Rocket 4 the Cure

I want to be upfront and transparent with you. I am not a big fan of the Susan G. Komen Foundation. The "pinkification" of cancer isn't something I support. Cancer isn't as simple as a color. (You'll see why this matters in a bit.) 

My cancer "colors" aren't pink. Frankly, I don't even know what color ribbon I should have. Do I mix the two? Do I just show off two? Does my cancer color even matter? 

I was introduced to a pretty awesome story the other day. There are a couple of high school kids that will break the Guinness Book of World Records for the most rockets simultaneously launched. I am taking their words directly from their website: 

We created Rocket4theCure to raise money for the battle against breast cancer.

And we'd like to break a world record while we're at it.

That's freaking awesome! Dylan's mom was diagnosed with breast cancer a few years ago. This is his way of supporting his mom and other breast cancer patients, and I love it! Sanzio is his good friend and loves rockets. The two of them will be unstoppable! 

Why is this story resonating with me? These guys are doing something. They woke up and decided to help someone, somehow, in a way they could. This project will support the Susan G. Komen Foundation and I am supporting them wholeheartedly. 

"We can't help everyone, but everyone can help someone." - Ronald Reagan

This is how I am going to ask you to help these two cool guys. 

1) Like their Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/rocket4thecure (That's the easy one, right?) 

2) Share this story on your own social media sites. (I know this is a little out there, but this is how word gets out.) 

3) Sponsor a rocket. It's $10. (Yeah, I know. But I am really asking. I wouldn't ask you to do something I wouldn't do myself. I just sponsored two for $20.) Click here to sponsor a rocket. http://rocket4thecure.org/sponsor-a-rocket/ 

I am really asking you for your help. Spread this story. Help these two guys. Why? Because they are doing something and if we support them, others will be encouraged to do something, too. 

Napkin Notes - The Next Chapter

Napkin Notes: Make Lunch Meaningful, Life Will Follow

It's real. I have been reluctant to share this part of my journey because it seemed so unbelievable. However, I have been paging through my advance copy. It's real. I can hold it in my hands. I can sense the weight of the paper, and turn the pages. I can read my words.

On Feb 26, I met with a team at HarperCollins. They were interested in hearing my story. I was hoping and praying for the time to be able to tell it. Little did they know I was going to drop a small bombshell when we started. "I have cancer again. It's my fourth diagnosis. We have a plan, but let's face it, statistically, patients like me have an 8% 5-year survival rate."  

The meeting paused. Someone picked up the phone and called Memorial Sloan Kettering, the country's best kidney cancer center. HarperCollins showed me that they cared about me as a person first. 

I did go to MSK a couple of weeks later. I was able to confirm a treatment plan. But that's not what this part of the story is about. 

I was deeply touched by the concerned actions of the team at HarperCollins. They saw me as a person. They were interested in our story. I was interested in sharing it. We went about working on this project. I was committed to finishing as quick as possible. After all, I have Stage IV kidney cancer. I am well aware of time passing. I wanted to see this project to completion. 

We went to work. I'll be frank. It was harder than I thought it would be. I am a positive and happy man today, but writing about telling Emma I had cancer for the first time was nearly impossible. I had to dredge up memories that we're pushed into the back of my mind. It was gut wrenching and painful. The first year or so after that initial diagnosis was dark. Writing about it was a challenge. (and oh, by the way, I was in treatment, fighting nausea, fatigue, etc. It wasn't the best environment for storytelling!) 

We turned in the first draft in early June and I still didn't share that here. Why? It wasn't 'real' to me yet. It became real when I opened up my copies just a few days ago. It became real when I saw it up on Amazon and Barnes & Noble. Crazy, right? 

Last week I found out that the book will be translated into complex Chinese and sold in China. That's the latest in the list that includes Brazil, Portugal, The Netherlands, Mozambique, Angola, South Korea, and Germany. Crazy, right? 

Lissa, Emma, and I are literally walking around our home wondering how we have become so blessed. 

I hope the story will do two things: 

• Inspire parents (& everyone else, too!) to write notes on a regular basis. I believe in my heart this will make a difference in any relationship
• Inspire cancer patients to fight like hell. It's a battle against something that doesn't fight fairly and we need strength and support

If you know someone that could use some inspiration in their life, please click here. 

Bucket List Item #2

Last February I wrote out a bucket list. It had 36 items. I taped a copy of it to my home office window, posted it here, and basically was sharing it with the world. I did this for a few reasons. I wanted to publicly state that these items were important to me and that I was going to make them come true, one by one. I also wanted others to think about their own bucket lists, to create them and then follow through. Create action. Make a change. Do. 

A funny thing happened once I made my list. (Here's the original post.) I actually started to check off some of the items. In many cases, others stepped up to help. I am eternally thankful. Today I am happy to check off one more item. 

2. Own a pub in Ireland and pour pints of Guinness for my friends 

I'm thrilled! We're going to Ireland! (Everyone named Callaghan should visit the homeland at least once!) We're taking a break from "real life" next April and going to explore our heritage. Even more importantly, a dear friend of mine, Molly, has arranged for me to become an honorary pub owner along the way! You'll have to be patient as you wait the 119.5 seconds for the pints of Guinness to settle.

One of my bucket list items will be crossed off in about 7 months. Well, that is, if I have friends to pour for! Lissa and Emma are coming with me. Colleen, my sister, will tag along, too. I think Molly is planning to travel with us and a high school friend, Dawn, will be there.  The trip has space for about 47 people, and there are a dozen spots left. I am extending an open invitation to my friends. If you have always wanted to travel to Ireland, I'd love to meet you there! This is a true invitation. I value the relationships in my life more than anything else. 

If you're interested, you can take a gander here: Ireland Trip 

I have never poured Guinness from a tap. I have a lot of practice ahead! 

PS - For everyone out there fighting cancer or any long term health battle, making long term plans is an incredibly important commitment. Plan for a future. Fight. Live! 

The ALS Challenge Part II

Emma was challenged by some friends and her dad.

We hereby challenge ALL of the Napkin Notes Community to donate either time or money to a favorite charity! Please, DO something. Don't let her cold head go to waste!

The ALS Challenge

I accepted the ALS Challenge from Alex Sheen, the founder of Because I said I would.

I hereby challenge ALL of the Napkin Notes Community to donate either time or money to a favorite charity! Please, DO something. Don't let my cold head go to waste!

Preparing to Die

A few days ago, I posed a question. Do you have a Will? I wanted some honest feedback and wasn’t judging. Most of the responses were that the person had a Will. Based on my limited experience, I sense that many of those without a Will were silent.

I’ve been working on a project with a new colleague and friend, Cindy DiTiberio.  It’s safe to say that Cindy knows me inside and out due to our work on this project. She knows both the public and the private Garth. She stunned me with a question the other day and I have been contemplating it ever since she asked.

Lissa and I had been working with a lawyer, Sharon Ten, and preparing a lot of documents. All of these documents were what you’d consider “end of life” documents. We worked on a Will, Power of Attorney, Advanced Medical Directives, and a Trust. I am ashamed to say I have never had a Will drawn up.  Yes, I have been battling cancer since 2011 and didn’t have a Will. Not only that, I have had a child for over 14 years and didn’t have a Will!

Cindy asked, “How do you balance preparing to die with the fact that you're doing everything you can to live?”

Well! Huh! Crud!

Living. Fighting. Staying Positive.

Preparing for death. The end.

They aren’t contradictory. In fact, they are hardly related.

I’ve made it pretty clear that fighting is an important aspect of my life. Heck, if I weren’t fighting, you probably wouldn’t be reading this. I shared something with one of my nurses last week. I told her I firmly believed I was exactly where I was supposed to be. I was on a path that I didn’t choose, but it held great importance to me. Part of my purpose is to be the most enthusiastic and positive cancer patient I can be.

I wake up every morning and choose to be positive.

It is a choice.

I grew up in a Funeral Director’s family. My dad owned the Callaghan Funeral Home. My maternal grandfather, Papa, owned the Keough & Son Funeral Home. Both Papa and my Uncle Ron ran that business. My cousin, Brendan, now co-owns the Butler-Keough Funeral Home in the same town.  Our family has been helping others with death and dying for over 80 years.

Death is an inevitable point in everyone’s life. Last I checked, we have a 100% chance of dying. We usually just don’t know the timing.

Even though it took a kick in the pants, I chose to prepare. My dad, ironically, didn’t. His Will was 40 years old when he died a few years ago. I am happy to say that we think we have done our best to legally protect the family in the event that one of us dies.

“How do you balance preparing to die with the fact that you're doing everything you can to live?”

I will die, someday. Let’s hope and pray it’s far into the future. In the meantime, I’ll fight like hell to beat this cancer.

"You beat cancer by how you live, why you live and in the manner in which you live." – Stuart Scott

Special thanks to Sharon Ten and the law firm of Bowen Ten Cardani, PC. They made the process easier than I expected and were incredibly thorough.

Again, thank you all for walking on this journey with me. I couldn’t do it alone.