3-time Cancer Survivor’s Letter to Pearl Jam

potnik

Thank you for sharing your story, truly inspiring.  Hope the shows and especially time with your family was all that you wanted.

We all walk the Long Road.

But as you stated, not alone.  Thank you again for sharing.

PP49889

potnik said:

Thank you for sharing your story, truly inspiring.  Hope the shows and especially time with your family was all that you wanted.

We all walk the Long Road.

But as you stated, not alone.  Thank you again for sharing.

Sorry for the delayed reply.   The show was absolutely amazing!   Thank you for walking the long road with me!

PP49889

Had the 2016 Wrigley bootleg in the car CD player and when I unplugged my phone it switched to the CD.  I heard Steve Gleason say, “How we choose to feel is how we are.”  Amazing memory.  Keep on Rockin in the Free World, everyone!

PP49889

Hope all is well, Jammers!  It’s a great day to be Alive!

PP49889

Inside Job from Wrigley just came on my random music.   Goosebumps!

lastexitlondon

Great to hear you  are alive and well and having  great flashbacks of the  gig. That is the best part of gigs ,hearing the bootleg,and having that goosebump out of body feeling. Magical. KEEP ON RITFW.

trees

Right on long and glad your doing good

PP49889

lastexitlondon said:

Great to hear you  are alive and well and having  great flashbacks of the  gig. That is the best part of gigs ,hearing the bootleg,and having that goosebump out of body feeling. Magical. KEEP ON RITFW.

Magical, indeed!   

PP49889

trees said:

Right on long and glad your doing good

Thanks!

PP49889

As a survivor and someone that had to previously live in isolation, I just want to say that You can choose to feel how you are.   Take care of yourselves and each other.   

densan

I am so glad you are here to share with us. Thank you, and nothing but the best for you. 

dcp3y

Thank you Peter for sharing your story.  My wife is fighting her second round now and we’ve moved to maintenance chemo with no active brain cancer on her April scan.  Next scans are scheduled at the end of May and we are a bit anxious as they are scanning other areas that were hot in August and were left untended while we battled brain cancer.  The Long Road also resonates with me.  Stay strong and hope you can enjoy some more shows wen the pandemic subsides.  

PP49889

densan said:

I am so glad you are here to share with us. Thank you, and nothing but the best for you. 

Thanks!  So am I

PP49889

dcp3y said:

Thank you Peter for sharing your story.  My wife is fighting her second round now and we’ve moved to maintenance chemo with no active brain cancer on her April scan.  Next scans are scheduled at the end of May and we are a bit anxious as they are scanning other areas that were hot in August and were left untended while we battled brain cancer.  The Long Road also resonates with me.  Stay strong and hope you can enjoy some more shows wen the pandemic subsides.  

You’ve also walked the long road.  My scans are May 6th.   

PP49889

dcp3y said:

Thank you Peter for sharing your story.  My wife is fighting her second round now and we’ve moved to maintenance chemo with no active brain cancer on her April scan.  Next scans are scheduled at the end of May and we are a bit anxious as they are scanning other areas that were hot in August and were left untended while we battled brain cancer.  The Long Road also resonates with me.  Stay strong and hope you can enjoy some more shows wen the pandemic subsides.  

Best of luck!

Daughter5

Brian, I just came back from what you posted that brought me here. it's so strange I was not going to share all of this I was stopping in to tell you how I would keep you in my prayers, but as you see here it just came pouring out, and you have inspired me to post something I have wanted to for months. We always feel so alone when we are going through really hard times, and I never really share much about my feelings outside of the internet especially places I know people who know me even my daughters would go, I always feel only real Pearl Jam fans understand the impact their music and their community values. and all the events they involve us in making this a better world.
I've battled cancer once I know it was Praying and my Doctor oh yes taking my colon that I'm reminded of at least twice a day gave me a fighting chance, but most important 2 backstage passes from my hero Mr.Mike McCready way back on 7/11/2003 in Mansfield, Mass. It was all because of Crohn's (I didn't know Mike had it) tickets, and Ten Club forwarding my emails to him. I was actually getting ready for surgery I had worked it out with Ten Club to give my daughter my tickets. I was scheduled the same day as the concert which was in Mansfield, and I was scheduled at Brighrams Women's Hospital in Boston for surgery. Everything was in place until I thought about it LOL. I sent a quick email to Ten Club thanking them for everything but I said if I'm not going to fucking die without seeing Pearl Jam one last time. I think that one special thing that Mike did for me is what made me fight hard after surgery. I know I've thanked him many times but I don't think he knows the impact he had on me to fight for my life. I know that because of my fight now only it's my lungs. I didn't want to share this much but as I'm saving this to the draft I'm going to read your actual post. I'm so happy I did read it to. It's funny about the lines of certain songs were posted to your blog. I always refer to Pearl Jam songs mostly during tragedies throughout my life. I want to list a couple and then I'd like to message you a question if you don't mind. Most importantly thank you so much for sharing you will always be in my Prayers, Brenda
I'll write the lines later as tears have blocked my sight.

PP49889

Daughter5 said:

Brian, I just came back from what you posted that brought me here. it's so strange I was not going to share all of this I was stopping in to tell you how I would keep you in my prayers, but as you see here it just came pouring out, and you have inspired me to post something I have wanted to for months. We always feel so alone when we are going through really hard times, and I never really share much about my feelings outside of the internet especially places I know people who know me even my daughters would go, I always feel only real Pearl Jam fans understand the impact their music and their community values. and all the events they involve us in making this a better world.
I've battled cancer once I know it was Praying and my Doctor oh yes taking my colon that I'm reminded of at least twice a day gave me a fighting chance, but most important 2 backstage passes from my hero Mr.Mike McCready way back on 7/11/2003 in Mansfield, Mass. It was all because of Crohn's (I didn't know Mike had it) tickets, and Ten Club forwarding my emails to him. I was actually getting ready for surgery I had worked it out with Ten Club to give my daughter my tickets. I was scheduled the same day as the concert which was in Mansfield, and I was scheduled at Brighrams Women's Hospital in Boston for surgery. Everything was in place until I thought about it LOL. I sent a quick email to Ten Club thanking them for everything but I said if I'm not going to fucking die without seeing Pearl Jam one last time. I think that one special thing that Mike did for me is what made me fight hard after surgery. I know I've thanked him many times but I don't think he knows the impact he had on me to fight for my life. I know that because of my fight now only it's my lungs. I didn't want to share this much but as I'm saving this to the draft I'm going to read your actual post. I'm so happy I did read it to. It's funny about the lines of certain songs were posted to your blog. I always refer to Pearl Jam songs mostly during tragedies throughout my life. I want to list a couple and then I'd like to message you a question if you don't mind. Most importantly thank you so much for sharing you will always be in my Prayers, Brenda
I'll write the lines later as tears have blocked my sight.

Prayers right back to you, Brenda. Those Mansfield shows were in my car for YEARS.  Take care of yourself. 

Peter

lastexitlondon

Wishing you all the  best for your  scans peter.
And love to all on this  thread.

PP49889

Scans came back clean!  Thanks, Jamily!

lastexitlondon

Yes my man. Keep pushing forward. Big love

PP49889

lastexitlondon said:

Yes my man. Keep pushing forward. Big love

You’ve been a big supporter!   Thank you very much!  Keep on Rockin in the Free World!

PP49889

I can’t believe it’s been 2 years since this concert.   So many great memories!  How you choose to feel is 

1upstate

wow, I recall this thread...as I  went  looking for 2018 Chicago threads, hell, I skipped chemo to go to Chicago.

 as I look back on my cancer journey I have not been as  fortunate.   I fear I won't make it to the next US tour but I have maintained my pit and MSG tickets.  My wife can use them. Diagnosed in 2017 with metastatic kidney cancer that I was able to get ahead of i in my lungs until 9/2019 when it decided to hit the nervous system. 2 tumor removals and gamma ray surgery

problem is,other than getting rid of brain mets, there's no real treatment.   I would do anything for a show, to scream "Im still alive... 

I wish you nothing but success with your journey

Me...two things - "I gather speed from you fucking with me"

second, " I know the book ends, my suggestion to you is that you . you not focus on  the end of your book, BUT on your story. 

Loujoe

Very well put^^^much love

PP49889

1upstate said:

wow, I recall this thread...as I  went  looking for 2018 Chicago threads, hell, I skipped chemo to go to Chicago.

 as I look back on my cancer journey I have not been as  fortunate.   I fear I won't make it to the next US tour but I have maintained my pit and MSG tickets.  My wife can use them. Diagnosed in 2017 with metastatic kidney cancer that I was able to get ahead of i in my lungs until 9/2019 when it decided to hit the nervous system. 2 tumor removals and gamma ray surgery

problem is,other than getting rid of brain mets, there's no real treatment.   I would do anything for a show, to scream "Im still alive... 

I wish you nothing but success with your journey

Me...two things - "I gather speed from you fucking with me"

second, " I know the book ends, my suggestion to you is that you . you not focus on  the end of your book, BUT on your story. 

Thanks for the well wishes, 1upstate.   If you haven’t seen Stuart Scott’s Espy speech I encourage you to look it up on YouTube.   “You are beating cancer by how you live, why you live, in the matter in which you live.”  You’ve walked a Long Road and I will walk that road with you.   Prayers of peace and light.  

PP49889

Loujoe said:

Very well put^^^much love

Thanks, Loujoe!

PP49889

Hey Jammers!  

Two weeks ago, I got a clean scan!   It was 4 1/2 years after treatment ended and is 6 months toward an important milestone.  I heard Long Road on the way to work this morning and smiled.  I’ve walked the Long Road.  Thanks for walking with me!

lastexitlondon

I love this.  Thinking of you today. Keep striding forward my man

Loujoe

Thanks for sharing.  helps me appreciate life and keep a level perspective on what's important. Rock on everyone!!

PJNB

Hard to not get emotional reading some of these posts. Great news @PP49889 and I wish those that posted in this thread about their battles with cancer are successful as well.