Greg Louganis
June 30th, 2008
When I was first diagnosed in 1988, the same year as the Seoul Summer Olympics, HIV was thought of as a death sentence, so I was going to do the honorable thing and go back home, lock myself in my house and wait to die. Because that was the mentality during that time. And then my cousin – who was my doctor and who did the HIV test – he really encouraged me to stay in training. He said that was probably the healthiest thing for me to do for myself. And I was very thankful for that, because I was able to focus on my diving, which was very positive, rather than on this cloud that potentially loomed over my head. Secrets are devastating, they can really isolate you, and that’s what happened with all of these secrets about my sexuality, and also about treatment, about my illness, about HIV.
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Suzanne
June 16th, 2008
The significance of nine can mean many things. Some cats are said to have nine lives. Nine years is more than many marriages last. There are nine innings in baseball. Nine months can bring forth new life. Nine years can mark the change from a toddler to a teenager or can be the defining times that bring a teenager to adulthood. Cloud 9 denotes great happiness. The number nine holds a special meaning for me this year as it marks nine anniversaries since I heard the words “you have incurable colon cancer.” Nine years of new seasons, birthdays, anniversaries, memories, miracles and hope.
In years past, I’ve described this diagnosis as a battle, a fight, a war, a roller-coaster ride, a merry-go-round, a voyage, a journey, a seven-year itch, and even a dance. All fit, but the greatest gift this year has given me is the realization that I’m not dying from colon cancer. I am living fully in spite of it. I have reaped the benefits of research, a dedicated team of doctors, and increasing options….It is important that the momentum continue and that research is not thwarted, not only for me and my family but for the families of 1500 others that will lose loved ones today and each day after today. (more…)
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