I would have blogged about this Van Halen ticket on the 6th, but I was away from the then powerless Hope Lodge. Four years ago, when I had just started working at the Lodge, I was able to go out at night with any guests who wanted to do something. We went to movies, hockey games, and the occasional concert. The rational was that we weren’t a medical facility so if there was an emergency, anyone at the Lodge could dial 911 just as easily as I could.
So, when a guest told me he wanted to go see Van Halen, I told him I would be glad to. It was a great show (see set list), and the first time I had ever seen VH. David Lee Roth was back touring with the band, and Eddie’s son Wolfgang played bass in place of Michael Anthony. They rocked the place, and for a couple of hours the Hope Lodge guest and I forgot about cancer.
Even though I can no longer leave Hope Lodge to do evening activities with the guests (unless everyone goes), we still have fun sharing stories, watching movies, and playing games. And even though I love working here, I try to do as much as I can to fight cancer.
Lately I’ve been working with 15-40.org to raise awareness and share my story. Last week, I spoke to students at the Bancroft School in Worcester, and told them how I learned to listen to my body and not ignore symptoms. The Worcester Sharks are having a 15-40 night on January 7th, and today I helped shoot a video promo for the game with Sharks (and former BC) player Nick Petrecki and Stephanie, another 15-40 spokesperson. It was a lot of fun, and everyone left with new15-40 gear (like this sticker), and they had Sharks hats for Stephanie and me. Keep your eye out for the video at Sharks games in December, and buy your tickets for the January 7th game!
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