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My Survivor Trip

I received a diagnosis of lung cancer in 2001 and had surgery to remove the tumor and then radiation to ensure they got it all. During my recovery time I sat around searching the internet and discovered that most lung cancer patients do not survive more than 5 years.

In 2007 I realized I had beaten the odds and decided to do something special for myself. A friend told me about a website for people that like to travel and that the people you meet on there would act as tour guides while visiting their countries. I had no idea where I would want to go or do but I was surfing the internet one day at work and noticed that Dracula's castle was for sale. I said that is it I will go and see it and set in motion a plan. I met a couple of people on the website and set up an itinerary to go. I had scheduled a meeting with people in Budapest Hungary, who cancelled before I left. A lady who I continued talking with in Romania said she would meet me in Budapest and show me around. I had also intended to go to St. Petersburg, Russia.

Well the Romanian lady met me in Budapest and showed me around there, we went on a dinner cruise, walked in a couple of hills, and just did the sightseeing thing. From there we went to Cluj Romania and she introduced me to her family and showed me around her town. From there we went to Bran Romania where we went to Dracula's castle, stayed in a hotel older than the United States and just went sight seeing there.

We spent a few more days together before I had to return home but it goes without saying that we fell in love and have been together since then.

She has stood with me through three more battles with cancer, one larynx cancer and two more lung cancers. We recently celebrated my 16 year anniversary of beating cancer the first time and will continue to celebrate many more things together.

She came here in 2008 and we got married and plan on staying together many more years having loads of fun.

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