Michael Naylor Lost and Found

First post: Aug 12, 2021 Latest post: Jan 2, 2024
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Wilderness trails, like life can take you to some very unexpected places. This unexpected detour in our life began with a little back pain in April which grew to excruciating pain by July. An X-ray my chiropractor sent me to get, revealed fractures all along my spine and then a CT-scan at the Emergency Room finally gave us an answer, cancer.

Multiple Myeloma Cancer was the furthest thing from my mind and it is still, in these early days, difficult to fathom this is happening. Traumatized, my wife Heather and I returned to the hospital, where I was admitted by the new doctor on my detour, my Oncologist.  During my week stay, a bone marrow test confirmed the diagnosis and multiple tests and scans showed that the cancer had advanced pretty significantly in my spine, ribs, and skull. 

I was started immediately on a Chemo treatment, which felt like such a gift. As we learned more together, what at first felt hopeless now began to feel like what I think of as wandering a bit “Lost” on a trail. After leaving the hospital we have begun to get our bearings and “Found” strength and kindness in each other, family, friends, co-workers, and many people we have never met. We are very grateful for all of you!

My trail family will know they dubbed me with the trail name “Lost and Found” after an actual detour I found myself on during our backpacking trip along the High Sierra Trail. It just seemed appropriate for my title here. Also, my school family know how much I love a perfect simile or metaphor. A little dramatic, but I enjoyed using it to tell this story.

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