects me.

Some ideas are:
a distance-based sponsorship (donate a penny, dime, quarter, or even dollar or more per kilometer)
If you run a business and can help with groceries, goods & services a family in their situation can benefit from
gift certificates for clothing, groceries, or even the Bay, etc
ride with me (must be able to maintain 27km/hr on a road bike) all or part (ie Red Deer to Calgary is ~145km) and pass on this email to your support network
a support vehicle & driver - we already have a few volunteers here but an RV or similar would be perfect!
supportive emails for Tim on his blog or via myself to him
anything else you feel will be beneficial

This may be a lot to ask and so I am sending it with the decision up to you- I'll never hound you for this as it's not right. I will simply follow up with those of you who express interest so that even a little support can help Tim and Christa in their journey so they can go on and help others for the rest of their lives together.

If nothing else, thank you for taking the time to read this today and if it should prompt you to any action whatsoever, thank you from Tim, Christa, myself, and all those who stand to benefit from the positive example of a survivor.

Best,

Stan Peake - General Manager

email: fitnessreception@innovativehealthgroup.com

tel: 403.244.7405

We are so very grateful for what Stan the people at Innovative Fitness are doing for us. I told Stan when picking up the gifts that even that wasn't expected. They are going over and beyond...and like he said...when this is all through...we will continue to pay it forward!

Cheers Friends!

Tim

Who says...

2009-06-06T08:21:00.000-07:00

Who says Chemo makes you nauseated, sick and wanting to curse all food that you see? Well, that's what the books say, but because Tim is a warrior, and is counting on GOD instead of DOCTORS, this is what happens when you put food in front of him in the morning (cooked by me his amazing wife of course...hahaha)

Before...

and AFTER!

We are more than conquerors...

-Christa

Home Sweet Home!!!

2009-06-05T16:52:00.000-07:00

Ah - Home Sweet Home! I love it here! This is my haven. My getaway. My paradise. My sanctuary. It is so nice to be home. I feel so refreshed, energized, renewed and strengthened. I feel better today then I felt before I was diagnosed. I have lots of color, eating lots (steroids...gotta love em), have had a full body workout every day this week, and loving every single minute of it.

Don't get me wrong, there have definitely been times where I have had my down moments and feel discouraged or wonder why the **** (fill in the blank) I am going through this again, but there ain't no time to ask such silly questions. But if I am gunna bring it up...then let's open the table for discussion. Why do I have cancer again?

I've been reading a book on fighting cancer by this doctor who did mounds of research on the disease and broke cancer causing agents into three categories. 1. Our environment: From the chemicals we use to clean our house to the pollution in the air to our work environments and the things we breathe in on a daily basis. 2. Our diets: Apparently over 80% of cancers are caused by our diet. Which I find interesting. Back a while ago before I even started treatments Harold and I from work had a few interesting conversations about cancer and if things like second hand smoke and alcohol and all that apparently "number one" cancer causing stuff really is the answer. Frig, even the other day when I was in the elevator at the hospital I saw a sign up about receiving support for anal cancer. I mean - C'mon, are we not allowed to poop anymore! Give me a break. I mean I definitely agree that somewhere along the line we as humans are responsible for our health and why so many of us are inheriting diseases - but I look at my family and extended family compared to other families...If you don't have cancer in my family...something is wrong with you. You better head back to the take it or leave and tape a sign to your chest because you are in the wrong gang. But yet I look at other families who definitely ain't reaching for the healthy lifestyle and sickness doesn't even consume them. So, is it possible that maybe because I've had two types of aggressive cancer that maybe my body needs extra attention when it comes to diet in order to keep these cancers at bay...or is it possible that those who give a rats rear end about their health are only setting themselves up for problems in the future. Either way I do agree that diet plays a big roll in how we feel, our performance, and keeping illness away.

When I was training for my bike tour I eventually was asked to meet with a nutritionist who wanted to put me on all sorts of supplements, herbs, organics, and God knows what else. At first, I thought your kidding. I'm going to eat Kraft Dinner and McDonald's for the rest of my life...and watch...you might live healthier - but we are both going out the same way...we're gunna die sooner or later. But then I discovered...would I not want to live a healthy life, feeling energetic every single day, with passion and fire, and eagerness to enjoy the outdoors, and die at 90 rather than living a life on my couch and can't even roll myself over because...well...you get my point. I learnt very quickly that when I started eating more organic foods, making healthier choices, taking in supplements that we don't normally find in most foods, and living an active life style...I FELT FANTASTIC! And I believe that most of my success from my bike tour came from my diet which gave me the nutrients I needed to perform at such high intensity. Christa and I have made some major changes in our diet and when I am through with my treatments we will continue to make some major changes!

The third point the doctor discusses in his book is our thinking. A psychologist (forget her name) recently did a project called Who turned my brain off - which unlocks thinking patterns in our brain which is tied to our physical body and our health. She shows us that our attitudes and our thinking greatly effect how we think and feel about ourselves. She's not talking about the speaking your future into existence type of thinking - the whole you want a new car and a new house theory and you just gotta tell yourself 50 times that's what you want and you'll get it. Because we all know, that you can tell yourself 1 million times you are gunna get a new house, but if you don't have the financial means and knowledge to get yourself that house - your hooped. She's talking about training your mind to speak encouraging thoughts over your body and how our overall well being is uniquely and intricately tied to our thinking. When our minds are negative and we continue to allow ourselves to feed those thoughts...eventually what's in our minds flows down to our mouth...and what comes out of our mouth eventually builds into our hearts and becomes part of our make up. But instead we need to be taking captive thoughts that are negative and turn them into positive thoughts - so that the only thing that flows from our mouths are good, positive, and life giving words which eventually build into our hearts and then becomes part of our make up.

It is definitely an interesting book and study performed and is worth looking into more. So getting back to my thinking and about me having cancer again. Honestly, I don't know why I have cancer again. Beats me. But I know that instead of laying back and soaking in it all day, I...and Christa have chosen to rise up against it and continue living life...not allowing it to get us down.

When I am finished with all the treatments - you can expect another wild crazy adventure coming from us...who knows where. But we are excited to see our story unfold, and the hundreds and thousands of people who's lives are being changed because of our story!

Until next time!

Tim Harriman

June 5 - Day 5

2009-06-05T06:53:00.000-07:00

This morning I woke up and felt very at peace when I looked over out my window and could see rain drops coming down. To me, it's a sign of tears of joy and excitement from up above as I walk in victory!

Today I feel great! Better and better every day. I am excited to go home today and sleep in my own bed (with my beautiful wife), hang out in my own home, and continue living life with passion and a desire!

Here is a little clip I felt like adding from my tour. If you cannot view this link go to www.youtube.com and search for Spokeman Tour...there you can see all of my videos from my tour. You can also view my website www.spokemantour.com which talks about my tour, my battle with cancer before, and the thousands of kids who I met with cancer and over 40 million viewers we reached through media outlets!

You Tube Video - Triumph

And of course...a shout out to all my friends at the ALberta Children's Hospital Video

Know that you blessed today. Today is a gift...that is why it is called the present. Keep pressing on...and know that life goes a heck of a lot deeper then work and running errands, and having a busy life. Take time today to observe what you have...because today is a GOOD DAY!

PS. We are still trying to figure out how to get video's up, so once we can that nailed I will add a mini video clip :)

Cheers my friends!

Tim

PS:

2009-06-04T09:33:00.000-07:00

Just had a visit with the doctor and she says my lumps on my neck have gone away! Amen! I am feeling fantastic. I had french toast and bacon for breakfast, a nice hot shower and am lovin life! Doctor doesn't see why I wont be allowed to go home for the rest of week and come back next week for my stem cell shots and then go home for night passes! She expects my counts to start dropping by early next week and begin rising by late next week or mid June. She expect my transplant collection to be on schedule and for no complications! Wow! Life is good...ALWAYS!

Cheers my friends. Keep pressin on and doing what your doing...because...WE WILL WIN!!! WHOO RAH!

From the one and only,

Tim Harriman
Canadian Cyclist, 2 time Cancer Survivor, Motivational Speaker, and more to come! Bring it on!

June 4 - Day 4

2009-06-04T06:40:00.000-07:00

It's a beautiful day! Didn't get a whole lot of sleep last night but having this amazing view over looking the city and the moon shining down, the sky was clear, and the presence was peaceful. I keep reminding myself that I've got this :) Basically one week down and 2 more to go till I am discharged for a little break. And then I am admitted again June 30th and after EVERYTHING GOES WELL and ACCORDING TO PLAN I will be walking out of this hospital on July 16th, cancer free, a new system, and never having to do another shitty chemotherapy treatment in my life - Who rah!

Just a recap of what's all be happening:

Monday I had my central line put in and on Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday my day basically looks like this:

8AM: Nurses comes in to start my steroids which keeps my weight stable and my appetite up and also checks my vital signs, height, weight, temperature, pulse, heart, etc.
8:30AM: Breakfast comes...The food is amazing here...I am serious! Or maybe it's the steroids!
9AM - 10AM: Nurse starts the chemo. Once the chemo is started I usually try and get out of bed and go for walks, freshin up (today is shower day), and do my exercises that the physio team has me on (It's a full body work out, and let me tell you...it's quite the work out...and I'm proud to say that I on the highest intensity program they have and hope to keep it there :)
12:30: Lunch...mmmmm....lunch
Usually around lunch time one of Christa's friends comes in to visit whom she met back in EMT school and is now studying to be a doctor. And occasionally I get the odd visitor around lunch as well.
2PM Chemo finishes and they put another drug in me which helps protect my bladder and make me pee A LOT. Literally, as soon as the drug goes in, within minutes I might as well just stand beside the toilet because for the next hour I have to go literally every minute. It's a little annoying but if it's part of getting better then it's what I gotta do!

Then for afternoon I just hang out, watch TV, go on the computer, and at 5:30 supper comes and then a couple more visitors comes and then the rest of the day is just hanging out, walking around...and being a trouble maker like always :)

They have this drug called mezna which they started on Tuesday and will finish tomorrow (Friday). This drug also helps to protect my bladder and I'm hoping believing that once it's done tomorrow that I will have no infections and my counts and temperature will be stable and I will get discharged until Tuesday. Next week on the 10th is when I start those shots to boost my stem cells and the Doctor said If I am feeling well I can probably just come in, get my shots, and then go home again. So if you are praying, pray with us that I will not have to be here and that I can go home. The hardest part of this journey so far has been seeing Christa leave at the end of the night...I'd much rather be at home in our own home and sleeping in our own bed and hanging out together. But...if I gotta be here then we will make the best of it :)

On June 15 (my birthday!) they take my stem cells from me and will mature them and freeze them. Basically it's almost like a transfusion. They hook a line up to meet which draws my blood into something like a dialysis machine which separate my stem cells from my blood and then returns my blood to my body through another line - a total of about 5 hours. I just gotta lay back and watch TV.

So that's the scoop for now. I just went for a little walk over to the kitchen to grab some orange juice and some crackers because I am hungry...so hopefully breakfast will be here soon. I've ordered french toast and bacon :)

Take care my friends...we will be in touch!

Tim Harriman

Nehemiah and Brailey

2009-06-03T17:08:00.000-07:00

Today I was inspired, yet again by Tim and just what we are facing. A friend of ours came to visit and her and I started talking about the stories Tim and I will have in our future, even the ones we tell our kids. I pictured Tim and I sitting there, at bedtime with them after a story and a snack and sharing with them the amazing things "daddy" went through and how he is such a hero. Then something really neat happened later in the day, I imagined our kids talking to their friends about their dad, and how proud they were of him, and how their daddy was the coolest and strongest daddy because of how he faced the monster and pushed it out of the way.

"Dear Brailey and Nehemiah...

Although neither of you are born yet, as I sit here in Tim's hospital room, I am excited for the day we get to hold you both in our arms. Tim is nervous about being a dad, and wants to put it off for awhile and enjoy being married to me, but I know when you both come along you will change our lives forever. I imagine the days of braiding your hair Brailey, playing dolls, dressing up and taking walks. Tim tells me about the date nights he wants to have with you, the summer nights with ice cream cones and picking you up on his shoulder and tickling you until you can't laugh anymore. Brailey, you are a blessed girl to have a dad like Tim one day. Nehemiah, I'll be sure to be your friend and spend lots of time getting to know who you are and investing into really fun moments. Tim wants to play every sport with you, teach you golfing, take you out for a coke often, and create a bond that is so strong between dad and son. We can't wait to go hiking with you both, on vacations, to disneyland, on a cruise, search for faires in the garden, find frogs in the swamp and keep really quiet as Santa drops off his gifts for you!

As you grow up, I'm sure you will quickly discover the heart your dad has. He will protect you, pray for you, love on you, and be your favorite...your hero, the best dad in the whole world. He will help change poopy diapers, and proudly watch you graduate. He is a man of strength, fighting cancer two times...and winning! He is wise, focused, determined and will help you accomplish your goals, and will never tell you what you desire is too big for you to reach. He will teach you, motivate you, train you and never ever turn his back on you when you need him the most. He is so devoted to me, putting all others second, and I know he will do the same for you both. Any time he makes you mad, or when you're older and you are frustrated with him, remember this; He knows alot, he's faced alot and loves you like crazy. He wants the best for you and wants you to grow, flourish and succeed. He wants you to fulfill your dreams and accomplish your goals. He wants you to dream big, and win every battle you ever face. Your dad is my hero, and I know he will be yours.

We both can't wait to meet you...until we do, we're going to grow stronger together, in Christ and fight fight fight the good fight of faith. Wait until you meet your dad....you'll love him!

-Christa (your moma in a few years)"

June 3 - Day 3

2009-06-03T07:03:00.000-07:00

Rise and Shine Peoples!

It is now about 8AM and what do I wake up to? Beep...beep...beep. I called the nurse but no one has come yet. I became a master at controlling these pumps when I went through treatments the first time...I am very tempted to start pushin buttons...and possibly even un hook myself and go down the street to Denny's for breakfast. Yesterday after my 5 hours of chemo I was allowed to go for a little walk outside. I was bugging Christa when I stepped out to the street and put my hand up yelling...TAXI! Then I got a whole lot of stares from doctors and nurses and who knows who else who were probably thinking...this guy is nuts...he is still hooked up to his pump and has a million bags on him...where's he going? Someone call security. Ha-ha :)

Good times. Yesterday I arrived back at hospital at around 8am from my overnight pass. They hooked me up pretty quickly to some all sorts of meds to protect my kidneys and me bladder and then they started the chemo. I don't remember how much chemo I received last time I went through this during the first week of my diagnosis but it amazes me that I only have 3 days of a few bags each day and that is enough to wipe out my entire body. They doctor's and nurses don't expect that ill be too sick with this and plan on having me rebound pretty quickly. I've heard that the transplant process can be a bit painful leading up to it when they give these shots into my tummy which will draw the stem cells from my bone and into my blood stream so that it can be taken for transplant. Technology amazes me.

Yesterday one of the nurses who was helping me was very keen on hearing more about my bike tour and how did I train for and how much money we raised, etc. She said it is really nice to have patients come in once in a while who have done amazing things because it helps to keep the nurses attitudes positive and remind them why they are doing what they are doing. Christa's uncle Laurie Skreslet who was the first Canadian to climb mount Everest is also friends with Alan Hobson who is an acute leukemia survivor, had a donor blood stem call transplant, and was only given 1 year to live. Alan was on his third expedition to reach the summit of Mount Everest as well when this terrifying news came. Not only did he summit to the top of Everest but he also summits to the top of Cancer and is still alive today writing books and speaking around the world on his climb back from cancer. This is just a few of the people that I have met in my journeys and have a had a chance to hear their story and be inspired but what they have done...and what I will continue to do as well.

There is a hall on this ward called inspiration highway where it is lined with pictures and stories and newspaper clippings of cancer patients who have walked this road given the worst prognosis and are still alive today achieving their dreams and living life to the fullest!

I thank you all for your encouragement and support as I press on into victory and as I become the 1 stat that rebounds and reacts to these medications so mildly that doctors are astounded and can't believe my case :)

Cheers to you :)
Tim Harriman

June 1, Day 1

2009-06-02T20:03:00.000-07:00

Here are a few pictures for you to enjoy :)

Someone get me off those crazy pills!

This is my wonderful view from my bed :)

Today is the day the journey officially begins. As I rolled over this morning and caught a glimpse of Christa my eyes filled with tears knowing that this would be the last morning (only for a little while though) I get to roll over and see her lying next to me, wake up, prepare breakfast together, and conquer the world together. However, I also realized very quickly that this can still be a good memory and at the same time, it’s okay to shed a tear once in a while and absorb everything that is happening. Even though gears have shifted and our paths have changed slightly we can still do things together and conquer the world together.

I have said it before that this is going to be a walk in the park. In a way it baffles my mind that I am once again walking this road and every time a nurse comes in to give me my meds or take my vitals it’s nothing new. Been there, done that. Let’s get er’ done and get outta here! Some may say – “Tim, do really think this is going to be walk in the park”? And I say...yes it will. How and why?

When you go for a walk in the park there are days of sunshine, overcast, thunder storms, light rain; seasons of summer, spring, fall and winter; days when the birds are out chirping along as you walk the pathways; valleys to walk through and hills to summit. And occasionally, there are no pathways at all as you trek through natural debris, deep grass, and stumble over obstacles. A walk in the park is never the same as the other walks you’ve had. It always changes and never repeats itself. Some days are walks of frustration and a time to release the stress. Other walks are filled with joy and laughter as you skip along with your friends and love ones, while some days are just casual strolls through the park – nothing too exhilarating and nothing too exhausting. This is my park. This is my walk. It will never be the same.

Packing my bags and checking me in this morning was definitely a little different. Setting up my room and making it as comfortable as possible as I now call this home away from home. 12:30 I was wheeled down to the operating room where my central line was put in (my new little friend which is an IV that goes into my chest and into my heart so that drugs and medications and pumped into my body, blood can be drawn, and my stem cell transplant can be transfused.
Overall it was a fairly low key day and I was discharge and allowed to come home for the night.

As I have had the opportunity to speak to thousands of people, corporate companies and sponsors, and act as an ambassador for the Alberta Children’s Hospital speaking about my story and my experiences with cancer and some of my challenges in my own life at a very young age...I once again tell you this:

It is evident that life will bring its share of challenges and obstacles our way. Its valleys and hills, its sunshine and rain – but always, through thick and thin...Life is Good...Always...and we can always come out the other side with flying colors and arms lifted high as we receive VICTORY!

Until next time,
Tim Harriman

Color's Changing...

2009-06-02T13:18:00.000-07:00

Hey guys. Just me Christa sitting downstairs in the library at Tom Baker...

Tim is upstairs having a rest. :)

So, it all began yesterday! Tim was admitted and recieved his central line (CVC) which was quickly insterted right into his heart. This is instead of having lots of pokes every day, and much easier to administer chemo and other things! The procedure only took about six minutes, and the drugs they gave to sedate him wore off so quickly...I swear, Tim is the exception to every rule and guildeline medicine has. Because he did so well, the nurses sent us (meaning the three of us...Tim, Me and a 3000ml bag of fluid) home last night to hang out in our own place. It was so good to be able to chill at home! My mom cooked us a big pasta dinner, and then we just headed off to bed.

This morning, they started Tim on his first day of Chemo. One of three this month. Within an hour or so you could see the color fade from his face, and those dark circles come out, but no other symptoms at all. The nurses told us he may experience this side effect, or that, or maybe this...but so far, by God's healing power, Tim has had NO side effects whatsoever. After that dose went in they hooked him up to another bag of chemo. Shortly after, he decided to rest, so..here I am!

For the first time in awhile, I was able to sit down this morning and really write in my journal. Its neat the things that come out when you allow yourself to be totally honest and open, even with your own feelings. This battle is unreal sometimes. Sitting in this hospital, in this library staring up at the bookshelves with every second book titled "CANCER" its amazing how easy it is to suddenly feel like you want to give up. Why Cancer? --I wrote that question down today and came up with this answer.

Life is messy. Life has cancer, accidents, pain, depression, bad days, ...but I have a God who is bigger than cancer, illness, side effects, any disease. He is power...and in the moments I feel powerless or angry, I turn to Him. Why would I even doubt? Why would I even give in to the crap on this planet? Is there any good in living defeated? No way!

I am so blessed to be beside Tim in this battle. I am so glad God has prepped me the way He has for this, and Tim too. We are strong in Christ, we are overcomers, and owners of a promise of healing. Like Tim said, he has to get sick before he can get better...but God is bigger!!

We've been through hell and high water, but all along have been holding on to eachother and keeping our focus SURE! Anybody can run their mouth, say what they please, believe what they hear, but nothing, not even those closest to us will distract us from pushing forward and being an amazing couple with a big big purpose.

Tim, you are an amazing person. I know I tell you this all the time. Nobody knows your heart like I do, and nobody gets me like you do. I can't imagine this life without you, and I am so excited for this journey and the result...! Thank you for asking me to be your wife. I am honored to have my new last name and start this walk in the park as a married couple. I'm your woman, you're my man and I love you with everything I have. This past week was the best week of my life, and I can't wait for the weeks ahead!! Just incase you've forgotten, here are my vows again.

"I remember praying for my husband and making a list of all the things my heard desired, but while writing, I never actually knew how seriously God took my requests. He knew I would face many mountains, and that my desires would change. After writing that new list, God opened the door to you standing on the other side.

I waited to see if you had the same dreams, passions and desires that I did, only to realize that at the same time he opened the door for me, he had also opened one for you. His timing could not have been more perfect. He brought me you, and I am eternally grateful his blessed care.

You had my heart in a moment, and continue to sweep me off my feet every day. You Tim, are my best friend, the one I can laugh with and cry with to the point of puffy eyes and running mascara. You teach me, uplift and support me.

You are one million amazing things. I promise to hold your heart well, stay by your side always, respect you, speak highly of you, put all your needs before my own, pray for you constantly and model Christ's love to you. I vow to stand by your side no matter what, and be exactly what you need me to be.

For this journey we have ahead of us I will be your cheerleader, your supporter, the one you can count on. I will pray for you, put aside all others to help see you through this battle. I am fighting with you, I'll fight harder when you need me to, hold your hand when its a little bit dark and praise God with you as we come out the other side.

This day is about beginning a journey to fulfill the amazing destiny HE has for you and I, together and as one.

You Tim are my one and only. I promise to be beside you, behind you and holding your hand until our sweet Jesus calls us home."

---

Well guys, I better head back up! We will continue to keep you informed of Tims amazing progress!!

-Christa

Renewed Hearts & Renewed Minds...

2009-05-30T09:06:00.000-07:00

This past week has been amazing! It's been a time to adjust to our new surroundings but it has also been a time to renews our minds, hearts, and spirits as we press on and conquer a disease that so many fear. Yes there have been times where my mind starts the thinking game and plays mini movies of what I'm in for and what could happen...but immediately I start reminding myself of the great conqueror I am. The victory that awaits me. And the future that is in store for me. Believe it or not, times of excitement and thrill out number times of discouragement and fear by far. Often when I get interviewed my the media which still happens occasionally or get asked to speak at different events the question always comes about am I ever afraid my cancer will return or if I had to choose, would I do it all over again.
No I don't ever sit in fear that my cancer will return (even though it has) and I don't think the question is would I choose to do it all over again, the question is...would I do it all over again. And the answer is yes. I will still choose to press on and be victorious and choose to be a fighter...because losers aren't an option. But even more so, I will choose to embrace this experience once again and walk through with joy and peace knowing that this will build into my character, add to my story, and build a bond between Christa and I that will be so tightly intertwined.

Earlier this evening Christa and I went for a long walk at Fish Creek Provincial Park - an amazing scenic creation with hills lined with trees of all sorts of different colors and tones of greens, flowing rivers and ponds along side the pathways, birds whistling and singing along...the mood could not have been more perfect. But apart from the love story, as we were walking along Christa looked over at me and asked, "Are you afraid?" Which led to just one of many deep and passionate conversations we have had over the past few weeks. Of course I am not afraid but this isn't exactly how I thought we would be starting off. It's so easy to get focused on what's happening and how within days our world was rocked off it's course. It's so easy to get discouraged and pissed off at the world and blame anything and everything - but the truth is, it doesn't change a thing. It's so much easier to lock ourselves up and build ourselves our own personal jail - even though we are the guard and have the key we still choose to keep ourselves locked up. That's not the way Christa and I will live through this experience. How we handle this is a choice, and it's our choice. No one can choose for us. No one can give us just the right words or the sufficient amount of encouragement (though all those things keep us going), but in the end, we have to be the one's to make the choice. Are we going to sit here and allow this to get the best of us or are we going to rise up against it and choose to be fighters fighting with all we have. There is reality and there are facts...and we have both of those. So instead of looking at what could have been or what should have been we will look at what IS and we will embrace it. This is our story, this is our make-up, and we will not wrap it up and put it in a box hiding it.

Our minds have already begin processing and scoping out ideas of what could possible lead to another crazy and wild adventure when this is all done. Whatever it may be, form, shape, or size, we will pay it forward. Whatever we choose to do, big or small, I am excited to see us continue to inspire and challenge people beyond their comfort levels and beyond their wildest dreams...

On Wednesday (27) morning I had my consultation with the transplant team, met my crew of doctors and nurses, had a tour of the facility, and was given a quick crash course of what to expect. I never really did receive a full diagnosis. I knew it was lymphoma but wasn't sure of the type or stage. The doctor confirmed that it is stage 2 lymphoblastic lymphoma. We can almost be comfortable and call it stage 1 but because they found one extra little spot on my left chest area they had to bump it up to stage 2. I guess I can never be #1...I always come 2nd....ha-ha...kidding! Anyways, every time I go to the doctor the news is better and better. My initial visit was a bit of a shock as they shared all the risks and procedures and treatments. Of course they have to do that, it's part of the job. But I find it funny how even last time I had 97% cancer cells, wasn't expected to live through the night, and then things got a little better and I was maybe expected to have a few months, and then it just got better and better. And the same thing is true this time. At first the doctor told me that if I choose a certain treatment plan the percentage was only 'x' high and I would have 6-8 months left to live. I looked the doctor straight in the eye and told him, "I'm not ready to die man, I have a whole life ahead of me to live!" And again, on Wednesday the doctor met with me and told me how my lumps were going down and were now just the size of peas. He told me how my first course of chemo will probably not be too bad. I might be a little sick and tired but overall I will probably get some day passes and come home on weekends. We have a great team of doctors and nurses. I am so blessed to have this care...but I am stoked for the day when the doctors come into my room and say Tim...you don't have cancer...your just crazy and we can't figure it, and Ill say yup! Thanks for coming out...I'm gunna go ride my bike now! Cheers!

But all jokes aside, we have a great team of doctors and nurses who are working very hard on my protocol and treatment plan and are bringing the best of the best.

As I wrap up this last journal entry before I am admitted to hospital, I have to admit...tears begin to fill my eyes. Not tears of pain or tears of fear...but in a way, tears of concern. It's much harder to go through knowing that there are people (friends and family) who feel so helpless and feel terrible for the situation. But I want you to know that I AM okay and I WILL be okay. I will be a fighter. I will have to get sick to get better. I will have good days and bad days. And in the end...we will all party once again and pack my place with over 200 people...just like last time :)

Christa, what we did on Monday night was amazing. I can't believe that's it official and you actually got suckered in to being with me forever :) This week has been amazing! One of the best in my entire life. As I sit here and listen to 'feels like home' by Chantal Kreviaszuk, the song that you were supposed to walk down the isle too...I share my vows once again...this time for the world to see my love and promises for you:

Christa Lynn,

I love you. You are the girl of my dreams - everything I ever wanted and desire in a friend, life partner, and wife. You make me strong when I am weak, you pick me up when I fall down, you lead me when I cannot see, and you hold my hand when I am afraid. You make my heart beat whenever your around, and when I see you everything else goes out of focus.

In the past few weeks you have amazed me by your love, support, loyalty, respect, and attitude to join hands with me and fight this battle together. When all hell breaks loose instead of giving up and leaving your spirit of determination was risen and we have grown closer and our bond is so much stronger. Words can never express how grateful and blessed a man I am. What God has brought together let no man (or Satan tear a part).

It blows my mind away at how much you just "get" me and support me in every single way. Your promises never fail, your passion is always high, and your love always increases.

From your painted toe nails to the shine in your smile, from your mind of wisdom to the beauty of your heart - I am so in love with you and cannot imagine life without you.

I promise to respect you and love you the way you desire and need - putting you needs above mine. I promise to submit to you as my wife and give myself to you and only to you for the days of my life. I promise to give you the gift of care, the gift of protection, the gift of honesty, and the gift of time.

Now - here's to victory my friends!

Cheers.

- Tim Harriman

Just a quick note to say hello...

2009-05-24T21:29:00.000-07:00

Well it has officially been about three and a half weeks since we first heard that news. Tomorrow morning I am headed into Foothills again for an ECO which is test done on my heart to make sure everything is functioning properly. On Wednesday we meet with the Transplant team to discuss my choice of treatment and the whole process and for the remainder of the week it will be spent enjoy the weather, soaking up the sun, and living life!
I must admit, as sick as this sounds...I am excited. I am excited to see another chapter unfold in my life and see where it will take me - this time with someone very special beside me :)
The number of emails and messages that have come in have been overwhelming (in a good way). One message was about someones mom who had a stem cell transplant and was successful, another was from a guy who is in his thirties and had lymphoma when he was 15, is now married and a child on the way, and many many emails and messages with general support and encouraging words!
We are so grateful and blessed to have people like you in our lives!
Keep pressin on with us - we will be in touch near the end of the week or next week after I am admitted with an update!
Cheers my friends!

Tim

May 23 - Some Pics

2009-05-23T19:11:00.000-07:00

Tim driving back home from Foothills...again! (May 12th) Tim about to have a lymph node removed from his neck for a biopsy. (May 13th)

Christa and Tim hanging out at Tom Baker waiting for Tim's first Chemo treatment!
(May 22nd) Colin starting Tim's IV...I think Christa's EMT friends would approve.

She sure did! (May 22nd)
Vincristine going in! Kill those cancer cells!! (May 22nd)

May 23 -Stand By Me

2009-05-23T08:18:00.000-07:00

Yes, the nights have been cold and a little bit dark since Tim was informed that cancer had returned to his body. I hated hearing those words, but for some reason, the strength and peace that started flowing out of both of us was enough to just sit back and go "Okay, here we go, we can and will do this!" Nobody ever wants to hear those words, no matter what, but the fact is that we did and now we have a battle ahead. How do you muster up enough courage to watch the one you love with all of your heart face intense chemo, weeks in hospital and times of pain? Well, I know on my own I can't muster up that courage, and the flesh inside of me aches for the upcoming weeks...but then there is this ray of light, this amazing hope in me to rise up to the challenge, and love Tim more than I ever have before. Last night I just laughed at Satan and let him know very clearly that he won't get me down, and all the things he tries to discourage me with are just mere fears. Fear is something to overcome, and I will. Tim isn't scared, sure he's had his angry and why moments, but he doesn't let it into his heart. He's already an overcomer!

Not only will I stand by you Tim, but I will fight right along side you, and when we turn around we will see thousands of people fighting with us. We will stand together, claim truth, act in faith and come out skipping on the other side of this!

Keep those prayers coming readers...and we promise to keep you in the loop through it all!

"For I will restore health to you and heal you of your wounds," says the Lord. (Jeremiah 30:17)

-Christa

May 21 - When all hell breaks loose

2009-05-21T13:26:00.000-07:00

What do I say and where do I begin. Not many words run through my mind right now that even make a perfect sentence. When the doctor spoke those terrifying words that every person so desperately does not want to hear, the only thing that I could think was...Damn. And then, within a second the song 'Here we go again' by Whitesnake popped into my head.
I kept reminding myself - "Ive got this, I can do this, I will beat this, my life is no playground for the enemy, he does not control me and he don't wanna mess with me."
So what is it you may be asking. Well since my last journal entry, today was the day that I met with the doctor to determine what was going on and what's the next step. When the doctor game into the room with a little grin on his face with that slight awkward expression I knew the news wasn't what I wanted to hear. He sat down and as soon as the word unfortunately came from his mouth I knew he had not sayth anymore. My cancer has returned in what they call a form of lymphoma. There is good news and bad news.
The good news:
1. The MRI came back clear showing that my spine and brain had not been effected.
2. My bone marrow came back clear showing healthy signs and strength.
3. I did not have to go to Edmonton for any tests like they thought I would.
4. It took 4 years for my cancer to return - which is much better then it coming back the first year I finished treatments or while in treatment my first round about.
5. It is only in the upper body and has not spread.
The bad news:
1. Lymphoma was found on a few spots on my neck and under my peck muscles.
2. It's an aggressive form of cancer.
3. Treatments will be intense.
4. I will need a stem cell transplant which breaks into two options: One is a donor stem cell transplant. The second option is an auto stem cell transplant where they take my own stem cells and try to feed it back to my body.
On June 1st I will be admitted to the hospital for a minimum of 3 weeks where they will begin high dose chemotherapy and then take stem cells from my own body and store in a freezer. They will give me a few weeks to recover and then I will be admitted again for another 3 weeks to receive more chemo and the stem cell transplant. All taking a total of about 6 months which includes treatments, transplant, monitoring, recovering, and follow-ups.
Tomorrow morning I will start the first round of chemo which will stabilize everything and prep my body for the transplant.
Why am I being so descriptive and in detail you might ask - only because I know your going to ask who, what, when, where and why...and sometimes how and because I'm okay with sharing the news.
I know that I have a bumpy road ahead of me but I am believing for as little side effects as possible and know that once again I will come out the other side flying with colors. This WILL NOT get me down and will not distract me from my purpose and where I am going in life. I WILL press on and I WILL live in freedom and victory.
Thank you all for support, prayers, encouragement, and love.
-Tim

PS. Christa and I have made a decision to post pone the wedding on July 4th and will definitely be planning a party for the future. We will keep you informed of when the new big day will be.

May 15 - A pain deep within

2009-05-15T10:38:00.000-07:00

(a lamentation of words never spoken)...
It hardens my heart to know that whenever I walk the streets people look at me as the cause of all this mess. All the hard work that I have put in from excelling to the top in my hockey years, investing time, money, and energy into the community and youth group activities, the years that I spent fighting such a brutal disease, conquering it, and then cycling across Canada to raise thousands of dollars to fight childhood cancer diseases, speaking to hundreds and thousands across this country and impacting even more through the Internet, television and movies/documentaries that have featured me.
For some, you have no clue of the pain that I am describing. For others, you probably know all to well what I'm talking about...and yet again, for some, what you know is so twisted and skewed that it is sickening.
I look back on my life and I some times wonder what I did (or didn't do) to cause such grief and misery. Did I do something wrong, did I say something? Did I offend someone? I must be wrong, this must be my fault.
Every single day that I wake up I must search deep within myself to find the strength to press on through yet, another day. The strength to find patience, the strength to find the words (or no words at all), the strength to look at myself in the mirror and say "you are good, you are strong, you are wise, you are powerful, you are enough."
But at the end of every single day as I lay myself to sleep, I must remember that I am not alone and the only fight that I have to worry about is the good fight of trust. That I am created with a purpose, a vision and a heart and there is nothing that I could or couldn't do to ruin that. I am qualified and because of that...nothing can interrupt my course. My auto pilot is set and there's no turning back.
I do the things that I do for it is what I know I ought to do. I will not surround myself with
negativity and I will not allow myself to go down with others who are going down. For they believe that they are true and noble and good, but boy do they not know the destruction and chaos that they have created. Woe to you who join the gang of deceit and evil doings!
I am pressed on every side by troubles, but I am not crushed. I am perplexed, but not driven to despair. I am hunted down, but I am not abandoned. I get knocked down, but I am not destroyed.
I will press on. I will walk in victory. Because even if my team is compiled with the un seen, I am stronger than hundreds that walk against me.
-Tim

May 14 - Hurry up and wait

2009-05-14T09:39:00.000-07:00

Well, the tests are finally done. Two weeks of going back and forth to the hospital to do every test known to man kind. During my initial visit with the doctor not much information was known. They knew as much as I knew. The first biopsy had come back showing cancerous cells - assuming to be a form of lymphoma. But we were on ground zero.
The first test that I had was a bone marrow test. The doctor gave me the option to wait a week or get it done right away. Knowing that this would be painful I wanted to get it done and out of the way ASAP. I must say, one thing is different from the Children's Hospital to the adult center. In children's you are typically put to sleep for everything...in adult world that's not the case. The care is still great and the people are amazing...but the experience is different. In a way, I've had to change my mentality to "Suck it up princess".
As I lay there on the procedure table waiting for the nurses and doctor to prep me all I can think about is the pain knowing that this is gunna hurt like hell. Seeing the doctor pull out a needle the size of a pencil I thought to myself, "your kidding". But no he wasn't...in he went through my hip bone and started sawing and twisting away. "That's part 1 Tim" he said. You mean there is more I replied. I thought that wasn't too bad the second part can't be any worse. Boy was I wrong. In he went again sawing and twisting around eventually to the point where I am pretty sure the patients in the waiting room could hear me yelping and moaning.
My doctor isn't a very big guy and he's quiet at that...so when I looked over and saw him sweating rain drops I knew this was more then a cardio work out.
When he was done I rolled over onto my back and caught a breath of air only to say, "I can't imagine what women feel when giving birth." For 30mins I lay there taking deep breaths and trying to regain my focus. What a brutal test...I don't wish that upon anyone.
The MRI and PET SCAN was even funner (that's not a word I know but today it is). For both tests I was put onto a metal bed which felt like a serving tray and then shoved into a tube which made loud noises where I wasn't allowed to breathe or move around. I felt like it was torture as if I was put into a time capsule and would be released in 25 years. When I was finally able to come out I felt like I had just seen God or something. It was like a breath of fresh air.
Overall I'm confident about the results. The big one will be the PET SCAN which shows exactly where the cancer is. I feel confident that the MRI and other tests will come back with good results.
But in the mean time...when I went through cancer the first time at the children's hospital a very popular sang went around: Hurry up and wait. So that's what ill do.
Cheers my friends!
Tim

Tuesday April 28 - Shattering News

2009-05-06T20:15:00.000-07:00

Today is the day it all started. Before that annoying little device even began it's taunting harassment, my body in its deepest form of rest could feel that this day would be the most challenging of them all. 6:30 AM the beeping starts and with the push of a button it was delayed till 7:00 AM - what seemed like a mere 3 minutes later.
Rubbing my eyes and fumbling for the light switch I went into the washroom and did the normal look in the mirror with that stare of death thinking..."wwwwhhhyyy do I have to get up?"
Once I was washed up and looking somewhat decent to present myself to the world I headed to the place where believe it or not, my peace awaits me. From power tools to banging hammers, sheets of plywood turning into creativity and art...this is the place I call work.
This morning I was helping Harold with a tub surround, learning yet again another wonderful task which I'm sure my hands will touch many more times to come as I pursue this career. But what seemed like a relatively not to shabby day (from what I expected when I first woke up...which is my typical attitude most mornings), turned into a day of seeking answers, wondering yet again the why me and what did I do wrong series of questions, and of course what will happen to my loved ones.
The tone in the doctor's voice said it all. I knew that he needed not go any further and that the results from my tests weren't what I wanted to hear. "Tim, it isn't good he said, you'll be booked into the Tom Baker Cancer Center first thing Thursday morning". He reminded me of my positive attitude and the things that I have accomplish in my life time and encouraged me that this is yet again, another bump in the road.
For those of you who have no clue what's going on...here's how it all began:
About a month or so ago I hit my head on a digger and being the oh so man that I am I toughened the pain and continued my duties for a few days only realizing that I was being dump and should really get my head checked out.
Knowing that I should be more keen to look after anything that could possibly hinder my health I sometimes choose to neglect my health for the sake of avoiding taking a day off of work to sit in a doctor's office for an hour and a half to find out that I am fine. Go home and take a Tylenol and sleep for a bit.
But with the encouragement from Christa to go I went to the doctor to find out that my head is fine - a little bruise and a cut with a minor concussion but nothing too severe. But this is where the abnormal lumps were discovered on my neck which led to a bunch of testing and exams.
From here, this is where the story unfolds. Going back and forth to the doctor's every week to
blood tests, anti-biotics, and examinations to see if anything could be determined. Nothing. No change in size, no disappearing, no diagnosis, nothing.
From here I was sent to a private doctor here in Calgary to do a biopsy which led to my conversation with my specialist at the Children's Hospital that marked to beginning of another journey.
At this point I don't think that much has set in. I know what I'm in for and what to expect - therefore fear does not consume me. The way that I look at it - this is my story and this is what has been layed before me. I must press on and come out the other side showing that nothing will interfere with my purpose, nothing will knock me off track...nothing will get me down...and like always...I WILL WIN!!!
-Tim